Kathryn Tyler Interior Designer: Designed by Kathryn Tyler of Linea Studio, this contemporary studio home is a work of art in itself. White walls, concrete flooring, and open spaces are the house’s most prominent features. The interior designer has added plenty of storage space throughout the Property, including in previously overlooked or underutilized areas like the stairwell corridor.
The rest of the interior decor is kept to a minimum as well. Long-legged sofas and chairs have been incorporated to allow visitors to see the floor, giving the impression that the space is open and airy. Modern homes appear to place a high value on practicality. Many of the pieces are simple and useful, but they’re nevertheless striking. For example, the storage system built into the staircase structure is becoming more and more popular. Ingenious and space-saving, it’s an excellent idea. That massive bookcase takes up complete wall space. Because of this, you’ll have all the storage space you’ll ever need. You can put all of your books, periodicals, and other ornamental items in there, as well as other treasures and collections.
To achieve this type of design aesthetic, the furniture is basic, comfy, and distinctively styled. Additionally, I’m a fan of the bathroom. White is a wonderful color choice because it conveys a sense of freshness and cleanliness. Also, the attention to detail is astounding. As a whole, it’s a stunning and highly useful space. Since moving the Marwood studio from London to Devon a few years ago, we have been inspired by a broader community of creatives.
Kathryn Tyler, an interior architect working in Falmouth, is one of the many amazing people we’ve met while visiting Cornwall over the past two years. Those of us who grew up in London’s East End can’t help but feel at home in this dynamic town, which is home to ex-students from Falmouth University. Discovering these hubs outside of London is a great opportunity to get a fresh perspective on the city.
Views of the sea from the Cornish Cottage
many of us envision when we think of a Cornish vacation home. One of the most unattractive buildings I’ve ever come across, it had an uninspiring exterior and shabby PVC windows. After an array of traditional coastguard cottages, there was “the ugly duckling” at the very end. Thanks to Simon, a “design obsessive” who works in shipping, we were able to see the bigger picture.
After spending the previous two decades in another part of Cornwall, he and his wife Suzie were looking for a remodeling project where they might eventually retire and enjoy the sea views. As far as charm, this property was lacking, but it made up for it by being located high above the South West Coast Path and overlooking a beautiful sheltered bay just beyond the fishing community of Coverack. It was the opportunity to try something new that drew him to the residence.
Kathryn Tyler of Linea, an interior designer, was instrumental in bringing his idea to life. Simon first became aware of her work on Channel 4’s Grand Designs, which showcased her Falmouth Scandinavian-style home built more than a decade prior. According to him, ‘She was the only person that developed something beautiful and came in on budget’ In the past, Simon had renovated houses, but this was the largest project he had ever done.
It was a lucky coincidence that Kathryn, who lived just a half-hour drive from the property and had lately started designing residential projects after years of working in restaurants, jumped at the opportunity to join the team. As she puts it, “it seemed like I had free rein because our thoughts were aligned from the start.” A minimal, contemporary setting was what we wanted to avoid all the Cornish clichés.’
The Exterior had to be Changed
In the beginning, the exterior had to be changed. Using timber cladding, Simon’s primary home in Truro, and other properties around the village as a solution, was the best option. Siberian larch fins, which Kathryn claims will mellow nicely’, are where they build up camp. The most difficult part was getting in and out: everything had to be carried down a tiny path by hand. The two front windows, which were originally a whopping four meters wide, had their height nearly tripled to fit the massive picture windows.
From studying graphic design at Falmouth University to becoming an interior architect, How did you go about making the Transition?
Every day, my practice concentrates on the design and detailing of interior spaces, from private homes to pubs and restaurants. In my first job out of college, I was employed by a small graphic design firm when one of my clients casually inquired if we might also design the interiors of his restaurant. My supervisor immediately said yes. My mother had recently retired to Cornwall and worked as an interior architect, so she was able to teach me the essentials and everything else I needed to know as I went along. Since then, my primary interest has shifted to interior design.
How long have you worked between Cornwall and London?
BF: I remember you saying that. What impact have both places had on your personal and professional development? My studio, Linea Studio, is located in Cornwall, where I’ve lived for more than half of my life and where I was born. Since the beginning of my career, I’ve exclusively worked in Cornwall, and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have always encountered a professional and personal network that has been so supportive of my endeavors.
Architects and construction contractors provided me with a lot of technical help during my first few jobs. I’ll be forever grateful for this hands-on training that I obtained. London has always been an important part of my life because I was born and raised there, and I believe that my mother’s interest in architecture and design began when she took me to the RCA degree shows and allowed me to watch her at her drawing board with an incredible array of inks, set squares, and stencils.
Two Downstairs Rooms to Create a Huge Space
Kathryn opened up the two downstairs rooms to create a huge kitchen, dining, and sitting space that covers the whole length of the house within the house. She explains, ‘By reducing the layout, I sought to create a flow and sense of space.’ Three bedrooms and a bathroom were rearranged to form two bedrooms, each with a bathroom, on the second floor. The front room, which has a wall-to-wall window, has been created to take advantage of the vista.
On the oddest of all of the rooms in the house, this one is only accessible via an adjoining shower room, which is divided from the main bedroom by a glass ash screen. “I’m glad I fought for it,” she adds of the one suggestion she had to fight for. “The vista unfolds slowly rather than being there instantly due to the delayed entry into the bedroom.”
When it came to the stairwell up there, she kept as much as she could, including the floorboards. As part of the Japanese Shou sugi ban technique, she burned the treads and added ash balustrades, which form a glass divider upstairs. As Kathryn explains, ‘We wanted to maintain the aspects that indicate the past life of the property.’ Her creative images of the renovation process now adorn the walls of the home.
