Harbourside Living in Mousehole

On the doorstep of Mousehole harbour stands Berlewen, a traditional Cornish fisherman’s cottage sympathetically and luxuriously restored in a calming, muted colour palette. The owners, who rent out the cottage through boutique-retreats.co.uk have created an idyllic haven from which to enjoy the fabulous Cornish seaside views.

Downstairs

The main living space is open plan with a corner sofa from loaf, fur beanbag, and cosy wood burner. The use of industrial lighting provides a striking contrast to the soft furnishings and sets a theme that continues throughout the property. The dining table and bench tops look like concrete but are in fact resin which makes them easy to clean, easier to move and warmer to the touch. The effect is very convincing, you can buy the Conker Kitchen Table from loaf, or if you want the real McCoy check out this concrete table from Garden Trading.

At the back of the cottage a kitchen has been skilfully installed in a space that is rather more parallelogram than rectangle and is home to the original wrought-iron Cornish range which, although no longer in use, has been lovingly preserved. Traditional features such as the Victorian sink, butchers block and Cornish black slate worktops contrast with the contemporary rough wooden shelving supported from above by industrial chains,

Upstairs

Both double bedrooms provide fantastic views of the harbour, this is the sort of property that window seats were invented for! The master bedroom has industrial pendant lighting and bedside tables that are in fact Windsor style wooden dining chairs. The alphabet chest of drawers was purchased from loaf but is unfortunately no longer available. I found a similar item at livingitup.co.uk. A quirky feature of the room is the ensuite bathroom which is accessed through saloon style swinging doors and is home to a wonderfully eccentric bespoke bovine work of art.

The second bedroom is tranquil and calm with white painted exposed floorboards, neutral storage units and white industrial bedside lamps. This time the bedside tables are white lacquered butler trays from The White Company, ideal for an impromptu breakfast-in-bed scenario. The third bedroom has been perfectly designed to to suit any young children who might be staying at the cottage.

The bathroom is an even more unorthodox shape than the kitchen and here the owners have been creative with a DIY combined storage / double sink unit, upcycled from old school desks. You can still clearly make out writing and graffiti on the wooden surfaces which is a very charming touch. Reclaimed floor tiles complete the look.

Location

Lying between Penzance and Land’s End, Mousehole is one of the oldest and most iconic fishing villages in Cornwall. Parts of the harbour wall date back to the twelfth century and the village has maintained its olde-worlde charm with narrow cobbled streets, slate roofs, whitewashed cottages and brightly coloured paint work. The beach is protected by harbour walls which almost meet and this is where the name Mousehole – ‘mouse hole’ comes from, although it is pronounced “mouzel”.

I had visited Mousehole once before with my partner Lizzie during a holiday in Cornwall a few years back and we both fell in love with the place instantly. We decided it would make the perfect minimoon getaway location so after our wedding last month we escaped to Mousehole harbour and were lucky enough to book in to Berlewen cottage for a few days. You can read about the minimoon in more detail over on Rock My Wedding.

About Boutique Retreats

Large and luxurious or small and perfectly formed, Boutique Retreats has blown the cobwebs away from home stays and luxury holiday cottages with a unique portfolio of properties.

“We specialise in short breaks all year round so let us find your perfect boutique cottage or homestay now.When it comes to choosing where to stay in Cornwall, from home stays to farm stays, itty-bitty boltholes to big and beautiful houses, all of our holiday cottages, big or small, share the same high standards, so whatever you’re looking for, we’ve got a Boutique Retreat to suit you.”

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