A sleek, modern coastal house in Fife
Four years ago, an unusual building appeared on the rugged Fife coastline. Tucked between a lighthouse and a harbour, it is just feet away from the shoreline, and takes full advantage of the big sky and the open seas. It is in fact two buildings joined by a glass walkway. With their zinc roofs and timber exteriors, they are reminiscent of the many boathouses dotted along the Scottish coastline, but the similarities end there. ‘We were keen for the house not to stand out when seen from the water or the beach, but to blend into the environment,’ explains David Weir of the holiday home he shares with his wife Tibi and their two children. ‘But we also wanted it to stand alone as a stunning piece of architecture.’
The couple purchased the plot, which is in the seaside town of Elie, in 2011, when it had a Seventies bungalow at the back of the site with a long garden stretching down to the water. ‘Initially, we thought we could alter the existing house, so we called upon architect Wil Tunnell from WT Architecture to help us,’ says David. ‘But we realised that whatever we did to the little house, it would always be a compromise.’
Wil drew up plans for a new house that would sit nearer the water, with two buildings side by side, positioned in a slight arc to draw in the view. Using the beach, harbour walls and boathouses for inspiration, he chose zinc, glass, larch and whitewashed masonry as the materials.
‘It was important that the new design knitted the landscape with the inside of the building,’ says Tibi. ‘We wanted it to be one space visually.’ This has been achieved to great effect. A limestone outdoor terrace links with the polished concrete flooring inside, made more seamless by the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that divide the two spaces. The raised concrete hearth that covers the width of the open-plan living area extends out through the glass wall, to serve as an outdoor bench. Upstairs, the four bedrooms look out over a sedum green roof, bringing the landscape right up to the windows.
Next door, in the bothy, a double-height window floods the playroom and loft bedroom with light. The chipboard-lined walls give the space a warm feel while being reminiscent of the tin-and-timber boathouses on the beach. ‘As this is a holiday home, we wanted to create a beautiful space, but also a practical one that could cope with sandy feet and wetsuits,’ Tibi says. The bothy also allows their children, Saskia, 21, and Theo, 19, to have their own area to enjoy with their friends.
David and Tibi both have strong design backgrounds (he was the director of the Dovecot Tapestry Studio for 17 years; she is currently converting a derelict steading near Tyninghame beach), and so were involved in every aspect of the design and build. This was not the first time they had taken on a large project: previous renovations include converting a toy factory in the Alps into a ski chalet and fitting a glass extension onto a Thirties house in Edinburgh.
‘The house is not just about the design: it’s about how we use the space,’ says Tibi. ‘It has to be as comfortable for two people as it is for 12.’ To achieve this, the couple have decorated the interior simply. A fitted plywood kitchen designed by Tibi and WT Architecture works well with the polished concrete flooring throughout the ground floor. The furniture is hard-wearing, as befits beach living, and the walls are whitewashed. Simple lighting on tracks allows the mood to be set according to the natural light or time of year and a wood-burning stove gives the house a true heart. Upstairs, the four bedrooms are plainly decorated, with bamboo floors and white walls. Everywhere you look, the outside landscape is the focus, as all the windows are positioned to frame the view.
‘In the summer, the doors are slid back to take advantage of the beach,’ says David, ‘but in winter it is equally wonderful to sit inside, warm and comfortable, and watch a storm come up from the south.’
For more information, you can find Wil Tunnell at WT Architecture: 0131-331 2813; wtarchitecture.com. Mid Rock House is also available for holiday rental. midrockhouse.com
Douglas Gibb1/11Kitchen
Utilitarian plywood kitchen units, designed by Tibi and WT Architecture, are topped by slim-profile Corian worktops in contrasting black.
Douglas Gibb2/11Seating area
The coffee table is made from a salvaged ship’s window from Trinity Marine. Cushions soften the concrete ledge that extends outside to create a bench. A minimalistic wood-burning stove works well with the clean lines of the seating area. David and his wife Tibi chose the ‘Stûv 16 Cube 16/58’ model. Available in the UK through BMF, the stove measures 51 x 58 x 46cm and costs from £3,092.
Douglas Gibb3/11Exterior
The south-facing limestone terrace makes the most of the sea views. Zinc and larch cladding on the house and bothy were chosen to blend with the natural environment.
4/11Kitchen
The large open shelves provide a place to display favourite glass and ceramic objects. The bar stools are from Swivel UK.
Douglas Gibb5/11Bothy Bedroom
Fitted beds maximise the space in this room. A small vintage chest of drawers from Den Studio sits neatly against the back wall, together with a folding garden chair from Pedlars.
Douglas Gibb6/11Spare bedroom
The wide window gives a view of the harbour. A simple oak bench from Julian Bowen lines up with the bottom of the window. The sedum-planted roof seen from the upstairs bedrooms gives the effect of the landscape meeting the window. ‘It attracts birds, giving us a wonderful natural widescreen television,’ says owner David Weir. Green roofs can improve drainage and insulation and soften industrial-looking buildings, though the strength of the roof must be checked before installation. Sedum Green Roof grows sedum mats on its Wiltshire farms; from £250 for 5 square metres.
7/11Spare bedroom
White linens and walls make for a clean, modern space, warmed up by the wood flooring. A swing-arm task lamp serves as bedside lighting.
Douglas Gibb8/11Bothy
Used as a hangout space for the Weirs’ children and their friends, the bothy has roughly textured chipboard walls reminiscent of a boathouse interior. The staircase, enclosed by rhomboid-shaped panels, rises from the main room to the sleeping area above. A reconditioned factory pendant light adds to the functional feel.
9/11Bathroom
Grey tiles and white fittings give a functional feel to the bathroom, while blue striped linens add a touch of warmth and texture.
10/11Exterior
A view of the house from the sea.
Douglas Gibb11/11Dining Area
With sliding doors that open out to the sea, the dining area has a large table made from recycled floorboards. It was commissioned from The New Craftsmen two years before building work started on the house. A polished concrete floor runs throughout the ground floor, while wooden stools from Den Studio provide extra seating when needed. Three mouth-blown ‘Mega Bulb’ pendant lights, designed by Sofie Refer, are suspended above the dining table of this house in Fife. With a diameter of 18cm, they cost £139.20 each, from &Tradition. Anthropologie’s large ‘Dhurrie Sofa’ is similar to the one in the seating area, with a neat single seat cushion, woven cotton/wool upholstery and mango wood legs. It measures 77.5 x 256.4 x 81.3cm and costs £1,600.
