A tour of Natalie Silk and Tom Baker’s creative retreat in rural East Devon
As it happens, Natalie and Tom met each other not far from the location of the cottage, in the neighbouring district of Somerset. After 14 years spent living in Dalston, east London, the couple decided to build a base in the south-west so that they could spent more time with old friends and family, and connect with and create in the country. The house they landed upon was an old cottage surrounded by woodland and fields, where they have since discovered glow worms, nesting ducks and the calming effect of watching the seasons pass.
First on their to-do list was the restoration of the historic building, which they did with their friend and cob-wall specialist David Joyce, who repaired those of the house using a traditional mix of lime plaster and sand (a project that would have our companion brand, Inigo, very excited indeed).
After the restoration of the cottage, the couple embarked on building a new extension, overseen by Studio Weave architects. The resulting wood-lined and -clad wing is self-contained and distinct from the main house, so as to be flexibly used as a place for messy children’s play, say, or as a creative retreat for adults, where people can be invited to work on personal projects. In that way, Natalie and Tom are looking to put down deep roots in their home away from the noise of the capital, forging long-term relationships with both their community and landscape. “This is kind of a forever space for us. We felt as much a responsibility to take on the countryside around it and the land that we own,” says Natalie.
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