Escape to your own Cornish bolthole
Your very own Cornish Bolthole
Our boltholes are all about feeling at home whilst also feeling like you’ve escaped home a little. With a few treasures to delight your senses and add interest to your stay away.
A good weekend for Steve and I is trouping around reclamation yards or seeking the rare treasure at a flea market. A touch of up-cycling from recovering a chair or repurposing a door, to ultimately create a new space that is filled with unique pieces which make our holiday spaces feel one of a kind.
All about the feel
Creating lovely spaces is about thinking about not just look but the feeling in the space. Porthleven is about the view. We wanted a place to soak up the sea in all seasons, with a sense of escape from home. So a window seat with comfy cushions and yet uncluttered window dressings, whilst also creating room to close off the worst of the dramatic winter storms. We invested in comfy sink into sofa’s to cosy up in front of the wood burner and a chunky dining table with bench and chairs for informal holiday brunches and dining. We love nothing more than a lazy breakfast, staring out the windows, or a long dinner either home cooked or from one of the many eateries in the village.
Authentic pieces
When putting rooms together I’ve always been a sucker finding the unusual. It’s all about authentic pieces, real treasures with history and age. We loved discovering some unusual seaside reclamation, an old lobster float and crate, a pulley and old oars. Our style lends itself to to rustic and pared back. But not all spaces lend themselves to that style. Anchor cottage had already been largely renovated. The cottage needed a little soul added and a sense of escape form the usual with some natural materials added layers of lighting and textures. We added wood panelling and rustic tiles to the kitchen and a little colour, with pale blue kitchen cabinets for a holiday feel. The linens are all from small fabric houses, with soft faded patterns in blues, sand and pink. Sheepskins, rich velvet and natural sisal carpet overlaid with Kilim rugs provide texture and a richness to the rooms.
Keeping the character
Being a fishing cottage Anchor has some low ceilings, especially into the bathroom, we managed to raise this and gave the bathroom a rework; keeping it simple, adding texture with pattern rather than a lot of colour. A teak sink cabinet and natural wicker products soften the space whilst underfloor heating, good lighting mirrors and a proper big shower add to the luxury feel. Ultimately we value a bit of space a good shower and enough storage for everyone’s toiletries.
Somewhere to retreat
The bedrooms have also had some love and attention. We found some stunning carved panels which are glorious as wall art. Framed tin tiles and glass floats to add to the texture and a rustic charm. Up stairs it’s all about the view so we’ve kept it simple and calm, with some soft lighting, really good mattresses, deep feather duvets crisp white linen and cosy blankets and throws.
Outdoor living
It was outside where we invested the most time and effort. We dug out the terrace and paved the whole area in limestone. We added built in bench seating alongside dining space, a built in BBQ and a fire pit to extend the evening and enjoy soaking up the beauty of this place. Porthleven can be a tricky place to create outdoor spaces. The sea is unforgiving on surfaces, and being the most southerly port it is famed for its storms – so hot tubs and umbrellas are out. A light touch of wood provides shelter, shade and wand a place to hunker down. I love sitting here cradling a morning coffee after a stroll on the beach first thing before others have stirred.
When staying at our boltholes we hope you discover a new favourite thing.