Houzz Tours
House Tours
Houzz Tour: A Tired Coastal Flat Gets a Cosy, Welcoming Revamp
Warmth, style and practicality were of equal importance in the full renovation of this midcentury-built apartment
This two-bedroom seaside apartment on the south coast was lacking the cosy, characterful interior its 80-something new owner wanted. She had some treasured artworks and pieces of furniture, but was at a loss as to how to incorporate them into a coherent scheme.
“[The owner’s] brief was, ‘Well, I’ve got this flat and I don’t know what to do with it,’” interior designer Jenna Forsdyke of Pfeiffer Design recalls. “She was about to move there for the second part of her retirement and wanted a space that was comfortable and reflected her personality.” It also had to be practical for an older person, which was a consideration at every stage of the design.
“It was about marrying the traditional with the contemporary and creating a home that felt modern, but not too far out of [the owner’s] comfort zone,” Jenna continues. “We considered every tiny detail to be absolutely certain our designs would work among the client’s existing furniture, artwork and belongings.”
“[The owner’s] brief was, ‘Well, I’ve got this flat and I don’t know what to do with it,’” interior designer Jenna Forsdyke of Pfeiffer Design recalls. “She was about to move there for the second part of her retirement and wanted a space that was comfortable and reflected her personality.” It also had to be practical for an older person, which was a consideration at every stage of the design.
“It was about marrying the traditional with the contemporary and creating a home that felt modern, but not too far out of [the owner’s] comfort zone,” Jenna continues. “We considered every tiny detail to be absolutely certain our designs would work among the client’s existing furniture, artwork and belongings.”
“We oversaw the project from start to finish,” says Jenna, who first visited the flat soon after the owner had bought it when it was unfurnished with just white, grey and beige as a backdrop. “There was no character and that wasn’t what the owner wanted,” she says.
“Our design is very much about taking a holistic view, so we always try to incorporate the exterior to make [the home] feel as if it’s part of the location,” Jenna says. “This area is very green, with of lots of trees all around, and you can see the sea in the distance, but this wasn’t reflected in the flat.”
Easily find and hire architects and interior designers on Houzz.
“Our design is very much about taking a holistic view, so we always try to incorporate the exterior to make [the home] feel as if it’s part of the location,” Jenna says. “This area is very green, with of lots of trees all around, and you can see the sea in the distance, but this wasn’t reflected in the flat.”
Easily find and hire architects and interior designers on Houzz.
Now the flat is filled with soft greens, blues and pinks and natural wood tones, and feels warm and inviting. The colours are picked to bring the outside in, but have also been pulled from tones in the owner’s artworks, two of which you can see here.
These two sofas are bespoke and were made locally, which the company always aim to do for sustainability reasons. “We had them made to be comfortable for [the owner] to get in and out of, so they’re a bit higher than is standard and with firmer cushions,” Jenna says.
She added a pelmet to disguise the curtain rail and give a cleaner finish to the window area, and also took the curtains to the floor for the same reason.
These two sofas are bespoke and were made locally, which the company always aim to do for sustainability reasons. “We had them made to be comfortable for [the owner] to get in and out of, so they’re a bit higher than is standard and with firmer cushions,” Jenna says.
She added a pelmet to disguise the curtain rail and give a cleaner finish to the window area, and also took the curtains to the floor for the same reason.
Key to redesigning this room’s layout was the removal of an electric fire and surround [just seen in the first ‘before’ photo], which had dictated the location of the seating. As it was electric, it was a fairly simple procedure and Jenna installed a new fireplace in the wall opposite the window instead.
She also designed this deep green-painted joinery, which further warms up the room. “We put cable management into the cupboards beneath,” she says.
“The owner was very keen on not having the TV as a focal point,” Jenna says, “so we deliberately off-set that and put it against the dark joinery to ensure it wasn’t a key focus of the room.” (Just seen in the left-hand unit.)
She also designed this deep green-painted joinery, which further warms up the room. “We put cable management into the cupboards beneath,” she says.
“The owner was very keen on not having the TV as a focal point,” Jenna says, “so we deliberately off-set that and put it against the dark joinery to ensure it wasn’t a key focus of the room.” (Just seen in the left-hand unit.)
Jenna also added characterful wall lights here, above the newly located fireplace, which, with the gold mirror surround, forms a nice feature.
Jenna pulled the sofa away from the wall to give the room a good flow, since a door opens into this part of the room.
“It’s quite a long room, so we centralised the sofas,” Jenna explains. This also made space for this glass console table. “It’s a nice feature – so the wall isn’t completely plain and you don’t feel as if you’re walking into a blank room,” she says.
The living room leads into the dining room.
Previously, the opening had been wider. The new rectangular shape gives the space a more contemporary feel.
Jenna added a chandelier pendant above the dining table and a wooden sideboard in the same wood as the living room’s coffee table, which subtly links the spaces.
The Carrara marble-topped round table has a midcentury feel, tying in with the era of the flat. “The circular table maximises the space and improves the flow around it, particularly as it’s the owner’s access route to the living room,” Jenna says. Padded dining chairs make for a comfortable place to sit.
