How to find your ‘feels like home’

Q: Tara, where did your love affair with the Cornish Coast begin?

I took a trip to Cornwall several years ago with my mum, and we visited St Ives and the Scilly Isles. I think the seed must’ve been sown then, although it wasn’t until I started taking two week solo road trips in 2016 that it started to grow into something more like an obsession!

I’d come down, take a course at the St Ives School of Painting, and spend the rest of the time exploring, each time visiting places I hadn’t already been. Every time I had to leave I’d be planning my next trip on the drive home.

Q: What led you 300 miles west?

I was born and grew up in London, then lived in Hove for a decade, and have done a fair amount of travelling, but I’d never felt in any place like I did - and still do - in Cornwall. It was as if I was coming home.

I had an epiphany on Gwenver Beach in May 2017; my soul basically said, we need to live here - let’s just try it. And although that day I was alone on a sweeping white sand beach with tiny aqua waves lapping at the shore, it wasn’t just about the glorious beaches and coastal lifestyle. I love Cornwall in the dead of winter as much as in the blues and yellows of summer. I never knew you could feel like this about a place.

I told myself I could rent out my flat back in Hove, find somewhere to rent here for six months ‘to try it out’, and see how it went. And of course the first day I got here, I knew I’d be staying for good. I followed my heart and relocated over 300 miles from city to country, and it completely changed my life.

Q: How did you manage the relocation?

I rented out my flat in Hove via Airbnb for a couple of weeks, and came to Cornwall to find somewhere to rent over the winter. I had two essential criteria: it had to be walking distance from a beach, and it had to have wifi as I work from home. I also had a rather long wishlist, including things like a washing machine and sea views!

I went back and forth about whether to try and find somewhere unfurnished and have my furniture brought down; that felt like too big a leap at first, and with so many holiday lets and second homes down here it was challenging to find anywhere I could rent for six months.

And then at the last minute I found this hidden away quirky cottage, ten minutes from a secret cove, fully furnished, with wifi, phenomenal views, a washing machine - and dishwasher! - and the loveliest landlord and landlady you could wish for, and that was that. Very soon after I moved in I put my flat in Hove on the market, and started looking for a new home down here.

Q: How did you end up finding the Barn?

I’d been poring over the online property listings for months, so I had a good idea of what was on the market within my budget and was starting to feel a bit disheartened. I actually saw the Barn on RightMove quite early on, but initially discounted it as I was adamant I didn’t want a project. I didn’t think I would be able to afford a renovation, and the thought of what would be involved felt rather overwhelming.

I knew I needed help - someone who had extensive local knowledge, access to more than what was online and could help with negotiating, finding a solicitor and so on, so I contacted Jayne Phillips-Choak, a property search agent who runs Live Beside the Sea.

Jayne was fantastic; with her help I viewed several ‘almost’ properties, and then one afternoon I discovered the Barn was still available. I asked Jayne to check it out, and she was enthusiastic enough for me to want to see it for myself. I remember as we got out of the car for the first viewing, Jayne noted that I couldn’t stop smiling - she knew I’d found the one, even if I was initially unsure about the huge amount of work it would need.

The house was owned by the sweetest couple who had lived there for decades, and who were becoming disheartened with multiple viewings and no takers. It seemed people couldn’t see beyond the well loved interior - it hadn’t actually been touched for 27 years and was in need of some TLC.

Q: Was it a straightforward purchase?

Is there such a thing?! Someone else showed an interest in the property just before we were about to make an offer, although they mysteriously disappeared, thankfully, but that was an unhelpful extra stressor. The chain was also quite stressful; with so many people involved it was like Chinese Whispers a lot of the time, and then problems with mortgages, an extremely unhelpful solicitor {not mine!}, and other unforeseen hitches! It was one of the most constantly stressful years of my life, but, in the end, worth every second.

Q: What was the first thing you did when you got the keys?

We completed on the 6th July 2018 and I moved in that day; my belongings from Hove were brought down by a removal company and I ferried things over from the rental cottage myself, as it was just down the road.

I lived in the barn for a further five months, and Jayne helped me find an architect since the house was really going to need significant work. I did some research of my own and found Kerry to do the interior design. I never imagined I’d be hiring architects, builders, or an interior designer - I thought I’d just find somewhere and move in! I laugh about that now. 😉

At the end of November, I moved back into the rental cottage so that the asbestos could be removed from the ceilings before the builders started on the renovation.

Q: What does living in Cornwall mean to you now?

It’s home, essentially. It’s where I’m meant to be. It’s been interesting to me how that ‘tiny’ decision on Gwenver precipitated not just a change in location, but actually every other area of my life has been turned upside down and shaken up. There are times in life where you close a chapter and start a new one; this has felt like starting a new book!

Having lived my whole life in cities, I now live in coastal countryside; the nearest shop is a drive away, the silence is phenomenal, I have an abundance of nature on my doorstep, and can spend much more time outdoors and yet remain in solitude, which I’d been longing to do for years - not so easy in a city!

My art, too, has shifted and evolved, and is now deeply connected to my environment and experience of it. And then of course there’s the sea; ultimately everything comes back to that for me.

Q: What have you decided to do with the property?

I wanted something really light and airy but also cosy and restful - I’m big on textures and soft coastal colours without it becoming twee. It’s important to me that we keep the features that make it a cottage-style barn conversion, like the original stone wall and beamed ceilings in the living room.

We are reconfiguring all the internal walls as the original layout made it quite dark, and adding three sets of French doors to bring in light and create a greater connection with the generous garden. We will be adding two decked areas so that I can sit outside all year round {more or less!}. There will be sea views from the living room, bedroom, and kitchen, and we are designing the interior to make the most of them.

We are also adding lots of cosy layered textures, beach inspired aquas and blues, tongue and groove panelling (something that I have always wanted), a new kitchen, two new bathrooms, wooden flooring throughout, and a studio in the garden. So much for not wanting a project!

Q: What is a Soulful Home?

A soulful home to me is a sanctuary that reflects and supports who I am at the deepest level, how I live day to day, and how I want to spend my life. I think it’s about choosing what makes you feel happy as well as working with the way you use the space.

It’s nothing to do with trends and everything to do with what I think of as an ‘honest’ lifestyle - it fits you perfectly because it’s an extension of who you really are, even - in fact especially - when that means accommodating funny little quirks and design choices. I suppose it’s the very definition of a comfort zone!