Meet eight of Cornwall's best interior designers

Discover the designers behind Cornwall’s luxury holiday homes

Whether it’s timeless coastal, classic contemporary or laid back Scandi, innovative interior design can lift a property from ordinary to extraordinary. Curated and bespoke, each design is brought to life by careful consideration and outstanding originality. To discover the process behind their styling, we spoke to eight of Cornwall’s most prestigious interior designers about their inspirations, sourcing and concepts.

Thirty Stories

© John Hersey (left and right) and Thirty Stories (centre)

Style: Traditional and contemporary

Known for their layered styling, eye for detail and expertise in luxury design, Thirty Stories is a new interior design company, established in 2024. Founded by Frankie Pritchard and Indie Robinson, their approach centres around creating unique, carefully crafted interiors that balance both aesthetics and functionality. Based in Cornwall, with strong ties to Somerset and London, Thirty Stories bring over 25 years of combined experience in designing luxury holiday homes and private residences.

We caught up with Frankie and Indie to learn more about their design process:

"We have a deep passion for interior design and a strong desire to craft unique, intricate spaces that enrich both lives and environments. Our enthusiasm lies in creating distinctive interiors by carefully selecting one-of-a-kind and antique pieces whenever possible. We also enjoy collaborating with talented local artists and craftsmen to elevate each project to the highest standard.”

Visit Thirty Stories online or save some new design ideas over on their Instagram.

Pebble Design

As seen in:  Trelorna in Polzeath

Style: Contemporary coastal

Taking inspiration from Cornwall’s shoreline and surrounding landscape, Pebble Design create effortless coastal interiors that feel laid back and relaxed. Using lots of calming blues in their colour palettes and textiles, Pebble Design recognise the importance of feeling at home as soon as you walk through the door. Having recently designed Trelorna’s beautiful interiors, owner Claire talks us through her process:

“The starting point is to talk it through, in detail, with the client. It’s essential to understand what they’d like to achieve, and how to make it a comfortable and functional space for everyone to enjoy. I work in layers to achieve the best results, this way I can build up the overall feel of the home with signature pieces, colour schemes and soft furnishings.”

Sitting above Polzeath’s sparkling waters, Trelorna is a real ode to Claire’s immaculate eye for detail.  Awash in neutral tones, every room feels instantly welcoming and serene, while the bedrooms introduce playful pops of colour with greens and yellows.

When choosing the right interior pieces for a home, Claire doesn’t have one set ‘go-to’, instead she likes to “shop local as much as possible, and always uses Cornish artists when selecting artwork.” In particular, she notes that Iroka and Jo & Co are her first ports of call when shopping for beachy, homely pieces.

Take a closer look at Pebble Design’s website for more information and styling ideas. 

Iroka

As seen in:  Gwel Arvor in Port Isaac and Fair Skies in St Merryn

Style: Classic coastal

Known for their calming colour schemes and soft textures, Iroka blend classic coastal design with contemporary pieces. Having worked on Gwel Arvor, Iroka created a beautiful colour palette with plenty of blues, greens and greys. Set above the waters of Port Isaac, Iroka knew the importance of embracing the scenery and designed the rooms to make the most of the views.

A complete new build, the owners wanted to create a welcoming feel while staying true to their North Cornwall setting. To do this, Iroka installed white wooden beams to soften the living spaces and used subtle introductions of colour throughout the bedrooms. Iroka have ensured that ‘sense of calm’ is present throughout Gwel Arvor, while always complimenting its surrounding sea views.  

With their very own homeware shops dotted around Cornwall, create your own Iroka home with a few new additions. Or visit their website for more information on their design process.

Watershedd

Style: Contemporary

First and foremost, Watershedd are known for their incredible architecture and property development portfolio. But it doesn’t end there, their bespoke interior design service is also something to admire. Established in 2013 by founders Marzouk Al-Bader, Adam Casey and Poppy Trevillion, Watershedd is one of Cornwall’s most prestigious interior designers. Distinguishable for their relaxed, modern aesthetic, Watershedd work with local artisans and craftspeople to create their designs. To find out more, we asked them to talk us through their interior design process:

“We’re always respondent to the architecture of a property. Whether it’s an existing building or a new architectural build, the interior spaces are designed so the language flows from the outside in. We do this by taking inspiration from the local surroundings and using a combination of natural materials, fabrics and colours. Then, we balance out light and airy rooms with cosy spaces, so the feel of the house responds well to all weather conditions.”

Architecturally, their designs are sleek and contemporary. Often using full-height glass windows, dark timber and stonework, their homes are as impressive as they are homely. To achieve this, Watershedd go on to say that “there always needs to be a sense of equilibrium in a room, so we carefully select each interior piece for its scale and proportion. We like to use a combination of old and new pieces and love exploring markets and auctions to find truly unique pieces.”

Follow their new projects over on Instagram or visit Watershedd’s website to read more.

