The Square, Mawnan Smith, TR11

From the outside, Daphne Cottage gives very little away. Behind its understated façade lies an exquisite and beautifully considered home, comprehensively renovated with an obvious emphasis on quality, craftsmanship and style. Every detail feels carefully chosen, creating a house that is full of character yet effortlessly comfortable and contemporary.

A charming stable door opens into the upper level of the cottage, where oak flooring runs throughout and the accommodation immediately sets the tone for what is to come.

Here, a pretty and inviting snug provides the perfect place to retreat on chilly evenings, centred around a handsome Chesneys wood-burning stove. Warm, intimate and wonderfully cosy, it is a lovely contrast to the lighter, more open spaces found on the lower level.

Also on this floor is the second double bedroom and a beautifully appointed bathroom, finished with quality fixtures and fittings and featuring a generous walk-in rainfall shower. Cleverly incorporated into the accommodation is a bespoke built-in utility cupboard, discreetly housing the washing machine and providing practical storage without compromising the clean lines of the interior.

Three steps lead down to the lower level and the real heart of Daphne Cottage.

The impressive kitchen and dining space is immediately striking, with its magnificent vaulted ceiling creating an unexpected feeling of height and volume. Light floods into the room and doors open directly onto the rear garden, creating an easy flow between inside and out.

Slate flooring gives this part of the house a beautifully natural feel, while exposed oak detailing, carefully considered joinery and high-quality finishes provide warmth and texture. It is a wonderfully sociable space, equally suited to slow breakfasts, relaxed suppers or entertaining friends after a day on the coast.

The principal bedroom also occupies the lower level. Oak flooring brings warmth underfoot, while a pair of glazed doors open directly onto the garden — a particularly lovely feature during the summer months and one that gives the room an almost seamless connection with the outside.

Throughout Daphne Cottage, traditional character has been combined with modern efficiency. The house is served by an air-source heat pump with underfloor heating, providing an efficient and unobtrusive heating system that complements the quality of the renovation.

Currently operating as a highly successful holiday let, Daphne Cottage offers enormous versatility. It would make an enchanting permanent home, an easy-to-manage Cornish retreat or an investment for those wishing to enjoy the property themselves while allowing it to generate an income when they are elsewhere.

It is the contrast that makes Daphne Cottage so memorable: an unassuming exterior concealing an unexpectedly special interior, filled with warmth, craftsmanship and personality.

The surprises continue outside.

Doors from both the kitchen and principal bedroom open directly onto a level, enclosed southwest-facing garden, creating a private and wonderfully usable extension of the living space.

Predominantly laid to lawn, the garden has been designed to be easy to enjoy and maintain, with plenty of room for outdoor dining, relaxing in the sunshine or simply returning from the coast and enjoying the last of the evening light. A useful potting shed provides additional storage.

But tucked within the garden is something quite exceptional.

An extraordinary bespoke boathouse-style annexe has been beautifully constructed to resemble the upturned hull of a traditional clinker-built yacht. Sculptural, characterful and entirely unexpected, it is far more than a conventional garden room and gives Daphne Cottage another element entirely.

Inside, the space has been thoughtfully finished and even includes its own wood-burning stove, making it somewhere that can be enjoyed throughout the seasons.

Its potential uses are numerous. It could provide wonderful overflow accommodation for family and friends, an additional bedroom, artist’s studio, home office, creative retreat or simply somewhere completely separate from the main house in which to escape.

For those considering Daphne Cottage as an investment, it may also, subject to any necessary consents and regulations, provide potential for an additional income stream alongside the main house.

At the front of the cottage is a generous gravelled parking area with space for several cars, another particularly useful feature for either permanent living or holiday accommodation.

The garden, together with its remarkable boathouse, is one of the defining features of Daphne Cottage — private, sunny and full of personality.