"We could have bought this cottage years ago for only £9,000 but we missed out!" says Robert. "Finally, we got around to buying the cottage in 2002 but we had to pay a great deal more for it!" The Curetons' cottage sits opposite the village pub which the couple run, so Sally thought it would make a perfect project for her to work on during quiet moments in the day.
The sweet exterior of the cottage belies the elegance of its inside decor. Sally has completely rethought the layout to make as much use of the space as possible. "I wanted to keep the features of the old cottage, but also experiment with a more contemporary flavour."
Having made the cottage as open as possible, there were certain structural obstacles which simply couldn't go away. Door heights were unchangeable as the building is listed but a happy compromise are the hand-painted warnings around the house which advise you when you are about to hit your head! The above article was published in Real Homes Magazine,
November 2003.
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In
April 2002, Sally and Robert Cureton bought an idyllic cottage five minutes from the sea
at Llandudno in the small village of Glanwydden. The couple have kept the traditional
appeal of their Hansel and Gretel-style cottage but have added
some comfortable finishing touches which makes it ideal for romantic weekend breaks. The 
The property is more than two hundred years old and
used to house the village bakery in the single-storey cottage in
the garden - now used as a utility room. The gravelled patio at the
end of the cottage is an ideal place to sit and relax with a morning
coffee. 
Sally realised that the renovated cottage would make
the perfect holiday home. "I believe when people take a holiday,
they want to have a little luxury," she says. With this in mind,
she set about designing a surprising interior for the cottage. 
There were restrictions on what the couple could
do to the interior imposed by the cottage's Grade-Two-listed status. "My
plan for the cottage rested on being allowed to swap around the sitting
room and kitchen," she recalls. The old sitting room was too
tiny to relax in and she knew that the former kitchen could be a
lovely room. "Once 
Keeping the décor simple and uncluttered,
Sally was still keen to have a striking feature in the main living
space. The colour theme was inspired by two chairs which were moved
into the cottage from the main house. "We couldn't afford to
buy everything new and had to make do with what we had," she
explains. Because the chairs are quite elegant she wanted to continue
the theme. She found a huge, gold-framed mirror at a local antiques
centre but it took a while before she took the plunge and asked for
it to be delivered to the cottage. Although an expensive acquisition,
the mirror takes pride of place on the living-room wall and creates
the illusion of space in this small room. 
Sally was fortunate when it came to finding the right
joiner - between the two of them they designed the wavy banisters
which add a contemporary look to the landing but make the stairs
safer to use than when they were left open.
Despite the fact that the kitchen is quite small,
Sally maintained that it should still look elegant. She chose a fitted
kitchen to maximise the space and has even managed to fit in a small
dishwasher! Meanwhile Mark sanded the kitchen floor to reveal the
stunning original floorboards which were then stained. The dining
area was given a cosy feel using bold black and white check fabric
to make a drape over the window and seat cushions for the oak chairs. 
Sally wanted the bathroom to be spacious and uncluttered.
A skylight floods the room with light, enhancing the spotted, sand-coloured
marble tiles. "I'd seen tiles like this in Greek bathrooms and
knew it was the look I wanted," she recalls.
When it came to decorating the bedroom, Sally insisted
on having a large bed! "I wanted a king-size bed as it's important
to be comfortable." She has emphasised the height of the ceiling
with an elegant canopy above the bed and maintained the look of uncluttered
simplicity with plain bed linen and accessories. Furniture has been
kept to a
minimum in both the bedroom and the dressing room, which can also be used as
a guest room. A real sense of indulgence and luxury has been created in these
two small rooms. 
