'Creating the right feel in your home is so important to your sense of calm and wellbeing'
Interior designer Belinda Benton's coastal home is a lesson in how to create welcoming and relaxing interiors
A longtime fan of the seaside town of Deal, four years ago Belinda Benton moved into one of the prettiest properties on the town's most handsome street.
‘I must have walked down this street a thousand times,’ says Belinda. ‘The magic never leaves me. I love everything about it.’
But it took an interior designer’s vision to reinvent what was a neglected boatman’s cottage – once very much more shabby than chic – into the inviting, relaxing and elegant home it is today, decorated in calming and soothing coastal colour schemes.
Calming coastal home
Belinda's relationship with Deal began decades ago when her parents bought a holiday home just along the road. The family visited often and she noticed how relaxed she felt with the seaside atmosphere and charming Dickensian muddle of the conservation area.
The Dutch House has an easy elegance and a deeply welcoming atmosphere. Most of all it feels comfortable and luxurious, but in a quietly understated fashion. And with its fresh Dulux pink painted exterior, it has become a bit of an Instagram star.
How does she achieve this alchemy? ‘I don’t really have a signature style,’ Belinda says. 'I like the look to be visually harmonious – nothing should dominate. It’s more about creating the right feel. You know you like it but you don’t know why.’
Open-plan kitchen
The 17th-century cottage needed entirely renovating when Belinda bought it four years ago. The previous owner had lived in it until she was 103. In the 1970s, she and her architect husband had added an extension, which definitely hadn’t stood the test of time.
Get the Ideal Home Newsletter
Sign up to our newsletter for style and decor inspiration, house makeovers, project advice and more.
By redesigning and opening up the back of the house into the substantial garden with her open-plan kitchen idea, Belinda has added much-needed flow and created a highly sociable area for friends to mingle.
The cream kitchen palette complements the rustic wooden table and original beams in the adjoining sitting room, while the wood-panelled ceiling enhances the coastal vibe.
Outdoor living
The house has an L-shaped garden, which is unusually large for the tightly packed conservation area; most houses have a courtyard at most.
As much attention to detail has been exercised outside as in, and Belinda has created a lovely terrace area for outdoor living and dining.
Clever paving and built-in concrete seating areas are ingenious patio ideas that feel very well thought-out. The patio is artfully relaxed but has been planned to give her large family lots of space to relax when they visit.
A pizza oven is an outdoor kitchen idea to make the most of outdoor living in the warmer months
Coastal living room
The cosy living room opens onto the kitchen. It is a masterclass in subtle styling and coastal living room ideas.
Painted in Paint Library Slate III, splashes of yellows, reds and pinks add warmth.
Despite being low, the living room is light and bright, not least because of the old shop window.
Staircase runner
These steep, spiral staircases are typical of Deal. As used here for the bound stair runner as a staircase idea, natural flooring is Belinda’s preferred choice for her projects, as it keeps the feel look smart, yet relaxed at the same time.
Coastal bedroom
At the top of the house is the master suite, which runs from the front to the back of the house.
The coastal bedroom ideas include white-painted wooden panelled walls and ceiling beams, a fresh palette and natural textures. Subtle colour and pattern are provided by the curtains and bed throws.
Bathroom
The dreamy coastal bathroom makes up the other end of the master bedroom suite, with its deep, pink-painted cast iron bath and double vanity basin.
Home office
Her move to the town also presented the opportunity for Belinda to join forces with her architect-trained daughter, Hannah, to create the design studio, Studio Benton. The new offices are a short cycle from her home, and Belinda also recently created a timber-clad garden room, which doubles as a home office / studio space, and occasional guest space.
More formally styled than Belinda’s home, it’s hard to imagine this is a newly built outbuilding.
The studio includes another bathroom and has an outdoor shower for rinsing off saltwater after a swim in the sea, which is just 30 metres away.
'I’d long dreamt about living permanently by the sea but it’s only now that I can work from here that I’ve been able to settle,' says Belinda. 'I fell in love with this house as soon as I saw it.' And we can see why.
Words Kathryn Reilly
Rachel Crow is the editor of Period Living Magazine and a senior content editor, contributing homes and garden content for idealhome.co.uk. She has written for lifestyle magazines for many years, with a particular focus on historic houses, interiors, arts and crafts, and gardening. Rachel started her journalism career on BBC radio, before moving into lifestyle magazines as a freelance writer and editor. She worked on The English Home and The English Garden magazines before joining the Period Living team as features editor and then deputy editor. She was garden editor for Homes & Gardens magazine and homesandgardens.com and contributed articles to Country Homes & Interiors.
-
‘Matrix planting’ is the new garden border trend to know about in 2025– here’s how to get the look at home
Forget traditional border design; this technique is all about excitement and drama!
By Kayleigh Dray
-
How to make a house look more inviting - 8 ways to quickly boost your house’s appeal in time for Christmas
Make visitors feel welcome from the second they step foot on your property
By Vanessa Richmond
-
I had an energy expert give my home a full MOT - they uncovered problems I didn’t even know I had
The OVO Home Health Report promises tailored energy-saving tips for your home - so I tried it out
By Lauren Bradbury
-
'Not many people could claim that Banksy paid for their kitchen'
A lifetime’s collection of vintage bargains, and a little help from a world-famous graffiti artist, created this unique home
By Karen Darlow
-
'The character was all there, it had just been buried under years of neglect'
Looking past the dark brown 1980s decor, the owners could see the potential in this once-dingy cottage
By Heather Dixon
-
'I opened the door and saw woodchip wallpaper and nicotine-stained ceilings everywhere!'
The owner could see the potential in an old and disused pub to become his ideal home
By Karen Darlow
-
'I'd always dreamt of this house' says the homeowner of this stunning Georgian farmhouse
This Georgian farmhouse was the perfect match for the dream home its owner had on her Pinterest board for years
By Karen Darlow
-
A 1920s seaside cabin transformed into a peaceful haven
This timber-clad cabin has been beautifully restored to become a wonderful weekend retreat
By Karen Darlow
-
This Arts and Crafts home is a masterclass in calming simplicity
With its chalky white walls and timeworn pieces, this Welsh home is instantly relaxing
By Naomi Jones
-
You'd never believe this home was once a squash court
This amazing transformation shows what can be achieved with a bit of imagination and vision
By Karen Darlow
-
This pretty thatched cottage is full to brimming with vintage finds
The interior of this pretty thatched cottage is as captivating as its exterior
By Alice Roberton