Nicola O’Mara

As seen in: The Nook in Rock and Panorama in Mawgan Porth

Style: Contemporary coastal

With over 23 years of experience, it wouldn’t be an interior design round-up without including Nicola O’Mara. Based in North Cornwall, Nicola’s designs can be seen across many luxury homes near us, including our romantic Scandi hideaway The Nook.

Using lots of calming greys, whites and blues in her designs, Nicola aims to create balanced and elegant interiors for everyone to enjoy. Understanding the need to be functional, yet beautiful, each project begins with scoping out the property and client’s requirements. Secondly, she takes influences from different design styles to build a tonal colour palette, before sourcing furniture and soft furnishings.

Nicola’s keen attention to detail ensures a consistent theme and comforting feel throughout. When designing The Nook, Nicola used plenty of geometric patterns, blue tones and industrial accents, to create a ‘hygge’ home. Inspired by Scandi living, Nicola chose open shelving, concrete worktops and blocks of colour in the kitchen, before adding foliage and house plants to soften the styling.

Read more on Nicola’s tips for creating a cosy hideaway or visit her website for some more inspiration.

Millard & Flo

© Daniel Scott (left) and David Curran (right) for Flo & Millard

Style: Classic contemporary 

Millard & Flo is a well-established design studio in Rock, founded in 2011 by husband-and-wife team Flo & Chris Millard, specialising in bespoke interiors for select new builds and gut renovations. Their signature style blends rustic luxe with a clean, contemporary aesthetic, creating fresh and inviting spaces that feel both timeless and elegant. Known for their expertise in interior architecture and high-spec lighting, Millard & Flo craft designs that make the most of natural light, while also introducing carefully selected features to enhance each space.

"Despite the demands of an exacting clientele, Chris and Flo maintain a refreshingly collaborative, personal and relaxed approach to design. Their service draws on a wealth of knowledge, skill and a bulging contact book from their connections both locally and internationally, whilst also offering their out-of-county clients the benefit of a designer who is local to site for key areas such as Rock, Polzeath, Padstow and Mawgan Porth, with an extensive knowledge of the best of Cornwall’s craftspeople, suppliers, artists and contacts. Their work is truly collaborative and the studio works with a plethora of local architects, contractors and designers on a variety of projects." - Millard & Flo.

Millard & Flo's attention to detail and their ability to tailor each design to suit both the architecture and the client's lifestyle ensure that every project is truly unique. Their luxurious style and specialist Lighting Design Service combine to create interiors that are not only beautiful but also practical and liveable.

Discover more about Millard & Flo on their website or follow them on Instagram.

Tanith McKenzie

As seen in: Laflouder Thatch in Mullion

Style: Classic and neutral

Focusing on simple forms, earthy colour palettes and minimal styling, Tanith McKenzie’s interior design is nothing short of spectacular. Covering the South West, Tanith’s designs can be found in many luxury holiday homes in Cornwall and Devon, tied together with soft colour schemes and an effortless layered look.

Chatting to Tanith, she explains a lot of her inspirations come from Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour: “as each new season is unveiled, I look to the catwalk. The way they use prints, colours, metallic tones and layer materials, it’s a great insight into new and upcoming styles.”

Whether it’s a full interior design project or reimagining a living space, Tanith offers a bespoke furniture layout service as well as a sourcing option. With over ten years of experience in the industry, Tanith has an extensive knowledge of interior design. If you’re looking for new furniture, linens, accessories or artwork, Tanith can help you upgrade your home with just a few pieces.

Keep an eye on Tanith’s Instagram for interior inspiration or head to her new website for more information. 

Parc Owles

Style: Minimal contemporary

Based in St Ives, Parc Owles pride themselves on their completely bespoke and tailored design service. Taking on every new project with fresh ideas, owner Anthony explains “every design has its own clear identity customised to suit our client’s exact requirements. Whether it’s the minimal clean lines of a contemporary waterside residence, or a character-filled cottage on the cobbled streets of St Ives, we shape our ideas around the property.”

Parc Owles specialise in high-end properties in coastal locations. In order to understand the needs of the client and the property, Anthony explains the first stage of a project always begins with getting to know the home and its surroundings. He goes on to say “we like to incorporate the stunning coastal views of our homes into the overall design. To bring the outside in and maximise the feeling of light and space.”

As interior designers, the creative minds behind Parc Owles really value the importance of creating someone’s dream property. We asked Anthony why this was, and he explained the design process “is extremely rewarding: we’re able to take the stress out of it for the client and be part of a life-changing event.” With over 20 years’ experience, their enthusiasm is unwavering, and their designs continue to astound. Take a closer look at Parc Owles’ interior projects on their website.
 

If you’re thinking about opening up your home for luxury rentals, our Portfolio team would love to hear from you. Contact us on: 01208 895 570.

Image credits: John Hersey for Thirty Studios | Watershedd | Daniel Scott and David Curran for Millard & Flo | Parc Owles | All other photography is our own.