COASTAL CONNECTION A sympathetic extension breathes new life into a charming historic cottage.

The trio of copper Deck pendants from Limehouse Lighting add a vintage touch to the bespoke Shaker-style kitchen by Plain English and echo the warm tones of the Osmo-oiled European Oak worktop. The pretty Indian Flower blind fabric from Michael S Smith brings softness and charm to the neutral scheme. The cabinetry is painted in Mash by Plain English whilst the boot room beyond is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Plummett.

Coastal CONNECTION

A sympathetic extension has doubled the size of a charming eighteenth-century seaside cottage, creating an authentic space with an evolved feel

FEATURE CLAIR WAYMAN PHOTOGRAPHY DAN DUCHARS

‘The idea was to preserve the character of the building and maintain a sense that nothing had changed, particularly outside’

For many years, London-based couple Charlie and Louise Fraser had dreamt about buying a holiday cottage by the sea, somewhere they could go to escape city life and enjoy with their three young children. Charlie was naturally drawn to the East Anglian coast, where he had fond memories of childhood holidays and in 2016 the couple found their dream bolthole, a late-eighteenthcentury cottage in a sleepy seaside village, in the area they both loved.

“The village is very low-key, genteel and quiet, with an old-school charm,” says Charlie. “We can walk to the beach, go sailing and have lots of bracing swims in the North Sea. The children love to go crabbing and play on the village green. There’s a little store that sells trinkets, and there’s a sweet shop and a cafe. It’s

ABOVE Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s Fine Grey creates a muted backdrop on the sitting room walls. The bespoke sofa is covered in Claremont’s Serge Antique. The Rupoli fire surround is from Jamb and the antique kilim is from Rug Store Online. RIGHT The front door is painted in Oval Room Blue by Farrow & Ball.

Rustic beams in the new extension create a sense that this part of the house has always been there. Interior designer Anna Haines sourced the 1890s Arts and Crafts oval oak dining table from Harrison Antique Furniture. The chairs are from Plain English and painted in Pretty Pickle.

Elements that have an aged quality, such as the reclaimed tiles laid in a herringbone pattern on the hall floor, feel like they’ve always been there

ABOVE LEFT Antique terracotta tiles from Artisans of Devizes bring an aged feel to the newly created hallway. The elegant bespoke staircase, with continuous oval limed oak handrails, was made by NJS Joinery. ABOVE RIGHT The antique Persian rug in the children’s bedroom is from London House Rugs and the blankets are Melin Trewynt. absolutely charming, with a great community and we embrace it all.”

Built in 1790, the house has a quintessentially English facade with a pretty latticework portico. Previously owned by the same family for over 40 years, it had been a much-loved home, but was tired and dated when Charlie and Louise took it on. For the first 18 months they and their children spent lots of fun-filled holidays and long weekends in it. “The cottage was habitable – it had an old 1960s bathroom and an Aga that just about worked,” says Charlie. “We enjoyed going there and mucking in with the kids, but the space was tiny, and it was inevitable that work needed to be done to the house.”

In due course, Charlie and Louise came up with an ambitious plan to almost double the size of the property whilst keeping the footprint virtually the same. “The cottage had a lot of random outbuildings and conservatories attached to the back,” explains Charlie. “Some were so dilapidated they had trees growing through them. Once they were knocked down, we had a blank canvas where we were able to start from scratch and create the new extension.”

To bring their vision to life, the couple enlisted the help of a local architects Mullins Dowse, building contractors Mixbrow and interior designer Anna Haines. After planning was granted, work commenced in May 2018 and the new extension began to take shape, seamlessly blending with the original front half of the property. “The idea was to preserve the character of the building and maintain a sense that nothing had actually changed, particularly from the

outside,” says Charlie. “We were adding quite a sizable extension to the back of the existing house, but it was important that it still felt like one flowing space inside.” A traditional bespoke Plain English kitchen and boot room fill the new ground floor extension, along with a dining area that opens on to the garden, and a tranquil master suite above. The original part of the house was reconfigured with new bedrooms and bathrooms added. To connect the old with the new, a light-filled double-height hallway was designed, with a graceful staircase creating an uplifting, spacious feel.

Charlie worked closely with Anna to ensure that they introduced elements that had an aged quality, such as the reclaimed terracotta tiles, laid in a herringbone pattern on the hall floor, which feel like they have always been there. Rustic beams were also incorporated into the new kitchen and dining extension, to make the space feel like it could be part of the original building. Subtle Shaker-style panelling and cabinetry have been introduced to blend in with the simple, period features. 

ABOVE Designed by Adam Calkin, the striking Jasper Peony wallpaper by Lewis & Wood was the starting point for the master bedroom scheme. A headboard, made by Adam Richardson Upholstery and covered in Tangiers Stripe from Susan Deliss, has been teamed with a kantha quilt from Rebecca’s Aix Home. RIGHT A Georgian mahogany chest sits next to a bobbin chair that Anna sourced from an antiques fair.

ABOVE A London bath from Burlington sits on Fired Earth’s Bold Trellis Lattice tiles, which contrast with the delicate Lewis & Wood Diamond Dot blind fabric. Shell prints from Lorfords hang on a wall painted in Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s Sky Blue. To see more of Anna Haines’ work visit annahaines.co.uk ABOVE RIGHT The rear two-storey extension blends seamlessly with the original cottage. Having worked with Charlie and Louise on their London house, Anna had a clear understanding of their style. “They wanted the interiors to feel muted and calm,” she says. “Their style is classic, pared back and unfussy, so it was about making sure the cottage reflected that.”

The emphasis was also on creating a restful retreat where the family could come and recharge. “They do have quite hectic lives in London and this cottage cossets and comforts them, and especially did so during lockdown, when they lived in it full time,” says Anna. “Our aim was to make the space feel comfortable, understated and welcoming, but, at the same time, not overly prescriptive as a seaside cottage.” A blue-and-white bathroom and nautical- style pendants in the kitchen lend a subtle nod to the seaside surroundings, but the overall tone is of a cosy home from home.

Anna’s eye for detail has resulted in layered, wellconsidered interiors. “A mix of antique and bespoke pieces have been combined with rich textiles in soft tones to create a sense of informality,” she says. “When I stepped away from the project, I wanted it to feel like the house had been curated over time.”

Rather than looking at each room independently, Anna looked at the whole space and made sure the journey through the house felt cohesive. “I’ve used colour to create a natural conversation between the rooms, choosing an edited palette of subdued corals, dove greys and gentle blues throughout the house to create a seamless flow,” she explains.

The result of Anna’s design input is an inviting, liveable home that maintains the integrity of the original building. “We wanted things to be well made, well thought through and to last a lifetime,” she says.

It is clear to see that the cottage means so much to Charlie and Louise, and they love to invite friends and family to stay over the summer. “The cottage is big enough to accommodate family life now,” says Charlie. “Living there full-time in the future is also a definite possibility. The idea started to take shape when we spent six months in it over lockdown – during this time we felt so happy and relaxed, it was wonderful to escape to such a special place.” n