Benwood

Benwood is the fourth building on the affectionately named 'Sprout Street' in Polzeath to receive a touch of Sprout magic. What started out as an outdated bungalow is now a stunning three storey family house featuring a distinctive curved zinc roof and two huge balconies from which to enjoy the fantastic views over Polzeath bay and beyond. The house has ample space for family and friends to stay, with five double bedrooms, four bathrooms and garage, not to mention the huge open plan living space in the middle floor which also cleverly fits in a generous utility, curved larder, WC and cosy snug. Beautiful interior design was provided by the award winning Nicola O'Mara.

Client Brief

The client wanted a functional, flexible, modern and beautiful house, all rolled into one. The choice of materials both inside and out help to achieve a low-maintenance house that doesn’t skimp on style. On the exterior, the millboard balconies and soffits has been chosen for its durability against the corrosive salt air, and the crisp white render is a specially selected silicone-based product which resists staining, fading and cracking. On the inside, the generous entrance hall has been designed to connect the garage, front door, family bathroom and wet room, allowing all the mess of the beach to stay on the ground floor. The entrance floor is a beautiful wood-effect ceramic tile which looks stunning but is also very durable for a high-traffic area.

Sprouts Role

Sprout took Benwood from concept through to completion, including the demolition of the former building. With stunning views to encapsulate, the design tucked away the garage, services, utility room and ancillary bedrooms towards the bottom and back of the building, with the main living spaces, master bedrooms, balconies and garden all benefitting from that glorious vista of Polzeath seafront. Zac the site manager lead a brilliant team through the whole build, from the heavy lifting of the steel-work, to the delicate finishing touches.

Clever Design For Modern Living

The family needed practical solutions to accommodate a mixture of adult and younger guests and family members. The two ground floor bedrooms have the option of interconnecting through lockable double doors, providing a flexible sleeping area that can function as two private double bedrooms, or a large bunkroom. The open plan living space has a comfortable sitting area around the wood burner and TV, but there is also a generous snug for those who want to hunker down, as well as a large landing on the top floor which doubles up as a free-flow office or reading area.

Bespoke Details

During the course of the build the client commissioned a number of bespoke features which really add character and craftsmanship to the finishing touches of this house. There is a subtle theme of curves running through the design, which is accentuated by a curving feature mosaic wall reaching the apex of the roof the stunning curved oak-clad beams snaking through the top floor bedrooms, and the bespoke hand-built curved bookcase in the main living space. Sprout's master carpenters also built a floor to ceiling custom media cabinet in the snug, and crafted the built in feature head board in the master bedroom, and the vanity units in each of the house's five luxury bathrooms.