Our clients approached us to help create them the perfect waterside home so they could move down to Falmouth and make the most of coastal living. Modern living had rendered the original design of this impressive but compact Victorian house obsolete, whilst parked cars on the road opposite obscured the sea views. How a house is used by its owners and the way it interacts with its environment are central to the way we design at Märraum. It quickly became apparent that having the parking at first floor level at the rear of the property had turned the back door into the main entrance. And that meant it made perfect sense to reverse the house, bringing the living space to the upper floor and moving the bedrooms downstairs. We considered sightlines to realise the potential of this home’s stunning location, opening up as many sea views as possible. This wasn't the smoothest of projects. The house had a lot of damp, and issues with poor ground at the rear of the property meant foundations had to be driven deeper than expected — but those issues only make the outcome all the more impressive. Space has been maximised to showcase the sea views out across to Flushing and the Roseland and vaulted ceilings upstairs bring grandeur and character. The attention to detail of the contractor, and the client's bold design and colour choices, have elevated the space even further. In the main open plan kitchen and living space, for example, the clean, crisp lines of the new white render sit against beautifully pointed stonework that reveals the beauty of the original Victorian building.