A spring tide brings an early promise of summer and with it, a sea spray of Cornish coastal style. If you have read my blog before, you will know that it’s this time of year when the blog becomes powerless to the tidal charms of coastal interior design. With inspiration from textile and interior designers, from 20th century artists and from quirky landmark architecture, the blog has succumbed once again to the beauty of the British coastline …

Postcards from Cornwall

The landscape in West Cornwall has a beguiling wildness about it. And whilst there is so much light and warmth courtesy of the gulf stream, there is a contrasting darkness in the celtic moss covered rainforests, and in the centuries old granite built churches and cottages.

In spring and early summer, lanes narrow with overhanging foxglove hedgerows. They take you through steep valleys that twist down to the coast and up again to windswept rugged moor and farmland. Here, wildflowers populate ancient field patterns of wild radish and mustard. There are spiritual standing stones harking back to early religions. Like opening the door on an ancient church, you get a snapshot of what rural life was like here, several centuries ago.

Even if you have never been to this part of Cornwall, you might feel like you have as the dramatic cliff and beautiful beach-scapes have been made famous over the years by artists including Dame Laura Knight and Harold Harvey.

Fantastical locations such as the magical open air Minack Theatre with its cliffside sub tropical gardens use the magnificent backdrop of coastline as set dressing. Overlooking Porthcurno beach, the Roman style amphitheatre was hand built with huge amounts of determination and vision by its creator Rowena Cade in the late 1920s.

Then there’s the early 19th century Egyptian House and art deco Jubilee Pool, saltwater Lido both in Penzance. They are so different in character and style but each help to illuminate the town with the energy of their quirky design.

Catching my eye too is the work of two interior design/architectural practices with projects in Cornwall. Firstly, Henley on Thames based Ham Interiors whose project balances perfectly both light and cosy dark rooms in Plum Cottage, a Padstow holiday home. Their apt choices of maritime art, paint colours and furniture cleverly give this project character and integrity whilst also ensuring comfort for guests.

And secondly, the work of St Agnes based Coal Cornwall, an interior design/architectural husband and wife partnership who have a great eye for incorporating old with new.

Bold coloured exterior paint is something we tend to shy away from these days in the UK but I love the decision to use this red/orange paint on the corrugated exterior of Coal Cornwall’s North Cornish Cottage In The Palms extension project. It contrasts so beautifully against the 19th century cottage and the sub tropical plants that surround it.

“We liked the idea of the extension existing as more of a strange object within a sub-tropical garden, rather than a typical extension to a quaint Cornish cottage” says architect Joe Reilly.

Don’t miss the boat

So I invite you to join me onboard, as the blog sets sail to discover a few more Cornish coastal style ideas for 2025. No sea-legs required, it’s more of a gentle scroll …

A vintage interior coastal palette inspired by Polruan

Inspired by The Egyptian House in Penzance and a vintage style postcard from Polruan, Styling Box is also in holiday mood. Here’s a souvenir coastal mood board of wallpapers and fabrics in tobacco and coastal blues colours designed by : Milola Design, Kate Medlicott and Josephine Munsey.

Styling Box

Styling Box is my interior design service that offers bespoke designs and samples all wrapped in a beautiful and useful Styling Box. The perfect gift for you, for friends and family. Please get in touch if I can help you with a bespoke interior design.

Shop the blog

The tide has brought in a 19th century 3D wooden advertising picture of a clipper yacht. Beautifully painted and signed (although I can’t read the signature), it is perfect for a coastal style gallery wall and a wonderful decorator’s piece. It is 57 cm wide x 49.5 cm high x 5.5 cm deep. Available now in my online Etsy shop for £79 plus £11 shipping

I was excited to come across this 1937 coronation mug by one of my favourite artists, Dame Laura Knight DBE RA for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. It looks like it has been hand washed all its life and is generally in very good condition. Available now at £35 plus £5 shipping in my shop on Etsy.

Thank you

Thank you so much for reading this, I hope you might be inspired by some of these ideas. If you would like to receive email alerts for future posts, please subscribe here:

With many thanks, Charis x