An Artists’ Retreat by the Sea
22nd January 2021
A place to escape to, close to home but far enough away to be able to let your mind drift into holiday mode, an idea that’s never seemed more appealing than in this last year. Staycations became the thing over the summer and there was a real feeling of how lucky we are to have so much natural beauty right on our doorstep. Hills and lakes and a coastline speckled with seaside wonders, few as lovely as the coastal town of Aldeburgh, where you’ll find this little gem of a cottage. I came across these gorgeous photos flicking through issue 17 of Country Living Modern Rustic, the ultimate guide to the coolest country homes and style. I fell in love with the laidback charm of this place and, of course, the small but utterly perfect Sebastian Cox Kitchen and decided to reach out to the owner, Kristin, to see if I could share her wonderful photographs and story here on the deVOL Journal.
The house, she admits, didn’t look all that special from the outside but as soon as they stepped through the front door they knew it was the one. It has quite high ceilings and grand proportions, almost like a townhouse rather than a cottage. It was open and airy and just a joy to be in. In fact, the bare bones of this building were so good that in the end, they went for a very stripped back look. That’s not to say there weren’t challenges, Kristin told me about all their struggles with past floods, saltwater in the bricks, replastering everything only for the ceiling to then fall down and having to do it all again. But maybe it was these hurdles that helped them to embrace this style. They added pine panelling that they intended to paint and copper piping which they thought they would cover but instead decided they quite liked exposing the materials for what they are, it felt honest and unfussy, just right for this humble seaside cottage.
The kitchen takes this idea one step further, rough sawn English beech tinted in a deep Inky Blue Black so the natural beauty of the wood is still visible. A true celebration of natural materials and texture. Kristin, a stylist and photographer, already knew our collaborator Sebastian Cox and had actually commissioned him to make the four-poster bed that now sits happily in the master bedroom when he casually mentioned this new kitchen range he was designing with deVOL. She was a bit skeptical, having never had a proper fitted kitchen before, but fell for its simple style and modern rustic charm.
They were always keen for this place to be a sort of creative retreat, Kristin’s husband is a vicar so they spend most of their time in the vicarage in Hackney. As most of us can appreciate these days, living and working in the same spot can be quite challenging, especially when in need of a clear mind and a bit of inspiration. As well as her photography, Kristin paints and her husband writes. Everything about this place inspires creativity, even the town is usually full of artsy folk with an impressive social calendar filled with literary, music and film festivals.
This home is almost like a blank canvas, the walls aren’t laden with art, Kristin instead chose to add delightfully simple peg rails with the idea that whoever is staying would be able to easily make the house feel like their own, organically decorating with everyday items. This isn’t just a retreat for Kristin and her husband, but for friends and friends of friends or anyone really that wants to get away to breathe in the fresh ocean air and maybe get creative.
I hope you enjoyed having a little look around, we may all be confined to our homes right now but it’s nice to dream of places we’d love to visit (hopefully) in the not too distant future. If you fancy getting away to do a little painting or writing, or just like the idea of being able to make a cup of tea and wander onto a beautiful beach to enjoy it, you can see the full details about Trinity Cottage and how to book here.
– Check out their Instagram @TrinityCottage or Kristin’s page if you want to get inspired by her wonderful photography @kristinperers.
– For more Sebastian Cox Kitchen inspiration, click here.
– All images styled and photographed by the brilliantly talented Kristin Perers.
