An airy house on the coast of Cornwall gently beautified by Sims Hilditch

Sitting on the coast on the east side of Cornwall, practically at the southernmost tip of the England and down a lane so small that – I am told – a Mini Cooper would struggle, there is a house set back from the lane amidst a riot of wild, tropical planting. The slate building is home to a family of four, who, after buying it in 2018, turned to Sims Hilditch to overhaul its interiors. It was a natural choice: the design studio founded by Emma Sims Hilditch in 2009 is skilled at creating spaces which feel both comfortable and deeply sophisticated. ‘They wanted a demure space, and one that was calm and pared-back. The most important thing was connecting the interiors with the sweeping views and the water beyond’, says Hannah Linford, the senior studio lead at Sims Hilditch who oversaw the project. Calm it certainly is, and it has a pleasing seaside feel: white walls and neutral fabrics are interspersed with sea shells and nautical themed artwork. These aren't the only reminders of the cottage’s coastal location; the house has wonderful views over the Mylor Creek.

The owners were leaving London and had set their sights on something close to water, where they could readily enjoy water sports with their two young sons. This house, built into the cliff, provided not just staggering views but also direct access to the water from the garden. But its layout was convoluted and desperately lacked a central hub where the whole family could spend time together. There was a utility room straight off the dining room, and all of the communal rooms were separated by walls and corridors.

Hannah worked alongside Truro-based ​​CSA Architects to rework the footprint of the ground floor. They knocked out unnecessary walls, replaced wooden doors with Crittal ones (‘internal windows help to link the rooms’, says Hannah) and added a large extension which now houses the open-plan kitchen, a dining area and a sitting room. Sliding glass doors on the sea-facing walls of the kitchen allow light to flood the room, their anthracite-coloured frames making a picture of the landscape beyond. Brightly coloured floor tiles and carpets throughout the house were replaced with wood-effect porcelain floorboards, and walls were painted in different shades of white. The space became an airy shell onto which warmth, soft colours and texture could be layered.

‘A big portion of the house was taken up by a large central staircase and we wanted to celebrate it. We added tongue and groove panelling to keep a calm feeling but introduce texture’, explains Hannah, who used the wall cladding throughout the house. Staggered pendant lights hanging through the middle of the stairwell draw the eye upwards.

Hannah designed the kitchen with an island that offers concealed storage and open shelves. ‘We wanted it to feel neat and tidy, but not devoid of life’, she explains. Copper pots and a collection of precious ceramics have found a happy home on display. Enhancing the otherwise white palette, the green cabinets ‘help to make the kitchen pop’, says Hannah.

Linking the kitchen with the sitting room is a dining table from Rose Uniacke. It took months of trying rectangular and round ones before finally deciding that this was the one. With its oval shape and angular carved wooden legs, ‘it adds something contemporary and allows the family to gather around it’, says Hannah. ‘The detailing brings something different in the middle of quite a linear space’. These contemporary pieces mingle with the client’s own antiques, including the mahogany grandfather clock which takes pride of place in the dining area.

The charming cottage offers many places to steal a moment of contemplation, and surely one of the loveliest is the window seat on the landing: overlooking the sea, and flanked by bookshelves, it is easy to imagine spending quiet hours with a book, or enjoying the expanse of blue sky and bluer waters beyond.