homify 360º: A contemporary coastal home

Caitlin Hughes Caitlin Hughes
House No. 7, Denizen Works Denizen Works Rustic style house
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Today we're going to take a look at a unique home on the Isle of Tiree on the west coast of Scotland. Designed by architects Denizen Works in October 2010, the build is comprised of two houses, a Living-house and a Guest-house , linked by a utility wing. The brief was to create a house that reflects the character and heritage of the island—this meant incorporating local materials and building forms in keeping with with the typical architecture of the area, such as soft roof forms, chimneys and corrugated cladding. 

The Guesthouse is particularly connected to the surrounding environment, with its robust deep-set stone walls and black and white tarred roof. The Living-house is the social hub of the home and includes spacious living and sleeping areas, whereas the practical facilities such as bathroom, laundry room and play room are located in the Utility area, which connects the two houses, allowing the family occupying the home to move easily between the spaces as they please. As you will see from the images, the interior is inspired by the relaxing coastal location, employing a white and blue colour palette and light wooden flooring. Let's take a closer look:

The exterior

The two main sections of the home are distinctively different in their shape, though the black and grey colour scheme and similarity creates a flow between the separate buildings. The location is very exposed, with no natural land mass or vegetation to provide shelter from the elements. This has been taken into consideration during the design process, with walls and raised banks allowing for shelter on all sides, while still allowing natural light and the warmth of summer sunshine into the house. 

Access to the house

Access to the property is placed at the back, where you can find a small, private yard. With green open spaces as far as the eye can see, and sea views for miles, there's no need for an extravagant back garden. 

Stairs up to a raised platform give us direct access to the living area. The combination of materials, colours and finishes isn't commonly seen in domestic architecture, which makes this house look particularly contemporary and intriguing. 

Rural location

You can see why this location was chosen to build this stunning family home, which replaces a ruined, B-listed black-house. Like the previous home, the new build overlooks beautiful Duin Bay, though the cutting edge architecture and modernist interiors are as far from the previous cottage as they could possibly be. 

Living and dining area

Natural colours and materials build a relationship with the outdoors, whilst maintaining a welcoming and cosy atmosphere that is exactly what you want to come home to after a long walk, taking in the crisp sea air. High quality finishes and carefully chosen furnishings are in keeping with the thoughtfully considered and impressive façade. The hanging silver light fixtures and grey dining chairs introduce a hint of the industrial style chic into the room, though the overall look is soft and homely. 

Fresh colour scheme

The cool white walls are in keeping with the quiet, peaceful location: the light wooden floors compliment the grey and off-white stone wall outside, and also recalls the soft, pale colour of the sand that can be found around a hundred yards away. Muted pastels add a touch of colour to the stripped back interiors, and the log burner is a suitable addition for cosy nights in away from the wind and the cold outside. 

The connecting area

Here you can see the area which connects the two buildings. A glass roof allows in floods of natural light, and even looks nice with a coat of raindrops, catching the occasional ray of sun. This functional area is still extremely stylish and modern, and attention to detail is just as important here as in any other part of the home.

Furnishing the space

Another traditional looking wood burner can be seen in the hollowed out fire place of this bedroom. A neutral palette appears again in this room, which like the lounge, is furnished with only a few key pieces that complement the landscape. The vintage-look wooden trunk in the centre of the room, which could easily be used as a coffee table, looks as though it belongs to a pirate ship. Who knows what sorts of treasures could be locked away inside!

Double bedroom

The bedroom should be a relaxing space that you can switch off after a long day. The cool tones of blue, grey and white, which we also saw in the sitting and dining room, allow for just this. The well though-out lighting options can give you a bright and beaming light source when you're getting ready, or a low, dim glow when you want to chill out and read a book before going to sleep. The same floorboards run throughout each room, creating a uniform flow which also creates an impression of space.

For similar projects, take a look at the following ideabooks:

Before & after: A transformed high-end apartment

homify 360º: Stockgrove house

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