Calm, Stylish Home With Stunning Coastal Views

Photos by Elliot White Photography

House at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of four
Location: Rock, Cornwall, England
Size: Five bedrooms and five bathrooms
Designer: Nicola O’Mara of Nicola O’Mara Interior Design
Builder: Wood & Tile Construction

The home’s kitchen and dining area is on the main level and has lots of glass so the family can enjoy the view. O’Mara laid out the space with the kitchen enclosed and the dining area situated next to the large glass windows and doors.

She commissioned a local company to design the kitchen with in-frame cabinets and handless doors. The kitchen sink is tucked in next to the partition wall that borders the walkway.

Kitchen: Duchy Kitchens; dining chairs: Kave Home

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It was tricky to find a dining table big enough for the space, O’Mara says. This oak table fits perfectly and allows diners to sit and gaze at the estuary. O’Mara made sure she didn’t add any hanging light fixtures that might obscure the view — opting for recessed spotlights instead.

The living room on the same level also has a large window looking out across the estuary. O’Mara positioned a cozy sectional sofa on the right but needed to find a solution for more seating that didn’t block the view. She chose a curved sofa for the corner near the window, balancing the room without obstructing the flow.

Curved sofa: Six The Residence; rug: Designers Guild; table lamps: Coach House

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As the room is large, acoustics were important, so O’Mara installed wood panels with felted backs on either side of the fireplace. These bring in some cozy texture and prevent sound from echoing around the space. The fireplace was already there, but O’Mara had the slate along the low surface sanded and oiled.

Coffee table, cushions, L-shaped sofa: all Andrew Martin; natural wooden wall panels: Acupanel

A family room on this floor is where the kids like to chill out, watch TV and play video games.

“We wanted to make it cozy so we painted the back wall in a dark color and added natural linens and wooden surfaces,” O’Mara says. Along the opposite wall (not seen) is cabinetry that houses the TV screen and gaming devices.

Sofa, Andrew Martin; cushions: Andrew Martin and Villa Nova; wall paint: Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball; coffee table: Bloomingville

At the top of the house, the main bedroom has its own balcony. The bed faces out to the landscape, while two armchairs are next to the glass door. “The house is enclosed by trees so it’s private,” O’Mara says.

Armchairs: Loaf; bed: Love Your Home; bed linens: The White Co.; rug: West Elm

O’Mara commissioned Coast Creative to create new door fronts for the existing bedroom closets and added antique bronze handles. “The surface looks a little like linen, which adds some soft character to the room,” she says.

Throw: Toast

Back down on the ground floor, this large hallway has a winding staircase that leads up to the main floor. O’Mara positioned a large sideboard in front of the stone wall to provide plenty of storage. A couple of chairs frame the cabinet and add a place to sit while putting on shoes.

Sideboard: Andrew Martin; armchairs: Loaf; mirror: Oka

There are more bedrooms on the ground floor, including this guest room. “We contrasted white paneling with blue walls to add interest and texture,” O’Mara says. “The whole house also has a nod to the coastal setting without being too obvious.” She is now working on the home’s bathrooms.

Throws: Society of Lifestyle; cushions: Madam Stoltz; bedside table: Kave Home; lamp: Nordic Nest; wall paint: Skylight, Farrow & Ball

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