overlooking The Gannel, the river that is home to the egrets the house is named after, that runs to Crantock Beach just 200 metres away. “He said it was best to buy the worst house in the best road, rather than the other way around.” Always with the intention of knocking it down


and rebuilding, Wendy says real life got in the way – namely their four children – and so the bungalow served as a happy if cramped family holiday home for more than a decade, before they finally began work in 2017 by knocking it down. “We bought the bungalow in April 2008,” says


Jeff. “but we had a two-year-old and another on the way, so the two-bedroom flat became too small. The bungalow had two bedrooms, but with the loft (poorly) converted to provide another large open plan bedroom. For many years we just all slept up in the top room, as it had the better views over the estuary. “The house was in very average condition, and for 10 years we did the bare minimum to keep it to a reasonable standard as we always had it, with a view to either undertake a big extension/refurbishment project, or to knock it down and start again,” Jeff continues. And after living in a one-room holiday space


where only the most basic remedial work was carried out, there was plenty of time for the family to consider what their dream home should look like. Jeff and Wendy were very hands-on when it came to the design for the new house, and were keen to make use of the local talent. “We used Andy Breese at Artchart in Newquay for all the


54 www.sbhonline.co.uk


For those with money to invest as well as a taste for serious structural renovation, there are plenty of crumbling cottages still dotted around Cornwall’s coastline


drawing and planning work. He then acted as a very reliable and helpful contracts administrator during the build. I have limited construction experience and knowledge, so Andy has been a huge help to us.”


MAXIMISING THE SITE The site is now home to a modernist beach house that makes the most of those incredible views. Behind a white-washed exterior, the Tardis-like interior featuring six bedrooms, a games room and an open plan


kitchen/dining/living space with vaulted ceiling and a wall of windows leading to a terrace. Keen to maximise the views – Cornwall’s


july/august 2019


UPSIDE DOWN The reverse level house features an open plan space complete with its own snug


LOW POINT


“We had some local objection at the planning stage.” – Jeff & Wendy East


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