Extras Perfect Pads: A Beach House

Date Published:

20/06/2008

Credit Stan Bolt.

We all live within a couple of hours of the sea. We have a great maritime history, and an extraordinary number of people don't live in either town or country: they live at the seaside.

When you realise that the wet edge of France doesn't add up to more than the length of the coast of western Scotland, the idea of seaboard-living in the UK suddenly seems interesting. Of course, being Britain, the National Trust does seem to own about 98 per cent of our coastline, but our country's coast, in its variety of geology and its ability to offer an aspect to match every point of the compass, must rank as one of the most exciting places to live.

Credit: Stan Bolt.

The Living Area

The roof is made from a steel ring beam, glass, copper and a continuous glazing strip. The windows in the open-plan living area embrace the elements and provide the family with amazing views.

Credit: Stan Bolt

I'm tempted to plump for some contemporary piece of architecture in the West Indies as an example of the most perfect seaside house in the world. Come to that, any old shack in the West Indies would do. But in the UK, I would settle for a very good second best in the form of Stan Bolt's house for the O'Sullivan family, in Salcombe, south Devon.