Interiors: The Blue Cabin By The Sea

For Benjamin Tindall, purchasing this little cabin by the sea two years ago was a bit like salvaging a treasured piece of his childhood. As a boy the Edinburgh-based architect frequently holidayed at Cove Harbour, north of Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders, and was thrilled when the opportunity to buy this cabin arose.

Having estimated that the modest building dated from the 1920s, Tindall subsequently discovered that it appears in a painting by one of the Glasgow Boys, who based themselves in this area during the late 19th century.

"The cabin was originally built, and has always been used, as a holiday home," Tindall says.

However, the little timber building looked quite different when he bought it; the exterior, for example was painted white, while the interior was not quite so creatively conceived. The previous owners made repairs to the slate roof and fitted a bathroom (previously an outhouse fulfilled the latter's function). The building was then essentially used in the warmer months while Tindall, who now lets the cabin to holidaymakers, wanted to equip it for year-round use.

"It had to be cosy in the depths of winter," he says.

While the size of the building remains unaltered, the cabin is now a far more hardy structure. Tindall had insulation fitted to the walls and roof, and to enhance electric heating he added a log burner stove to the fireplace in the living area (for which fuel is supplied). All the large windows were replaced with energy-efficient double-glazed designs specially made to look just like the originals.

As for the interior (which, with help from those windows feels considerably more generous in scale than the exterior suggests), it's been remodelled with a new bathroom, custom-made kitchen and bespoke timberwork including fitted beds and shelving. Oak flooring was laid throughout, its surface untreated so sand from the beach is easily swept away.

Given that the only means of accessing the cabin is, rather excitingly, via an old smugglers' tunnel cut through rock (visitors should bring a torch) all the bespoke timberwork, by local joiners Ian Wallace and Stuart Baillie of Dunbar Joinery, was carried out on site.

The solid timber kitchen was built in to a pocket of space off the open-plan living/dining area, with the entire room receiving abundant natural light from windows on three sides.

Amazingly for such a diminutively proportioned kitchen it includes most features of a much larger space including a microwave and concealed mini dishwasher. Attention to detail is evident in the beautiful door handles, handmade by Tindall's wife Jill Watson, a well-regarded sculptor working mainly in bronze. Watson's work is seen throughout this little abode, in the bathroom and bunk bedroom where her hooks have both functional and visual appeal.

The cabin sleeps four guests, between the bunk room and a quirky double bed built in to a romantic timber framework in which the form of seaweed has been cut.

"We drew the seaweed and the joiner made the panels with this cut-out pattern," says Tindall.

Children adore climbing to bed in the bunk room that's painted green and decorated with maps from destinations near and far, from the Black Isle to the Mediterranean and Christmas Island.

"We hope people will visit from all these places," says Tindall.

Guests have included writers and musicians who find inspiration in the tranquil setting and who might choose to do a spot of work at the antique desk and chair slotted into the bunk room. Lighting in this, and the double bedroom is designed to create the ambience of a ship's cabin, a mood set too by the built-in beds. The timberwork in the double bedroom is also painted green and includes functional compartments for storing clothes and bedtime reading.

Blue was chosen for the cabin's exterior as well as the interior of the living area as it's a colour traditionally used for fishing boats.

"And we chose unusual furniture to reflect the distinctiveness of the building," says Tindall. Perhaps most striking are two traditional hooded Orkney chairs; originally the hoods were designed to keep in the warmth of the fire and fend off draughts.

"It's as though the chairs contain little worlds of their own," says Tindall. They are complemented here by a 19th century Scottish "creepie" stool (a short-legged milking stool) picked up in a local antiques shop.

Tindall explains that many pieces in the cabin had been in his possession for a long time, but only seemed to find their rightful place here. For example porcelain tiles set within the fire surround were given to Tindall years ago and proved the perfect match for blue painted timbers in this room. Even the wall-mounted television is set within a blue timber frame, which helps it blend into the background.

Tindall contemplated leaving the cabin free of any kind of technology, but realised many guests expect it, and the living room is also equipped with wi-fi.

"We've had people launch websites from the cabin," he says.

However, it is the bespoke detailing that really makes the property. The large mirror above the fireplace was specially made with shells from the beach, and Tindall commissioned Skye-based Kathleen Lindsley to make the wall-mounted wood engraving of the cabin, showing its hillside setting overlooking the harbour. Further atmospheric touches include a stuffed razorbill perched in the corner of the living room.

At the opposite side of this room there's space alongside the front window for an antique dining table and chairs, the former set with a tablecloth appropriately patterned with seaweed.

More maps and charts decorate the walls of the shower room, which sits in the middle of the cabin. Tindall visualised this space as a Scandinavian-style wet room, complete with underfloor heating. While by no means large, it still feels like a decadent space, with its green slate sink set below an ornate mirror.

Tindall took time to get every detail at the Blue Cabin by the Sea just right.

"Such a special place deserved the attention," he says.

For more information visit www.bluecabinbythesea.co.uk Tel: [phone] or 07768 990 998.

• This article was first published in the Scotsman, July 31, 2010