Fowey Holiday Apartment
The interiors bring the joy of the outside in with nods to the location’s industrial heritage
My clients had already seen my bold yet elegant and sympathetic design schemes through my interior design portfolio. Being lovers of colour, they wanted a bold palette for their apartment. They were conscious to avoid anything too ‘nautical’, which is often the theme of many seaside holiday homes.
The property is a second home, not a holiday let, so it was important that we created a retreat for the family. The brief required a thoughtful scheme of colour and material to achieve a comfortable and functional space.
For instance, my clients needed a desk and working area but wanted it to be discrete and easily hidden away when not in use. Therefore, a bespoke desk and fitted storage cupboards were designed and built in the living room by a local joiner, which cleverly solved the problem.
The overall design scheme for the client’s holiday apartment was influenced by the coastal location and stunning views. The apartment overlooks Fowey, the Fowey River and across to Polruan. It was important to incorporate all the colours outside into the interior design, as the focus on entering the apartment was the view. As a designer, I wanted to bring the joys of the outside in. I also wanted to include nods to Fowey’s industrial heritage. Home to a busy harbour, Fowey not only welcomes yachts and leisure boats, but also has a large commercial facility for the transportation of China Clay which is still quarried in the local area. There is also several boat buildings and ship repair yards, including one on the quay at Polruan.
Incorporating copper and raw material with a pared-back approach achieved a calming and thoughtful atmosphere.
A difficult area to design was the long hallway which extends from the rear entrance of the apartment, through to the kitchen and dining room at the front. A roof light was added to brighten the space, but it needed something special to take you on a visual journey from front to back. The apartment is within a Georgian building, so it felt appropriate to add in period features. A panelled wallpaper in deep turquoise was selected to decorated down the length of the hallway. The deep colour draws you towards the glass doors at the end of the hall, where the apartment opens to the most stunning of vistas. It was a bold move, but it really gives the first-time visitor an insight into what’s to come.
My clients had already purchased some essential pieces of furniture which needed to be incorporated within the design.
A beautiful wooden bed frame with a shell pink upholstered headboard was purchased for their daughter’s bedroom. To complement the bed, I designed a large floral print, bespoke wallpaper for the room, which is both feminine and contemporary. A bespoke, made to order, boucle armchair in teal was added to create a relaxing reading nook with textured cushions both for comfort and visual interest. The shell pink and pale turquoise colours of the room were continued through to the open weave ‘Driftnet’ curtain fabric. This fabric was chosen as it dreamily moves in the sea breeze, creating a calming and serene atmosphere.
