{"id":18238,"date":"2023-01-26T09:00:30","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T08:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=39400"},"modified":"2023-01-26T10:36:38","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T09:36:38","slug":"inside-a-vintage-filled-cornish-cottage","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/inside-a-vintage-filled-cornish-cottage\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside a vintage-filled Cornish cottage"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Jo Leevers\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 26 January 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Vintage and industrial furniture were the natural choices for Sylvie Morris when it came to furnishing her Cornish cottage. \u2018When I was young, my grandmother used to take me around charity and bric-a-brac shops,\u2019 she says, adding that vintage<\/a> style not only suits her aesthetic, but also the character of the house. \u2018Its core dates from the 1600s, but the additions are Victorian, which was when it became a toll house for quarrying slate and sand from the beach at the end of the lane.\u2019<\/p>\n

Sylvie wanted the interior to reflect the different phases of the building\u2019s history and so she took her time searching for exactly the right furniture and accessories. Her thoughtful use of vintage and industrial pieces has resulted in a style that subtly references the origins of their cottage without it feeling \u2018themed\u2019.<\/p>\n

Victorian glass-fronted cabinets, used for both display and storage, are a nod to alterations made during the 1800s, while the zinc-topped table, metal machinist\u2019s chair and factory-style desk lamps<\/a> add a more industrial edge that chimes with the property\u2019s working past.<\/p>\n

Sylvie and her husband Grant are both from Bristol and have a number of favourite antiques dealers and interiors shops in the city. Gloucester Road in particular is one of Sylvie\u2019s favourite haunts: \u2018You know you\u2019ll always find something interesting in the shops there,\u2019 she says. \u2018It\u2019s full of dealers who pick up pieces they love and are intrigued by. That\u2019s what motivates them, rather than looking out for what will make the biggest profit.\u2019<\/p>\n

When it came to the actual renovation of the cottage, the couple took their cues from the building itself. \u2018I\u2019d project managed several house renovations in Bristol, but all of them were more straightforward Victorian or Edwardian townhouses,\u2019 Sylvie says. \u2018Here, the building methods that I was familiar with were suddenly irrelevant. This cottage set its own Cornish rules and we had to learn them.\u2019 Like many cottages in the area, the house was built using a technique similar to making dry stone walls: its core created from rocks and lime mortar.<\/p>\n

There was a lot of work to do before Sylvie and her family could move in, including reroofing, replacing the windows and laying new flooring in some areas. For the kitchen, Sylvie sourced old slate, which felt apt given the property\u2019s former life as a toll house for the local quarry.<\/p>\n

Fireplaces were stripped back to their original simple openings and authentically wonky walls were retained and re-limed. \u2018We love how it\u2019s all a bit wiggly and uneven; even the fireplace has a kink,\u2019 says Sylvie. \u2018It shows that rough stone, which can\u2019t be controlled or smoothed out, lies at the heart of the house.\u2019<\/p>\n

Apart from the mattresses and sofas<\/a>, most things in the cottage are vintage or antique<\/a>. The kitchen table came from France, with extra inches added to the legs so that Sylvie\u2019s husband, who is well over six feet tall, could fit his legs underneath. \u2018Clearly he\u2019s a fair bit taller than your average 19th-century farmer,\u2019 she laughs. An old trunk doubles as a coffee table and a pig bench works as a side table: \u2018It\u2019s been patched up with pieces of lead over the years \u2013 it\u2019s definitely got character,\u2019 says Sylvie.<\/p>\n