Alexander James Interiors is one of the best known in the UK’s new homes industry, and here, one of its experts on decorating show homes on new build development, Stacey Sibley, talk through a more personal project – how she designed the inside of her holiday home in Cornwall.
What can you tell us about your holiday home?
The house in located in north Cornwall, in the seaside town Port Isaac, a two-bedroom old coastguard cottage built in the 1850s. We purchased the house beginning of December 2016 – it was on the market for £295,000 but we paid less than that.
Why did you want to buy a holiday home here?
We have been going on holiday to Port Isaac, hiring cottages for over 11 years with our two Westie dogs when we decided that we really wanted one of our own. Port Isaac is such a beautiful fishing village with lots of history. It’s not too big so has a great community with lovely places to eat and drink (it has two Michelin-star restaurants).
How long were you looking for before you bought it?
I had been looking on Rightmove for a few years but not properly looking until last summer.
What condition was it in when you bought it and what work has it required?
The cottage was in a good condition structurally as the previous owner was a builder and had rented it out as a holiday let. It was the decoration that needed work as it was very dark and dated. We’ve worked on decoration, flooring, the removal of a sink in bedroom two and a change of sink in bedroom one. We revamped the kitchen by painting the cabinets, changing the worktops to wood, re-tiling and fitting a ceramic sink. We wanted a relaxed vintage coastal feel, light for the summer and cosy for the winter.
What is your favourite space in the house, and why?
I am very pleased how bedroom two has come out. The tongue-and-groove panelling works really well and the painted floor makes what was this a very dark small room feel bigger and brighter.
Could you share some of the colours, fabrics and items that feature in your home?
The colour palette I used was soft greys, whites and blues. We painted all the walls in Dulux Egyptian cotton, and on the woodwork we used rustoleum chalk paint in flint, which we also used on the kitchen cabinets and bedroom sink vanity unit. The floorboards we painted in rustoleum in winter grey. I purchased the nautical-themed linen and velvet cushions from Cream Cornwall.
How long has it taken for you to complete the interior design?
We did a lot of the decorating at Christmas and then a few weekends, so it probably all added up to about five weeks.
What has been your greatest challenge on this project?
The biggest challenge was getting the right scale of furniture for the rooms and the access up the stairs trying to get into the bedrooms. We did all the work ourselves, which was hard work but very enjoyable. We make a good team as Guy is very practical: he laid the wood floors, did all the plumbing, fitted the lighting, and fitted the panelling in bedroom two. I did my part by doing the painting.
Do you now rent out your holiday home?
We don’t currently rent it out but it is something we might consider in the future.
What are the main design trends for 2017/18 for buyers to consider?
I think it depends on the style of the property and where it is, I think light with restful accent colours works well in a holiday home. It needs to be comfortable and practical. The style needs to work on a hot summer day as well as a rainy autumn evening.
For purchasers with a tight interiors budget, what are the key points where the money should be prioritised?
Make sure your flooring is practical: there is no point having a plush cream carpet if you are going to rent it out! We used laminate flooring in the living room and painted the floorboards in the bedrooms, then softened the rooms with area rugs. You can update kitchens by painting the cabinets, putting new worktops in and tiling with a white tile – it’s a lot cheaper than a new kitchen but will look brand new. Paint walls in light colours that are easy to maintain: Dulux do great wipeable, durable paints.
Would you recommend amateurs get at least a little professional interiors advice before taking on a project?
I think if it involves a total refurbishment then I would get experts in as they will save you money in long run, preventing making expensive mistakes. Also, if you are looking to get a good rental rate the better the interiors and furnishings the more you can charge and will be more appealing.
Is it best to avoid anything that might need major work to change when it comes to selling the property again?
As long as you don’t do anything outrageous then you shouldn’t need to change anything when selling the property.