INTERIORS
‘THE CHURCH PEW WAS LEFT OVER FROM A CHAPEL CONVERSION AND FITTED PERFECTLY INTO THE SPACE AS A BEDROOM CHAIR.’ the Aga is old, but was reconditioned before it was installed in the cabin. The woodworking tools, artfully tacked on to the wood panels of the kitchen island, were picked up from a hospice shop in Penryn that sells retro bits and pieces. ‘If it’s scruffy and beaten up, we know we can use it!’ Jess says. The table and mismatched chairs came from local reclamation yards. Jess and Sarah often buy from Summercourt Reclamation in Newquay and Shiver Me Timbers near Penzance. To keep the room cosy under foot, a crochet rug from Cornish company, Nordic House was placed by the sofa and the reindeer hide was bought from Toast.
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The open fire is the focus of the sitting area in the kitchen. The impressive grate was bought on eBay and the collection of wood and metal containers that line the hearth came from online store Goose Home and Garden. Keeping the rural feel, scythes from a house clearance adorn the wood-clad walls along with antlers from a charity shop in Redruth. The curious cupboard above the fire hides the smart TV. ‘I hate TVs,’ Jess says, ‘so I always try to hide them somehow!’
Shed antlers, mounted with a carved crown on oak shield back.
l A set of 12-point red deer antlers, £395, lassco.co.uk
l South Kensington Pine Church Chapel Pew Bench, £275 + VAT, churchantiques.com
Soft and long-fleeced sheepskin in natural colours, from British sheep. Expect rugs to be uniquely different in colouring and size.
A selection of vintage tools.
l Sheepskin rug, £99, toa.st/uk
l Old tools, £30 each, englishsalvage.co.uk
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The headboard in the bedroom is perhaps a world first. It’s actually a turning mat from a construction site that diggers sit on to manoeuvre. ‘When I saw it, it looked like a piece of slate,’ Jess says. ‘So we bolted it to the wall. I think it worked very well!’ Above it, are bull’s horns from the same charity shop in Redruth where the antlers came from. The mesh pendant lights either side of the bed were bought from Nkuku. The church pew was left over from a chapel conversion and fitted perfectly into the space as a bedroom chair – a statement piece without betraying the rustic feel of the cottage. Hanging above the pew is a sepia photograph of men in a canoe, found in Uneeka in Truro. ‘It felt right for the cabin,’ Jess says.
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GET THE LOOK Original William Butterfield pews designed when the church was built (St Augustine’s, Queen’s Gate, London), featuring great gothic elements and bookshelf to the back.
Although it looks simple, the cabin is distinctly 21st century, with eco-friendly heating, wifi and even an iPad Air for guests to use.
Off the bedroom is the almost totally handmade bathroom. As well as concreting the floor, Andy also cast the bath and the sink in concrete, which he did on site. It was the first time, he’d ever created a bathroom from a mixer, working to a sketch of Jess’s. Old copper outdoor taps that the plumber had in his van were used for the sink, but the copper shower rose is a new purchase. The fabulous loo is a thing of many parts, coming from various reclamation yards. The carpenter made the seat. Airy in summer and cosy in winter, the cabin is popular all year round and even has a natural outdoor pool. No one can fail to be enchanted by the cabin, stumbling upon it, after the woodcutter has just left... ! Like to stay at Firefly? Race to uniquehomestays.com
44 RECLAIM JUNE 2016
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