Photography by Tori Hancock.
In a clearing set deep in a protected woodland, yet only a short scamper up from West Runton beach in north Norfolk, stands Blackwood, an immaculate renovation project that has given its creator, Sarah Morton, a third career and connected her to an entirely new creative community.
“The project became a release for me. It gave me a break from doing the housework and the cooking and making sure everyone else was okay. Whenever I could, I would take myself off and get totally absorbed in my research.”
Pre-lockdown, the family had moved from Hertfordshire to the Norfolk coast: a “wild card” decision that deliberately “shook up their lives.” Properties were hard to come by, so they had opted for a two-acre plot with a 1950s dormer bungalow and a series of outbuildings.
Photograph by Brent Darby.
The exterior of Blackwood. When friends and family weren’t in residence, they would rent the space through Airbnb. Gradually, as her mood board expanded, so too did her ambition for the pale yellow garage.
The only way I could justify that financially was if we made it work for us all year round.
The entrance at Blackwood, which takes its name from the charred Accoya in which it’s clad.
After
The covered porch and boot room were the only structural changes Sarah made to the former garage. It came quite late in the day, so we had to reapply for planning, wait six weeks, and increase the budget by £20,000, but I am so glad we did it.
An archway leads visitors into the hallway and open-plan kitchen/living/dining area. On the wall is a custom made oak shelving unit by the Galvin Brothers.
The kitchen is fitted with solid beech cabinetry by Sebastian Cox for deVol.
The kitchen is equipped with hand-crafted homeware, including chopping boards by Arbor.
The kitchen flows into the dining and living area. The dining chairs are from Garden Trading; the seat cushions are from Tensira.
The sofa is by Tine K and was sourced by Sarah via Design Vintage; the mattress and striped cushions are from Tensira; the plain linen cushions are from Molle.
The open-plan living area with views of the nearby woodland.
The raised micro-cement fireplace makes this a cabin for all seasons. Large sliding doors connect the living area to the outdoor decking area.
The generous layout of the former garage enabled Sarah to create a ground-floor bedroom and bathroom in addition to the two en-suites upstairs.
A deep tub in the simple ground-floor bathroom.
The simple micro-cemented bathroom is softened with natural accessories.
Upstairs are two spacious en-suites.
The rattan and wooden armchairs in the main bedroom are from Urban Outfitters.
A naturally lit dressing nook in the main bedroom with bespoke cupboards and a Galvin Brothers stool.
The second upstairs bedroom is also an en-suite.
More microcement and a rust-colored rug by Pampa.
“Thanks to Pinterest and Instagram, I was also inspired by some of the properties around Byron Bay in Australia.”
The cabin is surrounded by protected woodland.
The fire pit, which has been replicated “at least seven times” by guests who have stayed at Blackwood.
Before
In two short years, the success of Blackwood has spurred Sarah on to the next creative endeavor: an online shop which will launch this autumn.