From historical harbourside home to haven for family getaways

Nestled on the edge of Mousehole harbour, this unique holiday home blends fascinating history with fun, family-oriented features. A historical harbourside landmark built in the 1850s, this impressive coastal abode has been thoughtfully redesigned to include an abundance of unique attributes. 

Now the perfect balance of old and new, Wharf House has been transformed into a luxury home, whilst maintaining many original features, and incorporating glimpses of the property's captivating past. Here, owner Arabella Sargent shares the story of the property's evolution, its intriguing history, and the stand-out features that make it a sought-after family holiday home. 

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What are your connections to Mousehole and how long have you owned Wharf House? 

Wharf House has been in my family for five decades. My grandparents bought the property in the 1970s, to rent as a holiday home. As a child, Mousehole became my family's summer holiday destination; we stayed there for three weeks each summer, until my grandparents retired there in the late 1980s.

The majority of my childhood was spent in London, so those weeks spent in Mousehole are treasured memories. Wharf House is just a few paces from the beach, so our parents could watch us playing from the comfort of the window seats. We would all catch fish and lobsters from our boat, go surfing and have lots of fun together. My husband Oli and I bought the house around six years ago and it’s been wonderful to create fond memories with our own children, in a place that’s so close to my heart. 

Wharf House has so many stories to tell...the property really is steeped in history.

The re-design incorporates many glimpses into the property’s past. Can you share a little bit about the property's fascinating history and its many lives?

Wharf House has so many stories to tell. I know that Wharf House, although an 1850s property, was built later than many of the buildings around the harbour. As far as I know, the original house was built as offices, which were used during the building of the harbour wall. Following this, the bunk room downstairs was used as a "shark office", from which shark fishing trips on the Talisman boat were booked - the doors opened out onto the Wharf to serve customers. 

Where the TV Room and Lookout are now, there used to be one long room with a sloping floor, perfect for storing the long masts and nets for fishing. Later, this room became the carpenter’s workshop and, interestingly, the Lego coffee table upstairs was made from the carpenter's work bench.

Another fascinating part of the home's history was when, during the First World War, a transatlantic cable ran underneath the property, connecting the UK to the US for the first time. The cable is now framed on the wall in bedroom three, and has a plaque dedicated to it on the quay in Mousehole. 

One of the most surprising findings during the renovation was when we uncovered several large tanks under concrete in the garden, presumed to be fish tanks used for storing pilchards. The property really is steeped in history - even the bright yellow paint choices in the mezzanine allude to when daffodils and bulbs were once stored in the roof space!

What overall style did you have in mind in the beginning and how did this evolve as the project took shape?

Overall, we wanted Wharf House to be different to other coastal holiday homes, in the sense that we didn’t just want boats and seashells everywhere – we wanted it to be unique, with subtle glimpses of the property’s past. We had a few preferences of colours and materials, but other than that, we were happy to go along with Woodford's suggestions.

Some photographs taken before and during the renovation

Our aim was not to elevate the house beyond what it was, but rather to restore its presence as a piece of the harbour.

Can you share some more details about the creative vision, design process and working with Woodford Architects and Marnick Builders?

Woodford Architects were recommended by Perfect Stays. We liked the fact that they were local to the area and the other projects on their website looked stunning. My husband Oli likes to make quick decisions, so we decided to go with the recommendation, and we are very pleased with the results; they have been wonderful to work with.

Where the living space is now, there used to be two bedrooms and a sitting room, but Oli was keen on having a large, open-plan living space, so we focused on this, rather than trying to cram too much in. We also opened a roof that wasn’t open before to create the mezzanine, to make the property even more spacious.

Woodford were keen to incorporate vibrant colours into the designs, which we liked because we wanted the house to be welcoming and joyful. We were happy for them to follow their creative vision, as long as they integrated the original features that we wanted to keep. Woodford Architects commented: "Our aim was not to elevate the house beyond what it was, but rather to restore its presence as a piece of the harbour."
During the build, we weren’t very hands-on, and only travelled down to Cornwall a handful of times, but we could trust the builders to get on with things in our absence.

Can you tell us about your inspiration for the interior design and which of the original features you wanted to keep?

We always kept the original house in mind during the design stages. We knew we wanted to keep the window seats and the bunk beds, partly because of the history of the property and partly because of my own childhood memories. 

We were certain that we wanted to put the bookshelves and the niche collection of books back into the home: this is deeply nostalgic for me but also adds character and intrigue. Many of the books belonged to my grandparents so, on the shelves you’ll find my grandad's books about Ancient Greece and books in other languages, mixed in with my granny's collection of books about woodwork, crafts and fishing. It’s certainly an eclectic collection of books! 

Another favourite original feature we kept is the postcard loo. One of my favourite rooms as a child, you can still find the postcard loo on the first floor, with a feature wall displaying granny’s postcard collection.

It was impossible to imagine at the beginning that it could be transformed into such a spacious, sociable living space. 

Which part of the house were you most excited to transform?

The whole of the downstairs was very dark, damp and gloomy when we bought the house. It was a huge mission to make the downstairs rooms more hospitable!

It was also so exciting to see the open-plan living space take shape. It was impossible to imagine at the beginning that it could be transformed into such a spacious, sociable living space. 

Left: the original sitting room
Right: the transformed open-plan living space

There are so many joyful elements which help to bring the home to life. What inspired you to include fun features, like the slide and the rope swing mezzanine?

Our children were still quite young when we first started the project, so we kept them in mind during the design stages. We wanted to incorporate some fun elements because I have so many lovely childhood memories at the house and wanted my own family, and others, to enjoy the house in the same way. Woodford suggested constructing a soft play den, but we opted for the slide and the rope swing.

As our children were fast approaching their teenage years, we also wanted to include breakout rooms and spaces for them to relax. It really was built with families in mind.

What sort of challenges did you encounter along the way?

One of the biggest challenges was keeping everyone happy because, as the property has been in the family for so long, everyone was very invested in it and had their own opinions. In addition to this, my grandparents were locals and had connections in the village, so we wanted to make sure we kept the local community happy too.

The house was very run down before we purchased it – there was even a hole in the roof! Therefore, we were confident we could improve the overall outlook of the harbour with the renovation. As Wharf House is a listed building, we knew we wouldn’t be changing anything else externally.

The roof itself was a challenge to fix, as we could only use Cornish slate, which proved difficult to source. Once it was done, the exterior of the property and the harbour looked so much better. The damp areas where we found tanks and the general dampness and gloominess of the downstairs rooms brought a few challenges too.

Now the renovation is complete, do you have a favourite room in the house? What makes it special?

The living space is my favourite area because the transformation has been so huge. I adore the window seats because they are such a sentimental part of the house for me; I spent so much time there as a child, watching the activity on the harbour.

I was also very pleased with the enhancements to the garden: it was previously just grass and concrete, now we love the al-fresco dining space, sauna and outdoor baths. It’s great that it’s such a suntrap and very private; it’s a wonderful space to relax in.

Which part of the build are you especially proud of?

It’s difficult to choose just one thing; the property has been so beautifully finished. It’s very cohesive. It was impossible to imagine before the renovation just how incredible it would look.

One personal favourite is the stripey ceiling, which nearly didn’t go ahead because it’s so wonky that it was very tricky to paint on! I’m glad I persuaded the team to persevere as it adds a subtle coastal element to the room and looks great.

Which places in Mousehole and the local area would you recommend that guests visit?

For dining, we would recommend 2 Fore Street in Mousehole and the deli nearby for breakfast and coffee. We enjoy walking along the coastal path to Lamorna and back across the fields, or beach days at Sennen and Gwynver. The children have always loved surfing and windsurfing when we're in Cornwall.

Porthchapel Beach, near Porthcurno, is worth the steep climb down if you’re looking for a secluded beach. For families, we recommend visiting St Michael’s Mount, Geevor Mine, and the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.

When is your favourite time of year to visit Wharf House and Mousehole?

Of course, we love visiting during the summer as this is when I spent three weeks in Mousehole each year as a child. May is also a lovely month to visit for coastal walks and wildflowers – Cornwall comes to life in the spring.

October is a great time of year for surfing and windsurfing because you usually get the best waves of the year. Christmas is a magical time for a visit too, with the twinkling harbour lights, enchanting celebrations on Tom Bawcocks Eve and fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

Do you have any advice for somebody embarking on a similar project?

I would say that it’s important to make sure you have a strong vision of what you want to achieve, then stick to it. Of course, you also need to be a bit flexible where necessary, but it’s good to have that clear vision before the project begins. It’s vital to be clear on the finer details, especially if you will be quite hands-off and not living nearby.

I had to learn to get better at saying no if I wanted something to be changed; I had to become confident in my decisions and on sticking to them. For example, if I disagreed with a colour I would speak up. One of the shades of yellow I initially approved for some of the cupboards doors didn’t turn out as expected, so I asked for it to be changed. We also knew which of the original features we wanted to keep, so we made sure that this was clearly expressed.

We are exceptionally pleased with the transformation of Wharf House.

What made you choose Perfect Stays to represent Wharf House?

We had a conversation with Perfect Stays soon after buying the property and felt that the team were very helpful in explaining some of the things we knew little about.

We were also pleased we were able to block the property out for personal stays during the summer months, whereas some other companies insist you open the property up for bookings during the school holidays.

We are exceptionally pleased with the transformation of Wharf House. It is now an incredible holiday home that’s perfect for large families or groups of adults.

If you're inspired by Arabella and Oli’s renovation journey and looking to take on a project of your own, speak with our Portfolio team. We can recommend trusted local suppliers, offer tailored advice about layout and design, and give you an idea of the rental income your property could achieve on our portfolio. You can read our owner testimnonials here or get in touch today: call 01208 895 570 or email owners@perfectstays.co.uk.

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Image credits: Images of Wharf House mid-build provided by the property owner | All other images are our own.