Harlyn Holiday Home at Watergate Bay

Contemporary Coastal Family Retreat

Built in the 90s, this holiday home nestled on the clifftop at Watergate Bay, was in desperate need of some TLC. With dark wood and pine throughout, the space felt very gloomy rather than replicating that bright and airy feel which coastal living breathes. Purchased by my clients, who are a young couple, with three young children, the property needed updating to accommodate the family’s lifestyle.

Over the years, holidaying as a family at The Watergate Bay Hotel, my clients wanted to adopt the hotel’s leisurely beach design for their new property.

I could really envisage a coastal/Scandi style interior for the house, which would work with my clients’ brief and echo the fantastic coastal location.

Starting the renovation work:

The first job was to get rid of the dark woodwork and paint it white. We then removed the old floor coverings and replaced them with modern LVT tiles with a driftwood finish. All of the dark wood internal doors were removed and replaced with lime washed oak, which are a gorgeous addition to the coastal theme.

Keeping all of the colours light and fresh, we installed a new pale grey kitchen with doors in a matt finish. For the worktops and splashbacks, we chose a white/grey marble finish with pale blue walls, which really helps to reflect the light.

Redecorating a small dining space:

The dining area is quite small in size so we needed to come up with a concept that made the most of the limited space. We commissioned a local carpenter to build an L-shaped bench seat, and had seat cushions made in a pale grey faux leather, which are easily cleanable from sticky fingers! We needed to fit a table that was as large as possible to accommodate not only the family but also guests. So, we found a fantastic limed top table with blue painted legs and used off-white painted chairs to complete the dining set up. Finally, bright cushions were added for a pop of colour. It is the perfect relaxed coastal look we were looking to achieve.

Family beach living:

In the lounge, we chose comfy Earl Grey sofas which are covered in ‘smart velvet’ from Sofa.com. The fabric is just brilliant for families as it repels stains and wipes even the stickiest marks right off. Walls were painted in a soft grey and a gorgeous blue/grey linen fabric was used for the curtains and blinds. My clients were keen to use recycled materials wherever possible, so we chose aqua and soft lime cushions for the sofa and rugs from Weavergreen. Everything is made from recycled plastic bottles which makes them washable but also unbelievably soft!

The house had a good-sized bathroom but again, everything needed replacing. The family are keen surfers so it was important to them that it was easy to jump from wetsuit to shower! The old bathroom suite was removed and a sleek new wet room was created. We used beautiful cream and teal tiles and modern accessories to create a stunning room which is both functional and has the feel of luxury. A large drying room cum utility was created with full height heated towel rails to hang wetsuits on overnight.

Utilising bedroom space:

To maximise space in both of the bedrooms, my clients opted to remove the back to back built in wardrobes. This meant more space for the two sets of bunk beds for the kids’ bedroom and also allowed floor space for a chest of drawers, a trundle bed and underbed storage. We added a grey and white striped wallpaper to the feature wall and a matching stripey lampshade. Coastal prints add a little colour to the room, along with some pretty lights which decorate the beds.

In the master bedroom, we chose a gorgeous seascape mural for the feature wall and pale blue walls, again to help reflect the light. By removing the wardrobe, enough space was created for a simple Japanese style, super king bed. The bed has generous storage drawers underneath so there’s plenty of space for beach clothing. Simple floating bedsides were used to maximise floor space, along with wall mounted bedside lamps which are hung from a leather strap. Finally, more Weavergreen cushions and throws were used on the bed to add a pop of colour.

My clients are absolutely thrilled with the transformation, which brings their love of coastal living to life through a bright, contemporary family friendly space.