This characterful 18th-century home lies in Callington, east Cornwall, on the fringes of the Tamar Valley National Landscape. Unfolding across approximately 4,387 sq ft of space, it comprises a set of interconnected living spaces and five en suite bedrooms, a configuration that has served its current iteration as a residential art school exceptionally well. On the top floor of the attached former coach house is a large studio with plenty of windows that usher in a painterly quality of light.

Setting the Scene

A house has stood on the site of Lower House since at least 1722. In 1788, the then building was acquired by John Coryton, who likely extended it into the Georgian home it is today. This early character is particularly present in the drawing room, where draped urn coving, wainscoting, shutters and dado details remain. In the mid-19th century the house was sold to William Dingle, who added Minton floor tiles in the hallway and a built-in safe in the dining room.

Under current ownership, the house has been used as a peaceful residential art school. An expansive home, its potential is nearly boundless, with plenty of room for artists or those in need of space for other purposes. Updates in recent years have included the installation of PV panels on the coach house roof.

The Grand Tour

Lower House’s street-facing profile is a picture of Georgian symmetry. Both its frontage and front door have been picked out in playful shades of blue; the latter opens through an internal latticed door to a hallway, which has elegant Minton-tiled floors.

Dining and drawing rooms, with their original oak doors, open from either side of the entrance hall. In this section of the house there is also an office with 18th-century latticed doors to the garden, along with a separate cloakroom. Beyond is the kitchen, an atmospheric space with original slate floors and a vintage calling board - its ring pull system is still evident in the roof space. Appliances here include a Stoves seven-burner range cooker. Beyond the kitchen is a handy utility/boot room.

Upstairs there is another original latticed window and five quiet bedrooms. Two have en suite bathrooms, while three have attached shower rooms. Picked out in different colours, these generous rooms reflect the artistic sensibilities of the home as a whole. One room facing the garden retains its Victorian gothic arch windows.

On the ground floor, beyond the utility room is a generous downstairs studio/print room/workshop, with access to the garden. A separate door leads to the garage, which retains its original cobbled stone floor.

Also beyond the utility room is a striking wide hallway beneath a slanted roof. In the past this has housed pottery kilns. Further along is a fully enclosed dark room and additional storage space. The exposed stone walls and directional track lighting offer a compelling backdrop for hanging art. Stairs ascend to the studio, a vaulted space filled with ethereal light. This large room has been used as a studio for the past 20 years; texture is brought by dark boards underfoot, whitewashed stone walls and north-facing light.