Country Homes & Interiors – September 2019

ground-floorbedrooms,createdanL-shaped,open-plan

living/diningareawitha woodburningstoveandinstalled

asimplekitchen.Onthesmallfirstfloor,theyturnedan

officewitha balconyandstunningseaviewsintoa main

suite,replacingtheimpractical,open-treadstaircasethat

ledtothespacewitha conventionalone,andaddinga

largebathroom.Thediscoveryofasbestosinthefabricof

thebuildingdelayedtheprojectbya fewweeks,butthey

wereabletomoveinatthebeginningofautumn2015.

Whenshewasdesigningtheinterior,Emmapuzzled

overhowtocreatea contemporaryBritishseasidefeel

whileavoidingclichédnauticaloroceanreferences.The

answerlayinobservingthesurroundinglandscape.‘Using

bluesis obvious,’shesays.‘Butwhenyoulookcloselyat

thenaturalenvironmentnearby,thereis a wholerangeof

othercolours,too,includingrichbrowns,crispgreensand

hintsoforange-pink.I chosea paletteofcool,butnot

stark,whites,layeredtocreatesubtletonalvariations,

togetherwithsoftblue-greys.Keepingthebasecolours

neutralcreateda feelingofspace,andthenI added

accentsinstrongerhues.Wepaintedsomefurnitureinthe

sittingroomanddiningarea,andit hasa realstrengthand

contrastagainstthewhitebackdrops.Insomelightsit

looks grey, in others blue, and occasionally green. We>

Mainbedroom

Theseaviewsaregorgeousfrom

thisfirst-floorbalcony.Chichester

bed,upholsteredinCabbages

& Roses’Constancefabric,

Neptune.Bespokecushions,

SimsHilditch;inMaremma

Rigato fabric, C&C Milano

LIVINGTHEDREAM

ForEmmaandJohnSimsHilditch,

buyinga coastalholidayhomemeant

theycouldenjoytheseaandindulge

theirpassionforsailing

Howdoyouspenda

typicaldaysailing?

Weenjoybeingoutonthewaterfor

mostoftheday,sowe’llpacka picnic

lunchandspendthedayontheboat.

Where’syourfavourite

placetosailinCornwall?

ThecoastaroundStMawes,where

thePercuilRivermeetstheCarrick

Roads,is justsostunning.

What’sthebesttimeof

dayforenjoyingthesea

viewfromyourhouse?

Theeveningsarebeautiful,withthe

colourschangingintheskyand

thesunglimmeringonthesea.

46 COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

CORNISH COASTAL VILLA