New Interior Design Project-Rustic Devon (Part One)!
Rustic Devon
It’s been a year in the making, but finally our new Interior Design Project-Rustic Devon, is finished! For today’s blog we are going to take you through our design journey to creating this rustic charm! We are going to focus on some of the keys spaces. As there is so much to cover, we are, however going to deliver part two of the project in our next blog!
As designers, you long for a property that is full of character and charm. This property certainly delivers on that! It is a beautiful barn with all the lovely ceiling beams and thick stone walls, a comforting fireplace and lots of little nooks to curl up in.
The Reason For Change.
The house in its original form had three bedrooms. Downstairs had an open plan living room/kitchen and just one bathroom. The family love to entertain and by pushing the property out to the side, it allowed them to create a separate kitchen, with master bedroom and ensuite above. The old kitchen could then become a chill out space for their children, with flexibility to become an additional bedroom, with ensuite attached. Upstairs remained three bedrooms (the tiny room was sacrificed to become a walkway). Now all the rooms are generous sizes and the new master suite has a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite.
The Design Brief.
Our client’s house is right by the sea in South Devon and will also be used as a luxury holiday let. The temptation was to use the influence of the sea location for the design. Both my clients and myself felt that design direction would be fairly cliché. Instead we wanted to highlight all the beauty that a rustic barn brings, whilst creating an interiors that is both light and breezy in the summer months and warm and cosy for the rest of the year!
With the outer stone walls being used for the extension, this provided an opportunity for us to bring the stone into the new spaces. We left a section of the walls exposed with the beautiful stone and then lime plastered the remaining wall. Beams in ceilings are such a feature, but they can also be challenging. This house has low ceilings and so the dark beams were very heavy and made the spaces feel even smaller than they were. We retained the charm of the original oak beams, but with the softwood additions we washed them in a variety of finishes and textures to bring them down to a beautiful, softer feature.
As the property is a luxury holiday rental, all the material choices needed to be hard wearing and easy to use. Who doesn’t love a beautiful marble in a kitchen or bathroom, but in a holiday rental these easily damaged finishes would be a nightmare. Instead we favoured rustic looking LVT, sofas with loose, washable covers and paint that was scrubbable!
The two materials we love in our interiors are rustic timber and patinated metals and both were definitely incredible additions for this project.
Room by Room.
The Kitchen!
The kitchen is a completely new addition. The space isn’t huge, but by installing windows and french doors on every aspect, it now continually enjoys the light and sun throughout the day. Although a kitchen island is a lovely addition if you have space, we felt for this project cramming one in would have detrimental effects on the design impact we wanted to create. By running the kitchen along the wall opposite the kitchen entrance, it allows you to feel the full impact of the incredible kitchen. It also allows you to feel the light and space that the room enjoys. A bespoke banquette and rustic table are along the stone wall and plenty of circulation space remains to allow the freedom of guests running in and out from the terrace.
The rustic wood is definitely a highlight in the beautiful, bespoke cabinets. We worked tirelessly to create the right finish and texture. There were a variety of options for the worktop, including concrete and quartz, but none had the right texture or impact. When our metal fabricator sent us this distressed pewter, we knew we had found the perfect addition. It is finished with many, many layers or hard wearing wax and although it will change over time, it all adds to the rustic beauty. We also continued the pewter across the splash back and bespoke oven hood to create a cohesive look.
The large floor tiles, were a practical choice for a heavy traffic area but also brought together the tones of the timber and zinc.
The lighting we added in the kitchen is simple but effective. We added an extra warm glow by placing lights above the tall cupboards and directional down lights to highlight that amazing stone wall!
The window treatments are always so important and nothing makes me sadder when you see a space finished off with cheap, flimsy blinds or curtains. We are lucky that we have an incredibly talented curtain lady, who creates the most stunning soft furnishings. The fabric choice for the windows is a beautiful soft linen by Harlequin. It is called Seaspray and it is our nod to the beach location with making it too much of a theme. We used it in different colour ways and window treatments through out the downstairs. This fabric really adds a softness and warmth that balances out the space. We also added soft voiles to the bi-folds, the kitchen enjoys a lot of sunlight and we wanted to have the option of defusing this light.
The Guest Bedroom.
With every great holiday home and holiday rental is a lot of clever storage. The guest bedroom was the obvious place for this. No one wants to see clunky, over dominating wardrobes, but everyone does want to see a beautiful wall of rustic timber. Therefore creating clever storage, hidden behind a wall of timber cladding creates both beauty and practicality.
The vintage leather arm chair was a triumphant find. We used it both here and in the master bedroom. The tan leather draws out the colours of the timber and the strong metal arms creates contrast and a dynamic change to the space that you are not expecting. Our amazing woodman created the side table from a sea worn beach groyne.
The Family Bathroom.
For the family bathroom we decide to keep everything white. Sometimes simplicity is key and the same tile used in three different forms created the impacted needed for this space. A rustic LVT for practicality and lots of gorgeous faux plants (as it’s empty a lot of the time) makes it striking and yet still feel spacious. Who says size matters!
We hope you’ve enjoyed our behind the scenes tour (part one) of our latest project. If you have any questions about any of the finishes or design choices, then feel free to ask away. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for part two, where we will share the beautiful living room, family room and master suite! We will also be sharing lots more on our Instagram page. As well as our behind the scenes footage of all our other projects, so come and follow us there!
If you are thinking of starting your own project, then now is the time to book a discovery call with us. Let’s see how we can make your interiors look and feel incredible.