This Coastal Clifftop Cottage Barn Conversion Is Dreamy and Cozy

Name: Tara Leaver
Location: Cornwall, United Kingdom
Type of home: Cottage (barn conversion)
Size: About 800 square feet
Years lived in: Almost 2 years, owned

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: The cottage is next to a farm and overlooks the sea off the south coast of Cornwall; it’s just ten minutes’ walk down the hill to the beach. I’m an artist, and I live and work here, having had the cottage completely renovated and a studio built at the bottom of the garden. The previous owners were a lovely elderly couple, and while much loved, the house hadn’t been decorated in almost 30 years. The layout was dark and unintuitive, and there was a lot of swirly Artex on the walls. There were also fake beams and faded maroon carpet.

With the help of an architect, some phenomenal local builders, and an interior designer, all the internal walls were ripped out and the entire interior transformed. The only things we kept were the lovely old stone walls, the log burner, and the real beams we discovered under a false ceiling. We replaced and increased the number of doors and windows to let more light in, put down engineered wood flooring throughout, added thick curtains and blinds in soft neutrals, and brought in lots of layers, textures, and soft coastal colors. Being a barn it can get chilly in winter, so I wanted it to feel really tactile and cozy while still full of light. Originally there were three bedrooms and one bathroom; we reorganized the space so now there are two bedrooms (one of which I use as a study), a bathroom, and a shower room. The main bedroom is at the back, surrounded by decking, a swing set, and the garden with views of the sea beyond.

My art is very much influenced and inspired by where I live, specifically by my love of sea swimming. I use quite a strong palette of natural colors in my paintings on raw wood panels, whereas in the house I prefer a quieter version of that, with off-white walls, wooden floors, thick rugs, and soft coastal blues, greens, and neutrals. I think of it as “contemporary cozy coastal” and am always drawn to texture — wicker, linen, knitted throws, and a lot of cushions! I have a bit of an addiction to cushions. I also bring in a lot of nature finds from walks and swims. Seaweed goes to the studio for use in my work, but my home is full of dramatic branches in bottles and jars, plants, collections of sea glass and stones, and sprigs in jam jars. There are three sets of glass double doors in the house, so when it’s warm, I can throw them open and blend the outside and inside more.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Cozy coastal clifftop cottage

What is your favorite room and why? I have an open plan kitchen and living space, and that’s where I spend most of my time when at home. There’s a cozy reading nook window seat in the living room that looks out to sea and is perfect for reading under a blanket on a wintery afternoon. I absolutely love the old log burner, which provides much of the cottage’s heating, and was able to have my dream kitchen with wooden worktops and a butler’s sink. Because we created it all from scratch, I was able to include a lot of elements of the dream home I’ve been imagining since I was a teenager; it’s my first home that wasn’t an apartment, and I’m so grateful to have been able to really make it my own.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? I bought a set of wooden ladder shelves from Garden Trading, which are great for styling bits and pieces like my plants, candles, nature finds, and small artwork, especially as they make use of the vertical and don’t take much floor space. I succumbed to yet another cushion recently, too — a gorgeous mustard and white stripe one with frayed edges — from a favorite local lifestyle store, which also shows my work, Tin Coast Design.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Take your time to find the just-right pieces. It’s easy to buy something cheap, thinking, “Oh this will do for now,” but having things you truly love and feel connected to make the difference between a house you live in and feeling like you’ve come home in every room. Sign up for newsletters from all your favorite stores! They often offer discounts for signing up, or you can wait till they run sales if the budget is tight. And I found the desk I wanted that had sold out on the store website, and for much less, on eBay.

This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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