Turning THE TIDE

A run-down former boathouse has been artfully transformed by painter and author, Miranda Gardiner, into a cosy hideaway that embraces its coastal location

- FEATURE ALI HEATH PHOTOGRAPHS BRENT DARBY/LIVING INSIDE

There are many characteristics that make the idea of a simple waterside beach shack so universally appealing. It's a place where characterful imperfections and a sense of pared-down scale are welcomed; nature and outdoor adventure celebrated; and the simplicity of old-fashioned creature comforts enjoyed to the full. Bowcombe Boathouse, which overlooks the KingsbridgeSalcombe Estuary, embodies all that is good about the seaside shack and, as our coastlines fill with more contemporary glass structures, the desire to preserve these traditional builds has become ever more important.

Despite looking as if it has always existed as a holiday retreat, the one-bedroom boathouse belonging to artist Miranda Gardiner and her husband, Diggory, was in fact a former storage shed for a Salcombe Yawl - a locally handcrafted wooden boat. 'The shed was no longer in active use and had been left to deteriorate. We bought it at auction in 2014 and slowly restored it over the next five years,' says Miranda.