CASE STUDY


DIRECTING A CORNISH FAIRY TALE


Anglophile and ex-Disney executive Kathleen Gearhart-Filmer moved to Cornwall to turn a concrete house into a magical coastal retreat


TEXT ALEXANDRA PRATT IMAGES LEIGHTON JAMES


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everal years ago, while on holiday with her baby daughter in Carbis Bay, west Cornwall, Kathleen Gearhart-Filmer fell head over heels in love with the


county. Fast-forward to 2020, and she was looking for somewhere to buy. However, “The north coast [around Carbis Bay and St Ives] is quite commercialised, and you don’t go to Cornwall to be surrounded by people,” says Kathleen, who was formerly an executive at the Walt Disney Company in the US. Running her own events management company now allows Kathleen to split her time between London and the west country, living the Cornish dream with her two children. She summarises the appeal: “My kids are different people


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around the water; Cornwall is a brilliant place to gather, and one of the most peaceful.” Widening her house search to the south coast led Kathleen to a mid-century property in a tiny village with views across Mount’s Bay and its famous island castle. Located just three minutes from a beach, the home was well-located on a large plot, but didn’t make the most of the setting, with windows facing away from the sea. Yet Kathleen was charmed, and could see the potential. “On one side is the sea, on the other open fi elds. ts a beautiful oasis. The home was a probate sale and went to closed bids, but although Kathleen was delighted to win, there was


mar/apr 2024


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