A 17th-Century Cottage Becomes a Boho Surf Retreat in England
Steps made of old railroad ties and flanked by handcrafted stone walls lead to the new surfboard room and below-grade living areas.
Steps made of old railroad ties and flanked by handcrafted stone walls lead to the new surfboard room and below-grade living areas.
Visits to Cornwall have always given Gaby Dellal what her thriving career and cosmopolitan life never could: a slower pace. Jutting into the Celtic Sea from the southwestern tip of England, the county—where wrinkled headlands rise from ice-blue waters and visitors can walk along its coast for miles without seeing a soul—offered an escape from Gaby’s work as a film director who ping-pongs between London and New York. Her three sons often tagged along to ride the waves that make Cornwall one of Europe’s best surfing spots.
When renovating a centuries-old beach cottage in Cornwall, architect Adam Casey of Watershedd covered one of the existing additions in vertical black timber.
Photo by Evie Johnstone
The material is in stark contrast to the rough-hewn walls of the original stone structure.
Photo by Evie Johnstone
Years ago, a friend there tipped her off to a 17th-century stone cottage for sale in the northern village of St. Agnes. Set upon the cliffs of scenic Trevaunance Cove, the 1,600-square-foot structure—whose former iterations included a coast-guard lodging and a fish house—proved irresistible, and Gaby decided to buy it.
Gaby sourced many of the interior furnishings from salvaged goods dealers and reclamation yards. The hanging rail in the surf room and several pieces of furniture in the living/dining space came from Retrouvius and The Architectural Forum. The pendant lights are from SkinFlint.
Photo by Evie Johnstone
See the full story on Dwell.com: A 17th-Century Cottage Becomes a Boho Surf Retreat in England
Related stories:
