Life Meets Style

Cornwall is a place of outstanding natural beauty with a coveted way of life. Rachael Bryant explores how combining these traits creates stunning homes with Paul and Helen Stephens, founders of Stephens + Stephen

Life and style are two separate words with their own distinct meaning. Put together, they also marry brilliantly and symbiotically - enhancing, strengthening, and complementing each other in every way. This mirrors the personal and professional working relationship, marriage and ongoing meeting of minds and skills for Paul and Helen, the couple behind luxury development brand, Stephens + Stephens. This cohesive partnership takes great pride in designing buildings, interiors and surrounding spaces with architectural and style-driven longevity front of mind.

Creative Director of Stephens + Stephens and sister graphic and interiors studio, Absolute, Helen Stephens says: “Although we are evolving our work outside of the county, Cornwall will always be our literal and business birthplace and the place we honed our Stephens + Stephens’ DNA. Cornwall has its own enigmatic ‘superpower’, a sense of magic and wonder. It’s a market leader destination in so many ways. Each of our developments here has a different personality, a distinct style that is fitting to the unique location in which it is based and where you can ultimately maximize life. We are delighted to bring our stunning, coastal properties to the market with the optimum best of home, location and destination mix for our buyers.”

One example of this ethos in practice is a Mykonos inspired project atop a Cornish cliff edge. Crafted for ‘blue mind’ living, Cliff Edge is a collection of 39 cutting-edge, luxury one, two and three bedroomed cliff-side apartments,35 of which command panoramic sea views over the stunning Tolcarne Beach in Newquay and out onto the Atlantic and north coast beyond. Fully glazed patio doors lead onto balconies for all apartments, so sunrises, sunsets and stargazing come as standard.

The aspirational apartments have been masterminded by Absolute, ensuring bright, light and airy finishes. Taking their inspiration from the classic whitewashed Cycladic interior style typical of the contemporary Mediterranean, Mykonos or Ibiza, each provides a new world luxurious sophistication, blending architectural design and bespoke interiors styling.

With another recent project, the team bought a sense of eastern promise to Seaton.

Situated in an area dubbed ‘Cornwall’s forgotten corner’, on the quieter south coastline, hidden-gem Seaton is known for its calmer sheltered waters, wild and wonderful landscapes, and boundless opportunities for leisure.

And now, brand new for 2022, Southshore provides the ultimate opportunity for escapism as well as a new level of luxury and glamour.

Southshore is a stunning new development of 10, four-bedroomed detached houses in close proximity to the shingle sands of Cornwall’s Seaton beach. Perched in an elevated hillside spot near the shoreside with sparkling sea glimpses, the homes highlight the best of south coast living.

Taking full advantage of the sprawling countryside setting in which they are based, stunning streamlined architecture gives a James Bond or Marvel superhero home feel. Vast floor to ceiling glass frontage enables the natural light to come streaming into the spacious open plan living spaces, which provide ample breathing space and playing or lounging areas.

Looking to the future, Stephens + Stephens are working on a development in the heart of Cornwall’s north coast.

The headland of Pentire Point sits to the west of Newquay as its own destination. Situated at the ‘gateway’ to the Pentire Headland, the setting of the landmark building that will become One Pentire offers a joyous expanse of surrounding nature.

Ready for occupation in 2023, One Pentire will offer 74 spacious apartments, including 9 penthouses, and 65 1, 2 and3 bed apartments, underground parking for all apartments with lift access to each floor. Architecturally striking, One Pentire will be crafted out of striking Cornish stone gabion walls with exteriors that have been thoughtfully designed to be responsive to the surrounding setting, climate and topography. For moments of calm contemplation or reflection, the luscious, landscaped gated gardens will be an oasis.

One Pentire also offers the contemporary lifestyle benefits of independent retailers based on the bottom floor. These will include a wine bar and bottle shop, a tapas restaurant masterminded by a leading local chef, a surf apparel store and a healthy juice bar and convenience store for life’s essentials.

The resultant styling takes inspiration from the stunning, natural colour palette of the wild Pentire headland, with pantone shades traversing greens, greys, teals and sandy yellows as an accent, inspired by the layers of sandy, stony textures and natural grasses that abound on the nearby headland.

www.stephensandstephensdevelopers.com