Shingle House

Built for a painter and barely changed since, the house is one storey of tarred timber over a concrete slab. A 14-metre living room runs along the seaward side, with four bedrooms behind and a studio at the eastern end that catches the first light.

The original joinery, cork floors and built-in shelving survive throughout. A recent renovation added insulation, triple glazing and an air-source heat pump without altering the plan.

The setting

The shingle runs to the water on one side and to open marsh on the other. The village pub is a ten-minute walk, and trains from Ashford reach London in under forty minutes.