Interiors: Beach house, Rosneath Peninsula

By FIONA BAYNE
Published on Monday 13 February 2012 00:00

The reworking of a fabulously placed but uninspired bungalow has created a surprisingly un-Scottish beach house

The crisp lines, expanse of glass, glorious stretch of outdoor living space and ruggedly handsome location might place Cape Cove on the far-flung coast of Australia or South Africa. In fact this particular “beach house” belongs to Scotland’s Rosneath Peninsula.

Introducing large walls of glass to a house perched over the edge of Loch Long on solid rock was, says Stuart Cameron of Glasgow-based Cameron Webster Architects, never going to be easy.

“But perhaps the biggest challenge was stopping the builders from gaping at the view so they could get some work done,” he laughs, referring to the fantastic perspectives across the Firth of Clyde to Gourock and Dunoon.

It was the tremendous site, on the loch’s south eastern foreshore, that caught Stuart’s attention when the property and its owners – both lawyers living in Glasgow – were introduced to him in 2008. The couple had recently purchased the building, which has its very own beach, with a view to creating a rather special holiday home for personal use as well as letting purposes.

The couple’s connections to South Africa played some part in their vision for this house, as did a house they had admired in Canada, built to maximise the impact of both summer and winter weather, and the perfect vantage point from which to watch a storm.

They realised that bold architectural moves would be required to achieve their vision. The Ministry of Defence originally owned the property on Loch Long, using it to monitor vessels in the Clyde Estuary, and it had subsequently been converted into a dull bungalow.

“It was fairly unimaginative, with rather mean rooms,” says Stuart.

His clients wanted to open the dreary bungalow to the spectacular views. Site visits and meetings with the couple in Glasgow allowed Stuart to gauge their desires and expectations, and he came up with a few design alternatives.

Ultimately it was decided that the existing roof, which had recently been re-tiled, would be retained as a means of keeping a lid on finances. The property’s garage would be absorbed into the building to create additional bedrooms and a large entrance hall, while existing interior walls would be rearranged, allowing for a fully glazed living area and terrace to “push out” towards the sea.

Planning proved uncomplicated, with the local council supportive of the concept and six months after the architect’s drawings were submitted, the project went out to tender.

“As well as the rocky position, the distance of the site from Glasgow posed problems,” says Stuart. “It wasn’t easy to find a contractor with the necessary experience at an acceptable price.”

Work eventually started on site in autumn 2009, and the job was completed a little more than a year later. Specialist trades were sourced and engaged directly by the clients to work on particular features of the build, such as its zinc cladding and the frameless glass to the western elevation, the latter working to open the space to its loch-side setting.

“The glass also provides the open-plan living/dining and kitchen area with an inspiring and ever-changing backdrop,” says Stuart, whose clients didn’t want the interior to compete in any way with the views outward. For this reason the couple favoured a clean, contemporary interior style, although the finished look doesn’t stint on the kind of warmth required on a grey Scottish day.

“Pietra Serena” limestone tiles were bought from the Italian quarry for the living area, while riven Brazilian slate covers the floor in the entrance hall. As well as underfloor heating (chosen to eliminate the need for wall-mounted radiators) the couple opted for atmospheric lighting and a woodburning stove within the main open living space, the latter located rather unusually within a solid, slate-lined wall.

“The stove sits in a bespoke metal unit that also holds the logs,” points out Stuart, indicating that the stove also sits back to back with a fantastic fire/barbecue area outside. The television has been subtly recessed within the wall, allowing the fire to function as the main focus. “To sit in this living space with the fire roaring, enjoying the panoramic views is just amazing, whatever the weather,” says Stuart.

Materials and colours were kept to a minimum and chosen with extreme care, so that tactile surfaces such as the oak selected for the staircase, as well as a bespoke shelving unit that separates the living area and the kitchen, tempers any sparseness. Magnet supplied and fitted the kitchen, envisaged by the owners as a smart, functional space.

As parents, the couple were mindful of making the interior family-friendly, incorporating a large playroom below the living area. Four bathrooms (where fittings from bathstore and Victoria Plumb mix with bespoke joinery, mirrors and shower screens) complement five generously sized bedrooms.

To increase the sense of space in the bedrooms the wardrobes have a “wall-mounted” feature which leaves the floor visible underneath.

“We had used this feature before and the clients liked it,” says Stuart, adding that this detail was achieved using Ikea carcasses and doors that were reworked on site.

The carcasses have a fixed width, so any gaps created by recesses were filled with bespoke shelving.

There’s no question that the huge covered teak deck that opens, with south-facing aspects, from the main living area is a huge draw for guests, not least because it boasts the aforementioned open fire, barbecue and (the most recent addition) a hot tub. From here it’s a short hop to the property’s private pebble beach and jetty.

If you were to draw a line from this site southwards you wouldn’t reach land until you hit Spain. Not that those foreign shores will be calling when the Rosneath Peninsula looks this hot.

• For details, or to make a booking contact Cottages & Castles Ltd on tel: [phone] or visit www.cottages-and-castles.co.uk; www.cameronwebster.com

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