A coastal house in Cornwall with pure, light-filled interiors by Maron Lichtig

The zinc-topped coffee table in the drawing room is from The Conran Shop; Marion Lichtig designed the sofa beyond it, in a simple style to contrast with the antique furniture.

Paul Massey

A walk through the house reveals it has a brilliantly planned layout that really works. On the ground floor there is a hall, kitchen/dining room, drawing room, family room, boot room and cloakroom, while upstairs there are five en-suite bedrooms. The large kitchen is the owner's favourite room. “It is fantastic for entertaining and is simple without feeling cold,” she says. Marion chose a Bulthaup kitchen and teamed it with a custom-made table built from the same Dinesen floorboards. “It is actually two tables, which gives flexibility for entertaining,” she says. The bathrooms are deliberately streamlined, in wood or Italian limestone.

Marion covered a nineteenth-century sofa (below) and a Georgian armchair (here) in rough vintage linen; the diamond-pattern rug is from Gallery Yacou in the Fulham Road.

Paul Massey

Paul Massey

Marion has worked as an interior designer for more than 25 years and prior to that studied fashion at what is now Central Saint Martins. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of fabrics and a fondness for natural fibres. Early on, she bought armfuls of French vintage linen sheets, some of which were made into curtains, others into quilts and throws. She had one splurge in the main bedroom, where there are curtains in a glamorous silk from Tissus d'Hélène. “I enjoy that juxtaposition of a simple curtain style teamed with grand fabric,” she says. Decorative details are subtle. Marion’s characteristically muted palette – bone white to oatmeal – works perfectly with the Cornish light. Walls are painted throughout in ‘Quiet White’ from Papers and Paints – “My secret weapon”, confides Marion – with ceilings in a brilliant white. “That contrast gives a visual break,” she says.

The tables in the kitchen were made to Marion's design using the same Dinesen timber that was used for the flooring; the chairs are 'Eames DSW'.

Paul Massey

Once the clients were ready to move in, the house was furnished in a trice. “Before I met Marion, I always wanted modern things,” the owner says. “She showed me that mixing antique and modern gives softness and depth.” The drawing room has a delightful combination of periods and silhouettes. One gently sloping Georgian armchair has been upholstered in vintage linen. “That was one of the ‘must have’ buys,” says Marion. So too was the scallop backed nineteenth-century chair, “because it reminded me of the sea.” As a neat contrast, the sofa is linear, designed by Marion and custom-made. “Design isn’t just about choosing fabrics,” she says. “It is also about movement and atmosphere, and everything working in the right space.”

A double set of french windows opens on to the terrace.

Paul Massey

When it came to certain details, however, Marion took her time. Originally, the drawing room curtains were made up in sheer linen. “But they didn’t drape properly, so we took them down and had them lined,” she says. Ever the perfectionist, she also had the nineteenth-century hall sofa reupholstered a second time, after the specified leather looked “hideous”. Above all, it is the owner who appreciates her attention to detail. “Marion is good at telling you when not to buy,” she says. “Then she takes care to find the right things.” For a holiday home that will be revisited time and time again, this quiet patience has certainly paid off. “It is simple, practical and comfortable,” concludes Marion. “My client wanted the house to be full of family and friends. And it is.”

marionlichtig.com | mackenziewheeler.co.uk | Marion Lichtig is a member of The List by House & Garden, our essential directory of design professionals. Find her profile here.