Sarah-Jane and Matthew Cousens fell in love with a 200-year-old cottage in a divine coastal location
FEATURE JANET MCMEEKIN
EXTERIOR
Leat House is just a stone’s throw from the water’s edge at the sheltered cove of Port Gaverne.
HOMETRUTHS
A detached cottage
Sitting room, kitchen-diner, porch, snug, utility room, four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Cornwall
When Sarah-Jane Cousens and her husband Matthew visited a secluded Cornish cove for the first time, they never expected their holiday memento to be a 200-year-old cottage. ‘During our family break in Port Gaverne, we regularly discussed how magical it would be to own the attractive stone house that was up for sale,’ says Sarah-Jane. On the last day of their holiday, back in 2016, curiosity got the better of the pair and they set up a viewing. ‘We felt compelled to step inside Leat House after my mother, who’d come to stay with us, gave me a painting depicting this very property,’ she says.
During the viewing, when the estate agent mentioned that the vendor was called Sarah-Jane and the previous occupant was a Sarah, whose middle name happened to be Jane, feeling that fate may be playing its part, the couple put an offer in. ‘As we were about to start a major renovation project at our main home in Hertfordshire, it wasn’t really the right time for us to buy,’ says Sarah-Jane. ‘However, we were charmed by the period features and magnificent views of the sea and jagged cliffs.’
DINING AREA
The abstract painting of Port Gaverne was the inspiration for the colour scheme.
SNUG
A blind at the window allows its beauty to be seen fully.
Having juggled their finances, the Cousens bought the property but postponed any work until the following year. Then, all the old windows were removed and replaced with bespoke wooden sashes. After that, Sarah-Jane and Matthew were in a position to give Leat House a completely new lease of life. ‘We were keen to work with the character and original features,’ says Sarah-Jane. ‘For example, rather than lifting the wonky floorboards in the bathrooms to level them, we left them as they were. Admittedly, when you stand in one spot and look out towards the sea, it feels as though you’re swaying in a rocking boat, but we think that just adds to the appeal.’
The Cousens found skilled local tradespeople to re
