Coastal locations are always my favourite – we escape Edinburgh every weekend for walks down the coast in East Lothian – and whenever I come across a property in Cornwall, I have to admit that the location alone is often the USP for me. Just the thought of living within walking distance of Cornwall’s beautiful coastline is enough to make me want to pack my bags.
And this property, which is on the market with Aucoot, combines its fantastic location in Bude, just a few minutes walk from Crooklets beach, with a stunning light-filled home designed by Hogarth Architects. Located on Ash Row, this six-bedroom home is part of an award winning development of four houses designed under Hogarth Architects’ development wing Hogarth Homes.
As Hogarth Homes writes of this development on their website, the idea behind the Ash Row project was to take a fantastic site in a prime seaside location, and then build homes that would make you feel as if you were on holiday from the moment you walk through the door. Aside from the location and sea views, highlights in this house include the open plan and light-filled living area and dining-kitchen – a space that has clearly been designed for social living.
Each of the houses in this development was built to high sustainability standards, and the contemporary design references the Victorian row houses and beach huts that are typical of this area. Unusually, the open plan living space is placed at the top of this house to draw in those sea views and make the most of the light. The living area features a woodburner with a long-shuttered concrete shelf that provides log storage below – a nice detail – and there’s also a study area and a terrace from which to enjoy those views.
The kitchen and dining space includes a sleek white Poggenpohl kitchen with a large island forming a great work zone and also creating a nice flow of space as you move around this open plan area. There are great details like the beamed ceiling and the bright punches of colour – as seen on the terrace too – but the overall aesthetic is simple and understated, where the constantly shifting coastal light creates the drama in the space.
The ladder takes you up to a mezzanine area, which would be useful as a studio zone or simply for extra storage. The two lower levels of the house, on the ground and first floor, contain the six bedrooms, including an ensuite master bedroom on the first floor, and there are also hand-crafted bunk beds that kids would love in the family bedrooms. And these levels are accessed via a striking bespoke staircase made in laser-cut steel and birch-faced ply. It’s details like this that set this house apart.
And the layout is also practical given this location. On the ground floor, you’ll find a utility room and store room which is accessed externally, so it’s the perfect place to shed wetsuits after a day on the beach. Also bear in mind the holiday letting potential from this house. The Sunday Times chose Bude as ‘best seaside town’ in July 2016, and you can see this property working as a second home with great letting potential. It feels like such a vibrant and social living space, yet at the same time, with these airy volumes and light palette, this would also be a serene home to retreat to at the end of a busy day.
See this property’s listing on Aucoot.
All photography from Aucoot.
