Occupying a quiet and secluded position in the hamlet of Penelewey, Cornwall, this beautifully renovated mid-century house was lovingly restored and extended in 2014 by the current owners in collaboration with Hormann Architects and Kathryn Tyler of Linea Studio. The interior artfully pairs its original features with modern detailing. Internal living space of around 1,300 sq ft flows across a single-storey, open-plan layout, orientated around a verdant and densely planted central garden. Penelewey is a 10-minute cycle to Loe beach, while Truro and Falmouth are easily reached by car in five and 15 minutes, respectively.

We’ve written about life in this house in more depth. 

The Design

The design was led by the current owners in collaboration with Michael Hormann of Hormann Architects and Kathryn Tyler of Linea Studio. German architect Michael Hormann runs a small architect’s studio in Falmouth, working across residential housing, commercial and community projects. Kathryn Tyler founded Linea Studio in 2004 and has developed a reputation for creating distinctive user-focused interiors that result in imaginative and engaging spaces with enduring appeal. At the heart of the collaboration was an approach orientated around the honesty and integrity of the design and the materials. Light grey brick, Ruabon quarry tiles, Siesta cork floors and redwood pine doors, windows and ceilings all combine to create a harmonious balance.

The Tour

Approached via a quiet country lane, the house sits quietly in its setting, set back from the road by a private driveway, bordered by mature hedging and a series of tall specimen trees. Densely planted borders of leafy ferns and shrubs line a handsome front façade of pale brick.

The primary entrance is positioned at the front of the house, where light streams through a ribbon of glazing into the bright hallway, with Ruabon quarry tiles running underfoot and a timber-clad ceiling overhead.

Arranged in a predominantly open-plan layout, the interior living spaces have a wonderful easy flow. The kitchen and dining areas face the easterly side of the plan, with a wall of timber-framed folding doors opening this entire section of the house onto the terrace and gardens, retaining a seamless visual connection between the interior and exterior spaces. A central island delineates the cooking and eating areas, with appliances neatly built into lines of bespoke joinery and a pantry tucked to one side.

Soft, neutral interior colouring and a pared-back material palette of cork, brick and timber create a calm and peaceful aesthetic in the adjacent living room. Expansive picture windows invite an excellent quality of natural light to flow in throughout the day, and the original open fireplace forms a natural focal point.

A home workspace lies off the living space, and the three bedrooms run the length of the easterly wing. Each of these rooms is beautifully proportioned with views of the garden and hand-crafted joinery. A family bathroom is positioned at one end.

Outdoor Space

Designed as an integral part of the overall experience of the house, the central courtyard gardens are chock-full of trees and plants, lush ferns and acers, with pathways through herbaceous borders and flowering perennials. A covered terrace provides the perfect shelter for eating and drinking outside throughout the seasons.

The Area

The hamlet of Penelewey lies on the outskirts of Feock, an excellent location for easy access to Cornwall’s coastline. Loe Beach is around two miles away, a fantastic spot for kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, and sailing. The hamlet has a wonderful local pub, called the Punchbowl and Ladle.

The surrounding area of Pill Creek has become home to a series of iconic modernist houses, including Creek Vean, designed by Team 4. Much of the surrounding countryside is owned and managed by the National Trust and is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with numerous country and creekside coastal walks easily accessible from the house. There are good local golf courses within easy reach, including The Killiow Estate and Golf Club and Truro Golf Club and many sailing clubs throughout the Carrick Roads.

Cornwall’s south coast, facing the English Channel, is the fairer counterpart to its rugged, Atlantic-bashed northern side. This is the Cornwall of sheltered fishing villages, fields that gently slope into tidal creeks and verdant gardens filled with exotic plants that take to the warm summers. The King Harry ferry, linking Feock to the Roseland Peninsula, St Mawes, and the Fal River & Estuary are easily reached. This area of Cornwall also has some of the UK’s best sub-tropical gardens, including the National Trust Trelissick Gardens, less than two miles away, or Trebah and Durgan, located close to the Helford River.

The cathedral city of Truro is approximately 5 minutes by car and offers good private schooling and mainline rail links to London Paddington. It has a small high street with a good selection of independent shops and cafes, a cinema, galleries, museums and a theatre. Further down the coast is the harbour town of Falmouth, which, along with its excellent university, has a great selection of restaurants as well as yacht clubs and marinas, sandy beaches and the landmark National Maritime Museum.

Newlyn is around 50 minutes by car, a popular town that has been renowned for its art scene since the 1880s, when painters like Stanhope Forbes and Henry Scott Tuke congregated there and at St Ives, creating work that captured everyday Cornish scenes in the impressionist style. Their legacy is continued today by Newlyn Art Gallery, established in 1895 to display work by members of the Newlyn School but now focuses on contemporary artists.

The geodesic biome domes at the Eden Project, designed by Nicholas Grimshaw in the late nineties, is around 40 minutes drive to the north, and the popular towns of Padstow and Newquay are easily reached by car in less than one hour.

Communications to Cornwall have vastly improved over recent years, with the A30 dual carriageway just north of Truro giving fast access to the M5 motorway at Exeter. Direct trains from Truro to London Paddington run in just over four hours. Cornwall Airport (Newquay) also provides regular shuttle flights to London Gatwick, Stansted and many other seasonal European destinations.

Council Tax Band: E 

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.