RATHGOWRY, GYLLYNGVASE, FALMOUTH

Pure vintage, beachside Falmouth. Originally the summer residence of Mr Cadbury the chocolate king. Being a stone’s throw from the beach it was also run as a B&B for many years. When the new owners took it on in 2017 they converted the house back to a spacious residential family home but have retained its potential as a commercial asset by running management consultancy courses where clients can be entertained and trained in an informal and beautiful setting.

Brief:

Previously laid to tarmac around the front and side to maximise parking, the back garden was an awkward unusable space squashed between an annex and the main house. The brief was to create gardens to suit the needs of the owners’ large family and to give them a flexible space to entertain.

Solution:

Our main inspiration on this site was the incredible sub tropical flora that Falmouth seafront has established over the years. With southerly sea views we wanted to blend the garden with its setting whilst creating the entertainment space required. We chose simple, hard landscaping materials, sympathetic to the locale: granite Cornish hedges and walls are framed with a European style, fan patterned granite set driveway. The courtyards are laid with warm toned, Italian porcelain, providing a Mediterranean sea front element and lifting the light, especially in the evenings. Seaside eccentricity was added with a chequerboard patio – a nod to the original black and white tile pattern on the porch. The gem shaped, faceted front lawn gives some formality to a backdrop of lush coastal planting.

Outcome:

The owners were trusting and open to allow us to drive the vision and now have a totally unique property surrounded by plant rich, coherent landscaping that serves their needs for business and pleasure. “My experience of dealing with Iron Orchid has been completely enjoyable – I felt part of the design process, they listened carefully to what we wanted to achieve and took our somewhat vague concept and turned our gardens into a wonderful place to be.”  Jonathan, Rathgowry.