Chapel House, Penzance

Inside the former arts club, Susan Stuart has transformed the listed Georgian house into quiet and considered retreat. 

Located on Chapel Street, a street which is a pocket of small boutiques strangely reminiscent of those on Colombia Road; such as the Cornish Barn and no.56 home-wares store in an otherwise hardy Cornish town. The entrance is straight off the street immediately immersing you in what is a curious mix of being welcomed into someone’s home and that of an antiques museum.

The house is a beautiful Grade II-listed Georgian property with three floors and a large basement. The interiors are clean and white and well lit, populated with a mix of Georgian and modernist furniture and art work from from local artists of the Newlyn school of Art. The six rooms have their own individual style. I was adamant on staying in Room Two after seeing the Ercol chairs around the window, but it was only after taking a tour around the house that you could experience each room’s uniqueness and the quality of light in the modernist top floor spaces. One of my favourite details on the third floor, apart from the light filled landing, was a bathroom in which you could pull back the glazing to bathe in the fresh Cornish air. One of many details within this inspiring place which celebrates it rich history infused by the quality of light from the contemporary detailing.