home tour
A much-loved family holiday home in North Wales has been redesigned by Space A into a contemporary seaside home with colorful rooms and nods to the past. The house, facing the Irish Sea in Anglesey, has been a holiday home since its construction in the 1920s. Now, the owners asked Space A to modernize the house and create a larger, more modern space for a growing, multi-generational family.
For years, the house was only used in the August month as a holiday home. The owners asked Space A to design a home for all-year-round use that also maximizes the sea views from the main living spaces. To achieve that, the house has been flipped with the living spaces now located on the top floor and the bedroom spaces on the lower floor.
A new dormer roof extension was added to create a large pitched window facing the Irish Sea. From the kitchen and living room, you now have a magnificent view of the rugged coastline. On the ground floor, the house is extended to create an extra bedroom space and utility room. The home is now ready for large family gatherings and summer communal living for all generations.
This coastline also serves as the color inspiration for the house. Mustard yellow, blue-gray, and splashes of “safety red” form the base of the color scheme in this seaside home. But the decoration from the 1960s, when the house was redecorated, also served as an inspiration resulting in a mixture of modern, vintage, and nostalgic design with bold colors and eclectic textures.
The upstairs living space is designed in a timeless style inspired by the ever-changing tones and textures of the dunes and the sea.
The kitchen is designed in a natural color palette with watery teal kitchen cabinets made of birch ply and apple green zellige tiles. They used red as an accent color that can be seen in the shelf brackets and dining bench cushions.
The fourteen globe pendants are an eternal reference to the moon and floating sea buoys. The oak floor with a soft grain adds another natural tone to the open-plan living space.
The study is decorated with moody colors of the sea with dark blue walls and turquoise curtains. The beautiful antique desk is a nod to the past.
Every bedroom is designed in its own unique style taking inspiration from the house’s redecoration in the 1960s and the family history.
The “70s room” is a bold and colorful room with a contrasting color and texture combination. The walls in this bedroom are painted in “Fresco Blue” by Craig & Rose, the blood red curtains are from Lelievre, and the Seraphic Stair Wallpaper is from Soane.
The “Flag Room” is a bright bedroom that embraces a coastal vibe. The walls are painted in “Lamplighter” by Craig & Rose. The room is inspired by the primary colors and graphics displayed on sailing racing communication flags as seen in August on the flagstaff on the cliffs of Trearddur Bay.
The feeling of a summer holiday is enhanced by yellow Ottoline chequered wallpaper called “Double Check” and blue and white striped fabrics.
The “Frank Harper Suite” is named after a family relative who died suring the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The room is designed in a style from Frank’s time with a dark William Morris wallpaper called “Morris Seaweed” in Cobalt/Thyme, dark carved timber beds that are a family heirloom, and an old steamer trunk.
Despite the bold color scheme of the house, the colors and patterns all blend perfectly together since they are all natural colors inspired by the sea.
About Space A
Space A is a British design studio founded by Amelia Hunter and Anna Drakes. Amelia and Anna design beautiful and joyful spaces that feel like home.
“We combine interior design and architectural rigour with a psychological and historical understanding of how spaces affects our thoughts, feelings, rituals, and routines.”
The new pitched frontage is crowned with a bespoke designed and hand carved bargeboard with Japanese style wave marks. It is also emblazoned with the key dates of the project along with the family’s sailing boat.
The design of “The House by the Sea” is a collaboration between British design duo Space A and local craftsmen and manufacturers. Many thanks to Space A for sharing this beautiful home with the Nordroom.
Design team: Amelia Hunter and Anna Drakes of Space A (instagram: @studiospacea)
Contractor: James Sayle & Sons
Photographer: Brotherton Lock
