Remote cottage in west Cornwall
THE PROPERTY: traditional single storey 3 bedroom cottage & separate annex
THE CLIENTS: a family of four plus dogs
LOCATION: A remote spot overlooking St Michaels Mount, Cornwall
THE BRIEF
Living in the heart of London, this lively young family needed an escape. They knew they had found somewhere really special, but whilst outside there were dramatic uninterrupted views of the sea, inside was a muddle of small rooms, awkward bathrooms and a long corridor. It was all in a sad, tired state.
The layout needed a complete overhaul, but the clients wanted to work within the existing building envelope and were keen to upgrade the environmental credentials. It was clear that delivery would be complicated by the remote nature of the site in a Conservation Area.
THE RESPONSE
The clients thought we should knock the three rooms of the original cottage into one, to make a large sociable kitchen/dining/living space. This made sense, but Tanya could see the far greater potential of creating a vaulted ceiling. After a little hesitation, they embraced this idea and appreciated new skylights, flooding the room with light.
A valuable utility room and playroom/study area were carved out of the wasted corridor space in one of the 1980’s extensions. The layout of each of the three cramped bathrooms was dramatically improved. The restructured layout included a compact plant room for a heat-pump and a high specification hot-water system.
DELIVERY
A careful balance was struck between creating a practical home for a modern family that feels fresh and up to date, whilst also respecting the humble simplicity of the original cottage. Furnishings were kept understated, so as not to detract from the ever changing views.
This is a place where you experience the weather up close, as the builders quickly discovered. Tucked away down a long narrow bumpy track, organising deliveries was one of the biggest challenges of the project. But with a ground source heat pump and insulation in place, after a day running wild in the fresh air, the family can retreat to cosy warmth inside.
CLIENT RESPONSE
“Tanya transformed the layout in a way we would have never thought of ourselves but it has made the house eminently more liveable.” - Client
THE CLIENTS: a family of four plus dogs
LOCATION: A remote spot overlooking St Michaels Mount, Cornwall
THE BRIEF
Living in the heart of London, this lively young family needed an escape. They knew they had found somewhere really special, but whilst outside there were dramatic uninterrupted views of the sea, inside was a muddle of small rooms, awkward bathrooms and a long corridor. It was all in a sad, tired state.
The layout needed a complete overhaul, but the clients wanted to work within the existing building envelope and were keen to upgrade the environmental credentials. It was clear that delivery would be complicated by the remote nature of the site in a Conservation Area.
THE RESPONSE
The clients thought we should knock the three rooms of the original cottage into one, to make a large sociable kitchen/dining/living space. This made sense, but Tanya could see the far greater potential of creating a vaulted ceiling. After a little hesitation, they embraced this idea and appreciated new skylights, flooding the room with light.
A valuable utility room and playroom/study area were carved out of the wasted corridor space in one of the 1980’s extensions. The layout of each of the three cramped bathrooms was dramatically improved. The restructured layout included a compact plant room for a heat-pump and a high specification hot-water system.
DELIVERY
A careful balance was struck between creating a practical home for a modern family that feels fresh and up to date, whilst also respecting the humble simplicity of the original cottage. Furnishings were kept understated, so as not to detract from the ever changing views.
This is a place where you experience the weather up close, as the builders quickly discovered. Tucked away down a long narrow bumpy track, organising deliveries was one of the biggest challenges of the project. But with a ground source heat pump and insulation in place, after a day running wild in the fresh air, the family can retreat to cosy warmth inside.
CLIENT RESPONSE
“Tanya transformed the layout in a way we would have never thought of ourselves but it has made the house eminently more liveable.” - Client
Project Year: 2018
Others who worked on this project: Roussel & Moore Joinery
