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BRITAIN’S FASTEST-GROWING HOMES MAGAZINE

GoodHomesAUGUST 2017 £3.65

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PACKED WITH IDEAS TO STEALPACKED WITH IDEAS TO STEAL

SUMMERHOMES

Cover_Aug_final.indd 1 14/06/2017 14:36

White-washed planking on the walls helps create a beach

cabin-style backdrop to the tropical prints and ocean blues and greens of the furniture and

accessories, for a relaxed, holiday vibe

STEP INSIDE

Peering over Freathy Cliff in Cornwall, Jane Ramage’s beloved family home is starting a stylish new life following a seven-month restoration

FEATURE NATALIE OSBORN PHOTOGRAPHER UNIQUE HOME STAYS

‘The amazing views are

breathtaking’

Mid-century chalet I S U M M E R H O M E S

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Homeowners Jane Ramage and her husband Alan Family

Three grown-up children, Matthew, Georgina and Samantha Location Whitsand Bay, Cornwall Property

Two-bedroom, Forties chalet

HOUSE VALUATION

Purchase price Inherited Valued now at £325,000

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

Kitchen £3,000 Bathroom £3,000 Building work £43,000

Redecoration £2,000 Landscaping £5,000 Designer £24,000

TOTAL SPEND

£80,000

THE FLOORPLAN

HOUSE DETAILS

TROPICAL VIBE

Jane’s interior style is a fun, vibrant twist on the chalet’s natural surroundings

BEDROOM

LIVING AREA

BA

THR

OO

M

DINING AREA

KITCHEN

BEDROOM

O verlooking Cornwall’s spellbinding south-east coast, Jane Ramage’s tropical-themed chalet, Islander, is the very first

clifftop cabin you find as you approach Whitsand Bay, known locally as the area’s forgotten corner. But for Jane and her family, this stretch of coastline is forever fresh in their minds. ‘The cluster of chalets on the end of the peninsular have been in our family for around 80 years,’ she explains. ‘They were originally built to house evacuees during the Second World War, which is how my father – now 90 – came to live in the chalet next door, and my uncles Ern and Hugh moved into this one.’

Jane’s father was a serviceman, and although she and her two sisters, Diane and Lynda, moved from posting to posting with him, Whitsand Bay was always the place that they returned to; it was their permanent home. The sisters’ childhoods were rich with sunny days on the beach, and Jane is only too happy to relive those carefree memories: ‘When Dad wasn’t stationed abroad, all of our summer holidays were spent here,’ she recalls. ‘At night, we’d clamber down the cliffs with gas lanterns and, after digging up the bait on low tides in the darkness, we’d all sit around a bonfire and sing along to one of my uncles playing the accordion.’

The family’s days were equally idyllic: ‘The following morning after a high tide, we’d climb back down again and pull the lines to bring in the fish, which would be enjoyed for supper that evening,’ Jane remembers. ‘We’d paddle in the rockpools, fish for tiddlers, ride the waves on our lilos and inflatable boats, and there was always time for a game of rounders or cricket on the beautiful sandy beach.’

The sisters inherited the chalet when their father decided that the journey from his home in Herefordshire was too long to make any more, and they then

STUNNING VIEW

The chalet has been refurbished to make the most of its coastal position

NATURAL HUES

Accessories are the focal point of the understated and compact kitchen

SHOP THIS ROOM

For similar dining chairs, try Xavier Pauchard Tolix-style, £59 each, Cult Furniture. Coffee table, £70.92,

Piksyprint at Etsy. For a similar dining table, try Oakland, £449,

Cotswold Co. For a similar palm-print cushion, try

Made.com

HARD LINES

Wire elementsgive the tropical-themed interiors a modern edge

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SU MMER HOME S I Mid-century chalet

bought the neighbouring one when their uncle Hugh and his wife Delphine passed away. ‘We were determined to keep our little corner of heaven in the family,’ Jane says. ‘Uncle Hugh’s place was in desperate need of a makeover, as although it had been renovated three decades ago and well-maintained, it had been left empty for several years. So, we gave it a well-deserved update, and Islander was born.’

The aim of the seven-month renovation, which started in February 2016, was to transform the boxy layout into a big, open-plan living area and to lift the flat ceilings into the rafters to enhance the feeling of light and space. The biggest extravagance was adding bi-fold doors.

‘Islander has the best panoramic views across three sides, overlooking the golden sands below, so we went all-out with glass,’

Jane explains. The bi-folds stretch the full length of the chalet to give an unbroken view from the kitchen, living space and main bedroom. ‘We also added a picture window next to the dining table to help capture the clifftop vista,’ she adds, ‘so wherever you are in the living area, you’re surrounded by Cornwall’s natural beauty.’

