We are so excited to share our latest project with you, our rustic barn in South Devon!
The house in its original form had three bedrooms, 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 remains 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.
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 for our design direction. Both my clients and myself felt that 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 material we love in our interiors are rustic timber and patinated metals and both were definitely incredible additions for this project.
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 design. 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 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 is a beautiful soft linen by Harlequin. It is called Seaspray and it is our nod to the beach location without making it too much of a theme. We used it in different colour ways and window treatments throughout the downstairs. This fabric really adds a softness and warmth that balances out the space.
Although structurally nothing changed in the living room, the decor definitely did! Previously the room was stunted with heavy dark stained beams. The decision to wash them completely transformed the space, making it lighter and warmer. As this will be a luxury holiday rental, all the decisions for this room needed to be soft and inviting, but also tough and hardy.
All the walls and remaining woodwork were painted the same, which was Dimity by Farrow and Ball. For the window treatments we continued the Harlequin fabric, this time into custom curtains. We echoed the fabric on the sofa with the dusk palette for the fabric on the window treatments and adding this extra layer of full linen just makes the room so inviting.
With every great holiday home and holiday rental comes 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 created both beauty and practicality.
The vintage leather armchair 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.
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!
The master bedroom enjoys the incredible rustic stone wall. All the interiors were chosen to highlight this feature and make the room feel warm and cosy. The floating, bespoke bed continues the grain of the rustic timber. The design is kept simple, integrating floating bedside tables and is dressed with striking layered bedding.
The woven baskets bring another layer of texture, as well as useful storage and the vintage tan armchair is used here again with a beautiful window treatment to highlight the leather tones.
We are immensely proud of this project. We have used some of our favourite natural materials to create a home that is rustically beautiful and warm and comforting.
If you would like to talk to us about a forthcoming project, then book a discovery call with us and learn about our design process.