Explore a coastal Cornwall retreat designed for easy living

Porthcothan Bay view of a minimalist Cornwall retreat by De Rosee Sa

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)

A minimalist Cornwall retreat on the north coast of Cornwall was conceived for easy living by its author, the London-based architecture and interior design studio De Rosee Sa. Blending the region's charmingly rugged landscape with the clients' love for surfing, the home is not only personalised to serve its owners' passions and daily needs, but it was also designed to connect deeply with its setting - from its natural materials that draw on its surroundings to its gabled roof, which is typical in its part of the world.

Tour this contemporary Cornwall retreat by De Rosee Sa

Clad in timber, the house is crafted in simple geometries and minimalist lines, featuring dark-framed openings which elegantly punctuate the facades. It comes as a pleasingly abstract iteration of local vernacular forms, while breaking down the home's overall volume, which spans a comfortable 335 sq m.

A garden made of wildflowers, grasses and Cornish stone creates a perfect, naturalistic landscape for the house to emerge from - ensuring it remains in tune with surrounding native plant life, and flowing organically down to the cliffside below.

Inside, similar themes prevail, with neutral colours and materials such as clay and lime paints, and wide oak boards dominating the interior – drawing directly from the region's overall palette. Surfaces are tactile and textures echo sand, stone and driftwood.

A sculptural limestone fireplace becomes a key feature in the main living space, with a large picture window drawing the eye out towards the long sea views on the other end of the room. Vaulted timber ceilings and rooflights ensure interiors feel spacious and natural light reaches every corner.

Beyond the main residential areas – living, kitchen and dining areas, and bedrooms – a series of additional spaces make sure the home is perfectly tailored to its residents' lifestyle. These include a cocoon-like snug, a bespoke bunk room, and space for changing and storage before and after surfing sessions.

Max de Rosee, who co-founded De Rosee Sa together with partner Claire Sa, says: 'The Cornish landscape is dramatic, and we wanted to celebrate that. The front door acts like a pause: plain, almost mute, until the sea takes over. Every key space is oriented to the view. Light and outlook were treated as materials in their own right, shaping how the interiors are experienced.'

'Timber-lined ceilings, clay and lime walls, natural oak - all chosen to create a tactile, breathable environment that feels made, not manufactured. By tucking the third floor into the roofline, we preserved the village scale while giving the family the space they needed. The result is a house designed for ease of living, comfort and longevity.'

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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).