This One Floats, Staines Road, Chertsey, KT16

This One Floats is a showpiece of innovation and finesse in its transformation from a goods vessel to a design-led family home. Seeing potential in a 1960s Belgian Spitz, the current owners conducted a complete structural and aesthetic renovation to create a 30-metre-long floating home with characterful interior design, state-of-the-art materials and an abundance of glazing. This One Floats is currently moored in Penton Hook Marina, set on one of the most picturesque stretches of the River Thames.

As you walk down the dock, a bold contrast is drawn between the boat’s charcoal grey hull and light turquoise upper deck. Ascend a set of wooden steps to the upper storey, which opens into the kitchen space. It’s a tranquil setting, courtesy of panoramic glazing and a neutral tonal palette. Barlinek oak flooring spans the room, which is complete with cloudy grey cabinets and quartz worktops. Details are subtle and effective: note the monochromatic Bert & May tiles beneath the central island and metallic handles and taps. Echoing the vessel’s two-tone exterior, pastel pink walls are stylishly offset by dark window frames.

Full-height bi-folding doors open onto the terrace — a welcoming area to fill with outdoor seating and planters. A three-metre-long skylight has been engineered into the floor, creating a light channel to the storey below. At the other end of the upper deck is a double bedroom, wrapped in exposed marine ply tongue-and-groove panelling.

On the lower deck, the open-plan reception room is a space of remarkable volume and brightness, with oversized porthole windows that gaze out across the marina. A Stovax wood burner is a cosy focal point for the living area; with two recesses neatly carved into the wall above, log storage becomes a design feature in itself. Configured with entertaining in mind, there’s a drop-down projector screen and integrated sound system.

The principal bedroom suite is accessed beyond the dining area. Porthole windows cast soft light across dusty pink walls, with an inviting window seat and dressing table set on one side. There’s material creativity at play in the en suite bathroom, its dual vanity and Jacuzzi bath decorated with mosaic and herringbone tiling. An additional double bedroom suite is located beyond the living room, affectionately finished with a sea life wall mural. Its bathroom showcases Industville lighting and honeycomb, metro and mosaic tiling as well as a rainfall shower with a sleek industrial glass frame.

The idyll of waterside living meets urban convenience. Set within a northwestern pocket of Surrey’s residential towns, This One Floats has enviable proximity to both metropolitan and rural locales. The Penton Hook marina itself offers a welcoming community of neighbours, storage facilities and onsite boatyard services. Within easy reach are some of the region’s most coveted green spaces — Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Great Palace and the Surrey Hills. For international travel, Heathrow Airport is a short drive away.