Ince Castle

Property daydreaming is a very big part of my life, I can spend hours scrolling through houses online, pining after magnificent homes and thinking of how I would use the space myself. So of course when Rightmove posted a listing for a castle, I just had to take a look, and what a charming castle I found.

An Exterior Shot of Ince Castle

Ince Castle is not your typical castle, for starters its more of a manor house, but retains the grandly name, and in my opinion is quite deserving of its title. Originally built in the 14^th Century in Saltash, Cornwall, Ince Castle was then re-built in 1642 for Henry Killigrew, and just like any good castle, it’s full of drama. The local myth is that Killigrew supposedly had four wives, each kept in their own tower of the castle, completely unaware of one another; true or not a little bit of salacious history just adds to the fun of it all.

The house sits on an almost island surrounded by the river Lynher, a picturesque setting for such a beautiful home. With acres of fields surrounding the property, and several other smaller cottages that come with the purchases on the almost island, it’s pretty much your own personal, private heaven.

A Birdseye View of the Castle and River Lynher

The castle has been whittled through many owners, however after years of being sold to farmers, primarily for the land, the house fell into disrepair. By 1960 it was owned by Patricia Viscountess Boyd, who unfortunately had to rebuild the house in 1988 after a fire broke out, supposedly as a result of Boyd leaving lit cigarettes around the house. For a house that seems to have been poked and prodded, burnt down or rebuilt every 100 years or so, there is still a gracefulness to the property that maintains its original authenticity.

The Library at Ince Castle

The library is a beautiful whimsy of colours and pattern clashes that always seem unattainable when attempting it yourself. From the blue wallpaper, boisterous carpet and even the books all seem talk loudly but fit together nonetheless. I especially love the vibrant blue ottoman and the portrait centrepiece.

The Entryway at Ince Castle

The entryway boasts an enviable amount of space, with a spiral staircase and wooden front doors that sneak a peek to the greenery outside. The drawing room is full to the brim with sofas and chairs in an array of textiles and fabrics; my favourites are the button-back green velvet numbers with the fun seat fringing, as well as the beautiful ornate dining chairs in the forefront of the image with a fun patchwork seat that shouldn’t work with the traditionally carved backs, but just does.

The Drawing Room at Ince Castle

There is a complete decadency to the dining room, from the lavish mantelpiece and the accompany mirror, to the rug full of pastel colours and ageing patterns.

The Dining Room at Ince Castle

The rug in this reception room is a beautiful, beautiful thing; the pattern for a start, and to quickly follow are the colours, peach pinks, midnight blue, green blues, it’s simply stunning.

Squirrel Hall at Ince Castle

The Billiard Room at Ince Castle

In every room there’s a little bit of detailing that is completely charming, like in the billiard room the velvet fringed hanging light over the table is just the perfect sort of slightly dated, but too fun to get rid of feature that I would definitely find myself keeping and using as the centrepiece for the room.

The castle has 13 bedrooms, unfortunately the listing shows just two of them. The first one is absolutely glorious, perfectly delicate and glamorous. The wallpaper is stunning, I especially love that it’s been featured on the ceiling as well.

A Bedroom at Ince Castle

A Jib Door in a Bedrom at Ince Castle via Country Life

Another Bedroom at Ince Castle

The second bedroom is reminiscent of a stately home, with four poster bed draped in fabric, the floor covered in little rugs and a lighthearted floral wallpaper.

View of the Pool at Ince Castle

On the outside, not only do you get a glimpse of the spectacular view, but the pool, which is nothing specially bar the rather interesting spiked pillars donning each corner, which adds a little dramatic flair to the poolside view.

If you have a cool £7 million to spare, Ince Castle is as close to owning your own island as you might get in the UK. Filled with character and history, it’s a dramatic backdrop that just calling out your name.

 

For more information, visit Rightmove, or Knight Frank

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Playing Dress Up

Having an area to dress in that is organised, clutter-free and tailored just for you can work wonders for putting you at ease and allowing to get dressed without a care in the world.  Whether you have an entire room at your disposal or only a small corner there is much to be said for bringing organisation to your dressing area.