The sliding glass doors on the right are new and replace a glass partition that had been in the same spot.
The Carrara marble-topped round table has a midcentury feel, tying in with the era of the flat. “The circular table maximises the space and improves the flow around it, particularly as it’s the owner’s access route to the living room,” Jenna says. Padded dining chairs make for a comfortable place to sit.
The sliding glass doors on the right are new and replace a glass partition that had been in the same spot.
This is the glass partition that was replaced. “It was frosted with just one fixed door and, with the frosting, didn’t let the light all the way through,” Jenna says.
Jenna designed in these pocket doors to replace the glass partition. “It adds lots more light to the hallway,” she says.
The curtains were made to order. Jenna chose a two-tone design for the dining and living rooms. “It was just to break up the room a little bit,” she says. “The ceilings are quite high and it also brings in the tones from the chairs and just adds a bit more visual appeal.”
Next to the dining room, there’s a newly designed kitchen, with white units and Silestone worktops, which help to brighten up the space. It’s in the same location as the previous one and still in its own room. “The owner didn’t want the construction work involved in knocking through,” Jenna says.
A new induction hob is sleeker and, as it only works when there’s a pan in position, is safer than gas, which was there previously.
Kitchen, Howden’s.
A new induction hob is sleeker and, as it only works when there’s a pan in position, is safer than gas, which was there previously.
Kitchen, Howden’s.
The entrance hall (with the front door behind the camera) makes for a fresh but soft welcome.
To the left just out of shot is the door to the living room; straight ahead is the door to the kitchen, with the pocket doors to the dining room on the left through the archway. The doors on the right lead to the bedrooms.
To the left just out of shot is the door to the living room; straight ahead is the door to the kitchen, with the pocket doors to the dining room on the left through the archway. The doors on the right lead to the bedrooms.
The entrance hall before, but seen from the other end.
You can see how the new bespoke joinery adds elegance and character to the previously plain space and what a difference the new pale grey carpet makes.
You can see how the new bespoke joinery adds elegance and character to the previously plain space and what a difference the new pale grey carpet makes.
This floor plan makes things clearer.
The main bedroom is furnished in soft, heathery pink, rose and several greens, tying it back to the living room. “In here, it was more about colours and pulling in holistic tones in different saturations,” Jenna says.
The bedside tables also echo the wooden furniture in the dining and living rooms. The headboard is bespoke and Jenna added a classic Lloyd Loom chair. Again, for comfort, the bed is slightly raised to make access easier.
The bedside tables also echo the wooden furniture in the dining and living rooms. The headboard is bespoke and Jenna added a classic Lloyd Loom chair. Again, for comfort, the bed is slightly raised to make access easier.
The en suite bathroom was redone, but retained a bath.
The cistern was boxed out, creating a false wall into which Jenna designed storage niches. These are lined in Silestone to match the new vanity unit top.
The cistern was boxed out, creating a false wall into which Jenna designed storage niches. These are lined in Silestone to match the new vanity unit top.
The old bathroom shows how the layout has only been lightly tweaked to improve storage and aesthetics.
The spare room contains the owner’s own carved wooden bed and Jenna opted to add a blue accent, with the cushions and the tones in the feathered wallpaper chosen to echo the sea. “We wanted to give each room its own feel,” she says.
The guest bathroom now has a walk-in shower where previously there had been a bath.
Again, pinks, greens, blues and natural wood tones tie in with the flat’s overall palette without feeling too matchy-matchy.
So how did the owner feel about her new home? “She loves it,” Jenna says. “She loved the whole process, going to the showrooms and coming back for more advice, and she loves how the finished result really reflects the location of the flat.”
More: 19 Bathrooms That Beautifully Showcase Zellige Tiles
Tell us…
What do you like about this thoughtfully designed seaside flat? Let us know in the Comments.
Again, pinks, greens, blues and natural wood tones tie in with the flat’s overall palette without feeling too matchy-matchy.
So how did the owner feel about her new home? “She loves it,” Jenna says. “She loved the whole process, going to the showrooms and coming back for more advice, and she loves how the finished result really reflects the location of the flat.”
More: 19 Bathrooms That Beautifully Showcase Zellige Tiles
Tell us…
What do you like about this thoughtfully designed seaside flat? Let us know in the Comments.
Sponsored
Reload the page to not see this specific ad anymore
Who lives here? A woman in her 80s
Location Eastbourne, East Sussex
Property A flat in a late-midcentury block
Size Two bedrooms and two bathrooms
Designer Jenna Forsdyke of Pfeiffer Design
Project year Between 2018 and 2020
Photos by Simon Eldon Photography
‘Before’ images courtesy of Pfeiffer Design
Since the owner had yet to move in, this flat was both a blank canvas and an empty space, both of which made a full refurb much easier to execute. As such, Pfieffer took on the design and project management, and the whole job included new kitchen and bathroom designs, bespoke joinery, made-to-measure window treatments and upholstery, rewiring and new floors, as well as redecoration throughout and furniture and accessories to complement the owner’s existing things.
Jenna also rethought the lighting throughout and, as here in the welcoming, open-plan living room, added lamps and diffused overhead lighting for a soft atmosphere.