Our virtual tour of inspiring waterside escapes that also house the land&water collection has so far seen us sleeping amongst sand dunes, unearthing serenity in the Staffordshire countryside and paddling across the Cumbrian lakes.
This week, we finish up on the UK’s most southerly peninsula, The Lizard, at the stunning Ukiyo – a contemporary bolthole that seamlessly blends minimalist design with a spectacular ocean setting…
Overlooking a sheltered cove just outside the Cornish fishing village of Coverack, architectural designer Kathryn Tyler transformed Ukiyo from a dilapidated 1960s block into an open-plan, sustainably-made celebration of the mesmeric sea view it commands.
“The name Ukiyo derives from Japan and translates as ‘the floating world’,” explains Tyler. “It suggests a blissful state of detachment from the bothers of everyday life.”
And with its sculptural furnishings, larch cladding and poured concrete, it’s not only the name of this unique retreat that reveals an artful mix of cultures and styles. Hailed as “one of the finest modern houses in the UK” by Condé Nast Traveller, Ukiyo feels like a Scandinavian summerhouse set in the wilds of Cornwall, elevated with understated Japanese touches.
A mix of antique finds and modern classics – a Senufo tribe coffee table (shaped like an alligator), Bulgarian milking stools, slubby linens, perforated brass pendant lamps, Magistretti Caramite dining chairs – the space balances bags of character with a stripped back, breezy mood.
During a recent stay, Tyler relished watching the natural light show as night fell. “It was incredible to witness the moon rise from the horizon, its shard of light reflecting on the sea and traversing the large picture window up and out to one side,” she recalls.
But it is the master bedroom’s freestanding ash-clad bath in the window – and the panoramic, bird’s-eye view of the seascape and rocky headland beyond – that sends the imagination soaring. "Sitting in the bath in the main bedroom, it feels like you’re floating high in the sky, especially as the seagulls fly past the window," says Tyler.
Inviting leisurely soaks or enlivening showers in this sublime setting, our shoreline-inspired, naturally-derived products are dotted around Ukiyo’s two bathrooms. Opt for a citrus-spiked early start before venturing out on the South West Coast Path (which passes right outside), or rest adventure-tired limbs with a relaxing lavender, linden and geranium bath in that famous window.
In keeping with land&water’s sustainable approach, Ukiyo showcases eco-conscious choices at every turn. A natural, muted combination of clay plastered walls, linen, brass and timber do nothing to distract from the view, will patina with time, and won’t require redecoration. An open-plan shower room clad in reclaimed Altrock Carrara Marble, organic cotton bedding, a locally-crafted kitchen, and sustainably-sourced Siberian larch cladding (designed to silver and melt into the vernacular of the village), continue the green theme.
Outside, an eternal suntrap of a garden is sheltered from prevailing winds, and even gazes out over sunflowers and dahlias in the neighbouring gardens in late summer.
“The concrete cast stepping stones are interspersed with pebbles which massage your feet and crunch satisfyingly underfoot,” explains Tyler. Lush palms and romantic pampas frame a cedar hot tub, chairs and a firepit – ideal for watching weather fronts moving through, spotting gannets and seals in the bay, and, if you’re lucky, leaping dolphins.
Images © Unique Homestays www.uniquehomestays.com
Photography by David Curran
uniquehomestays.com/ukiyo
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BATHTIME BUNDLE
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