When it comes to a bedroom the most important piece of furniture is of course the bed, and sometimes other pieces in the room are forgotten about or paid less attention to then our heavenly beds. If you can, using another room to house your clothes is the ideal solution to not only creating a clutter-free dressing area but a clutter-free bedroom as well.

If you love fashion and have enough clothes to rival a shop, dedicated a room for your clothes is the best way to organised and store them, so you won’t be constantly searching for that item you can never seem to find.

‘Classic Interior in Platinum’ from Elfa

The Swedish storage company, Elfa, are a great choice if you want to create a large dressing area without breaking the bank! Their designs allow you to create customised storage areas that can work in any space, be it a whole room a just a wall.

‘Décor Interior in Birch’ from Elfa

If you can’t spare a whole room in your house, there are loads of other ways to store your clothes in a stylish manner that won’t take up too much room. This beautiful, crisply designed wardrobe from Ercol has a chameleon-like style, and can be adapted to different design schemes, so it’s perfect if you haven’t decided on your favourite style yet, or are forever changing your mind. It’s a beautiful blank canvas piece of furniture that can be altered with different types of home accessories.

‘Devon Wardrobe’ from Ercol

This contemporary design from TwentyTwentyOne is a great way to a display your clothes and would look amazing integrated into a minimalist or industrial style home.

‘Tra-ra Wardrobe’ from TwentyTwentyOne

Though they may be functional, chest of drawers are a lovely way to show off your style and can be a stunning statement piece. Investing in a well-designed, durable piece can be the perfect solution to a dressing area problem. Julian Chichester has some absolutely stunning designs that are a wonderful combination of contemporary and glamourous. I love this Bow Chest style chest of drawers, its marbled effect gives the lovely hint of glamour without being over the top.

‘Balthazar Chest’ from Julian Chichester

For a design that will never go out of style, an elegant piece like this Chest from Bolier is a beautiful statement piece and will make a bold presence in a room with it’s classic, timeless design.

‘Rosenau Biedermeier Tiered Chest’ from Bolier

As well as having the perfect staple wardrobe for your staple wardrobe, just like in fashion accessories are key for any dressing area and can really help to optimise a space.

Using a room partition can help create a separate dressing area within a bedroom, and though room partitions are usually found in vintage and retro-glamour styles there are alternatives out there if you’re looking for something with a more contemporary feel to it. I love this fun design from Houseology that would look amazing in a modern home!

‘Moooi Paper Screen Patchwork’ from Houseology

If you do have the extra space to play around with, investing in some decorative, but practical additions to a dressing area are the perfect way for your style to transpire. I absolutely love the vintage look of this gloriously glamourous trunk from Houseology. Even if vintage isn’t necessarily your preferred taste, a classic piece like this can work with just about anything and is something that you’d be able to keep for generations!

‘Authentic Model Stateroom Armoire in Black’ from Houseology

For something a little more in-line with laid-back, contemporary glamour, or perhaps something to work with a unisex dressing area, a piece like this cabinet from Retrouvius is just the ticket. Its beautiful leather exterior is subtle style at its best.

‘Leather/ Shoe Cabinet’ from Retrouvius

Most women tend to acquire a lot of jewellery overs the years, whether its items you’ve bought or special pieces that have been passed down through the family. Storing jewellery isn’t just about organisation, it’s about displaying your treasured pieces in a beautiful way (that’ll also make you remember to wear them!)

‘Glass Trinket Boxes’ from Graham and Green

I love these glass boxes from Graham and Green, they’re a beautiful, delicate way to present your pieces and their subtle design means they’ll display your jewellery without trying to steal focus from your favourite pieces!

For something a little smaller, this imaginative Guppy Ring Dish design from Anthropologie puts the fun in functional and is the ideal accessory for those who love something a little different.

‘Gulping Guppy Ring Dish’ from Anthropologie

So whatever space you have to work creating a beautiful and functional storage for your clothes will hopefully mean never having a wardrobe malfunction again!

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