Grandad’s Cottage, Church Cove, The Lizard

Nestled just back from the winding road that leads down to Church Cove on the Lizard peninsula, Grandad’s Cottage had been a successful holiday rental. The new owners ( a professional couple) purchased it as a fully furnished property but wanted to put their own stamp on it as they would be using both to let and also as a second home. Working with a local team of builders Atkin Property Maintenance, we revamped and refreshed the interior of the property as the main building was structurally sound, although a couple of the windows which had seen better days were replaced. Even though the owners lived away, regular video calls meant that the whole project was turned around in just five months.

 It was important to the owners that we kept as much of the traditional aspects as possible whilst ensuring it benefitted from modern comforts. Due to the secluded nature of the cottage, hidden amongst trees, we wanted to create an ‘old world’ feel that would embrace its occupants. In keeping with the cottage’s local stone feature wall in the living room and its beautiful wooden staircase we chose an injection of subtle colour, using earthy tones of burnt orange and deep blues in the soft furnishings and accessories some of which were sourced from the Madam Stoltz collections. Rather than trying to lighten the kitchen, we embraced the small space by adding black units below and cream above. Both bathrooms were replaced keeping the theme of juxtaposing light and dark, this time achieved by painting the walls the deep inky blue of Farrow and Ball’s Stiffkey, set against white and patterned tiling.

 New flooring was laid throughout, with wooden boards for the downstairs and carpets for a touch of luxury in the bedrooms. In order to maintain the rustic feel, we added in cast iron radiators and maximised light and space by removing all of the curtains in preference of Roman blinds. The result was a calming retreat offering an escape from the world.