too bad (unbelievably, Sarah also helped homeschool her grandchildren in the makeshift home, as Covid 19 and the resulting lockdowns struck).


Among the major design changes were to open up the ceilings and take the building up to the exposed beams as well as adding three Velux windows to the roof for plenty of light. The house was also built south-west facing to make the most of Cornwall’s famous light.


The design also needed to consider Sarah’s mobility. Due to long term nerve damage, she sometimes needs a wheelchair, but neither she nor Trevor wanted a wide open plan living space, which would have been an easy solution. Instead, double doors separate the kitchen from the living space, the entrance porch from the living area and the wide corridor leading to the bedrooms, bathroom and Sarah’s art studio. The hand painted and stencilled blue doors add a splash of colour to the pine interior and can be left open when Sarah uses her chair.


may/june 2022


The result is a large, bright wood-lined living space with high walls perfectly designed to display Sarah’s artwork, alongside work by friends and their grandchildren. The interior is Tardis-like. Outside the building appears to have a much smaller footprint and the double height ceiling is totally unexpected. The project was very much a joint enterprise, with Trevor handling the wood and Sarah researching all the details and products they needed for their self-build home project – including how to buy and fi t your own underfl oor heating. She comments: “If you are really open and honest and ring people and ask: can we have that or how do you do that, people are very helpful.” She adds: “The planning offi cer is also a resource: you can ask them things – like `would we be allowed to do this or that?’” Shopping around also proved vital to achieving their goal (and their budget). Sarah spent many, many hours researching and contacting people to fi nd out more about


www.sbhonline.co.uk 17


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