The design of the house used the natural topography rather than fighting against it


LAYOUT The three levels of the house are split into dedicated oors to live, sleep and play hey are connected by a bespoke steel helical staircase which was made to order by a local fabrication firm e couldnt find anyone who did it, says Kirsty of the stairs. “Then we found a steelworks in a business park up the road.” Rather than a raw industrial look, the open stairs are topped with elegant white Corian stone made by a local kitchen designer – who also covered supplied a bespoke handrail. A warm south-facing light oods through the rotunda rom the ront o the house.


“I wanted a ‘Disney staircase,’” says Trevor. “One that [daughter] Poppy could glide down in her prom dress.” Until then, she has found a space to practice her aerial acrobatics. The natural height created by the stairwell allows silks to be suspended from above. The original brief given to Plymouth-based


architectural firm R Architects was to create a “special family home” that used all the available space on a small, sloping site, and made use of the natural daylight and the views. acing north, the house has oor to ceiling wall to wall glass doors, tripled glazed against the variable weather. But being north-facing this elevation doesn’t have issues of glare from the glass that might otherwise overheat the interior. The windows also do a lot to bring light into the rest of the house. Thanks to the natural privacy offered by the site, the windows don’t have blinds, and the view can be enjoyed throughout the day and night without being overlooked.


20 www.sbhonline.co.uk


Even the waterfront is a quiet spot with few people using the estuary – other than the family themselves, who can often be found in and on the water. Outside storage for kayaks and inatables have also been considered A ‘thumbprint’ front door opens to a wide entrance hall split off from the open plan living area by an ingenious pivot door. “I had to have it,” admits Trevor. “The door provides a barrier between the entryway and living space, but offers the immediate wow factor of the uninterrupted views. It also allows natural light to ow through to the windowless vestibule My favourite feature is the large sliding doors as it just opens the place right up, and when the tide is in I like to sit and just look out at the beautiful view,” says Trevor. “I wanted every room to have its own wow


factor,” he adds. The main living space on the middle oor has the view, but the helical staircase and teardrop lights that cascade from the top oor supply the architectural wow rom both inside the house and from outside. The open plan living space runs the length of the building with a kitchen divided from the rest of the room by a bespoke white island where a Neff cooking hob sits almost invisibly until a control panel slides up at the press of a button. Distinct seating areas break up the large space. A snug area sits behind a partial dividing wall where a cut out has been made ready for an aquarium, while a giant curved sofa has prime position.


The house is all about light, and when the sun goes down, recess E lights that glow in


sep/oct 2022


FAVOURITE FEATURES


“The details, such as the curved wall of the cinema room and technology like a high-tech hob.”


TREVOR’S ADVICE


Mae sure you have enough money, and a contingency to fall back on if needed, as every penny soon gets swal- lowed up with all the unforeseen issues that no-one can predict, and because you’re bound to go over budget.”


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