Grand, Light-Filled Spaces in a Gothic-Style English Coastal Home
This beautiful double-fronted Victorian house stands on a large plot facing the sea in the English town of St. Leonards on Sea. The house was built around 1830 in Gothic and Tudor Revival style. The house was designed by James Burton and his son Decimus, who developed the coastal town in the 19th century.
Set on a generous corner plot with views across St Leonards Gardens and out toward the distant sweep of the sea, the villa spans nearly 2,950 sq ft. Six bedrooms, three storeys, and a series of expansive rooms celebrate Victorian proportions, elevated by the softness of coastal light and the calming palette of natural lime plaster and earthy, muted tones.
A glazed timber door gives access to a large hallway with living spaces on either side. The entire floor features exposed wooden floorboards and light lime plaster walls.
Double doors in the hall lead to the living room, which has floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a fireplace, a large west-facing bay window with panelled box shutters, and timber French doors that open into the garden.
Beautiful timber glass doors lead to the kitchen and dining area on the other side of the hall.
A large Carrara marble-topped Bulthaup island with a breakfast bar overhang stands in the centre of the kitchen. The white cabinets are from Boffi, paired with honed black marble.
The spacious room is wonderfully bright and the bay window lends itself perfectly for a round dining table.
This room is the heart of the home. Here, you can cook, socialize, and dine. A beautiful marble fireplace sits in the center of the room.
The first-floor landing features a fireplace and a built-in reading alcove by a canted bay window.
On the first floor are three grand bedrooms and two bathrooms. Each bedroom has high-pitched ceilings with exposed wooden beams, elevated views, exposed timber beams, and original casement windows with drip mould.
The master bedroom features a freestanding bath with brass and porcelain handles. The window offers a charming view of the sea.
The family bathroom has a freestanding bathtub and a walk-in shower. The room is fitted with carefully sourced pieces, including an antique white washstand and an ornate vanity below the porcelain sink.
The lower ground floor of the house has been transformed into a private apartment with its own entrance.
The open-plan kitchen and dining room is fitted with bespoke Plain English white cabinets and a Carrara marble worktop. Beautiful, historic flagstones lie underfoot.
The apartment also has a living room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom with marble tiles and period-informed elements.
The walled garden is designed in a park-like style. It features mature trees, plants, and shrubbery interspersed with raised areas that offer a beautiful view of the surroundings.
Stuccoed walls, delicate gothic bargeboards, and a charming niche beneath the eaves soften the villa’s double-fronted façade. A casement bay window projects gently from the upper floor, echoing the veranda’s calm welcome below, where a tiled roof is supported by simple wooden posts.
The house is listed for £1,350,000 at Inigo.