Home Renovation Inspiration in Cornwall

Originally published in August 2020, when the first year of the pandemic had prompted many of us to look differently at our homes.

We all spent a lot of time at home during lockdown. For some of us, that was a welcome opportunity to be a bit of a recluse! Many people turned to home improvement, making more of the space they had available. I felt particularly blessed to have a garden during that sunny spell in May.

Once tradespeople were able to work in our homes and gardens again, we were no longer restricted entirely to DIY. Thankfully, in my case. My own attempts were fairly basic, but that didn’t stop me dreaming and sketching ideas here and there.

Bespoke joinery and CNC design

Cornwall has a wealth of craftspeople who can help bring our scribbled ideas to life. One company whose work caught my eye at the time was Coast Creative Joinery.

Their work went beyond traditional carpentry. CNC technology allowed them to create intricate fretwork, decorative panels, bespoke cabinets and complete kitchen units, with plenty of interesting colours and finishes.

Dreaming of a new kitchen

I would have loved to rethink my kitchen. I had spent so much time in it during lockdown, experimenting with wild and wonderful cuisines. My Syrian cookbook was a particular favourite.

I didn’t venture down the sourdough route, but I certainly made use of my brown bananas, as it seemed the whole of the Instagram world had too.

Finding space for creative clutter

Something else I was seriously considering was storage, or the lack of it. Eclectic suits my home and my taste, but even creative clutter needs to be ordered and displayed with purpose and, hopefully, style.

One positive thing to emerge from that difficult year was a greater appreciation for the talented people and independent businesses around us, often much closer to home than we realised.