Jane also spent time ensuring that Islander looked right in the landscape that she has grown to love so passionately. ‘We clad the exterior walls in locally sourced timber to help blend the chalet with the coastline, then chose an Indian stone for the patio, which was as close in colour as possible to the purple hues of the cliffs,’ she explains. ‘We’ve also tried to be as environmentally friendly as we could, with LED lighting, underfloor heating and a water butt to irrigate the plants.’

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOXUpcycle industrial cages and

trays into wow-factor shelving

FIND STATEMENT SHAPESStandout accessories draw the

eye and add instant charm

Pick statement accessories to complete your schemes

IDEAS TO STEAL

COLLECT INTERESTING VASESYou can never have too many – they make great display pieces

SHOP THIS ROOM

For similar bedside tables, try Quitman Portobello tables, £73.99

each, Worldstores. For a similar rustic wooden bedhead, try Tikka,

£379.50, Maisons du Monde. For similar tropical wallpaper,

try Murals Wallpaper

QUIRKY TOUCHES

A retro sign and box-framed Hawaiian shirt add personalityto this bedroom

TURN A LEAF

Wooden furniture and expanses of white calm the vibrant prints

TURN TO p166

WHERETO BUY

I’m pleased our little corner of heaven has stayed

in the family

STEP OUT

Bi-fold doors continue down the length of the chalet to take in breathtaking views

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In a small extra bedroom, it can be tempting to fit two single beds into the space at the expense of comfort and style. Instead, try Jane’s clever

solution and use built-in bunks. These will maximise the footprint – freeing up an area for a dressing table or office space – while forming an architectural feature in their own right. Employ a carpenter to help with the construction. Like Jane, clad the sides and ceilings in tongue-and-

groove panelling for a coastal look and use the same bed linen and accessories on each bunk for a cohesive feel. If budget allows, ask your carpenter to build in cubby spaces for personal items, and then bring

in an electrician to fit downlights or extendible reading lights for added comfort. Finally, for easy access to the top, a ladder rail is a sensible idea.

ONE SIMPLE CHANGE

REPURPOSE FRUIT BOWLSUse them to keep pocket

books or trinkets tidy

CREATE A DISPLAYNo room for a glasses cupboard? Place them on to shelves instead

Try Jane’s clever storage tricks for a neat and stylish home

IDEAS TO STEAL

USE MOBILE SOLUTIONSBedside tables on castors can be wheeled into new positions easily

With the hard landscaping and shell of the chalet finished, Jane installed a new kitchen and bathroom – both simple in style with clever rustic touches – and then called in interior designer Paul Hervey to oversee the decorating. Strong prints and even stronger colours combine for Paul’s playful, tropical theme, creating a sense of frivolity and rejuvenation that is perfect for days spent beside the seaside.

The new open-plan living area uses a round dining table to maximise on space, and allows the views to be enjoyed from any angle at mealtimes. The mid-century furniture gives a nod to the chalet’s history and their high legs enhance the airy feel. While the bold blue-and-green palette is vibrant – almost jarring – when taken in isolation, in the context of the expanse

RUSTIC PATINA

An upcycled chest of drawers makes a

statement vanity unit in the bathroom

of sea and lush grassy cliffs, the hues are an appropriate reflection of the colour scheme beyond the bi-fold doors.

The master bedroom is another sharp hit of tropicana prints, with the biggest statements in the wallpaper and bed linen. Cleverly, by sticking to leaf and floral patterns, Paul has created wow-factor features that still reference to the natural world, and so don’t seem out of kilter with what staying at Islander is all about.

As Jane says, ‘Any special features are always upstaged by the amazing and ever-changing views of the sea, cliffs and beautiful sandy beaches all around us.’

Upcycled pieces can be seen throughout the spaces too, from the wire shelving in the kitchen to the living room’s wooden chest coffee table, which all contrast

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beautifully against the more modernist mid-century furniture and give the renovated space a comfortable and lived-in appearance. This idea is used to dramatic effect in the bathroom, where the sanded- back vanity unit is brought to the fore by the simplicity of the surrounding materials, with just one wood-effect design of tile is used for the floor, walls and splashback.

Now that the work is completed, Jane and her sisters can relax in the knowledge that they have preserved their family bolthole for the next generation – and also for other families too, as Islander is now available

as a holiday home via Unique Home Stays. ‘Our first guest was singer Ronan Keating and he Instagrammed and tweeted some amazing photos of himself and his wife

Storm with their pet pug,’ Jane smiles. ‘They had a great time surfing and walking on the sands, and left a lovely message in the guest book too.’

While Islander may be entering a new stage of its life, the enjoyment Jane feels when she looks back on the time

spent on its sandy beaches will never fade. ‘My three kids all spent their childhood holidays on the cliffs at Freathy, just as I and my two sisters did before them – and what an amazing childhood that was.’

We wanted to showcase the

changing views

LAY BACK

The wrap-around terrace offers plenty of space for family and friends to relax

ON REFLECTION

Jane’s expansive bi-fold doors mirror the breathtaking surrounding vistas

S U M M E R H O M E S I Mid-century chalet

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