Floorplans for a 4-Bedroom Timber & Stone-Clad Self Build on the Cornish Coast

Buying an old house by the sea was a lifelong dream for Jan Moreton who, along with husband Nigel, bought a 100-year-old house in a great location. The couple chose to work with Paul Melling from the architecture practice Catch French Design and plans were developed to knock down and rebuild, with a focus on emphasising living space and making the most of the views – a challenging brief given the sea views lie to the north and the sun to the south. “By rotating the plan, we gained views of the beach and bay, but also of the valley and hills inland,” says Paul. The plot was challenging too. “The site was quite steep and not easily accessible – plus it’s in the National Landscape,” recalls Paul.

The first two levels of this three-storey home were built in masonry. The upper level is built using timber frame and finished in timber cladding. With the lower floors externally covered in a mixture of render and stone, from a distance, the home blends so well in the landscape, it appears no more than a modest cottage. “The palette of materials enables the house to fit within the context,” says Paul.

see the house

Jan and Nigel were keen to include some environmentally friendly technology in their new home, opting for an air source heat pump as an easy and cost-effective way of powering the home’s underfloor heating. They also chose to install a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system, which is paired with solar PV for energy and battery storage.

Nigel and Jan love the views from their finished home. “We have the sea, National Trust land and farmland around us, which will never be built on,” says Nigel. Click the link in our bio to discover more about this project.