homify 360°: Pobble House, Kent

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Pobble House, Guy Hollaway Guy Hollaway Modern houses
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Some houses are intended to reflect their natural surroundings. And some are intended to stand out against them. Pobble house, in Kent, England, somehow managed to achieve both effects simultaneously. Designed by Guy Holloway, this seaside home draws inspiration from the textures and colours around it, but also makes it own status as fresh, new, and unashamedly man-made extremely clear. Check out these images to see how.

​The exterior

The muted materials used for the exterior of the three main segments of the houses mimic the colours and textures found on the beach. The pale striped wood of the two furthest parts blends perfectly with the mixed colours of the stony sand beneath, while the nearest part is constructed from rust-coloured metal and slate-coloured panels that closely resemble the sorts of scrap and pebbles one tends to find scattered along the shore.

Meanwhile, the form of the building makes no effort at appearing organic; straight lines, careful measurements and a total absence of curves assert the fact of its careful design.

​From the distance

The initial view suggested that the building was comprised of three equally sized, connected units; here we can see that is not the case. The house’s design seems more similar to a train, with separate, loosely connected or unconnected carriages making up its body.

​At one with nature

Here we see a whole new side to the house, literally and figuratively. Both corners of the gable end are given over to huge sliding doors, which make the design seem even more contemporary and daring. The doors open completely, breaking down the barrier between outside and in. Using the exactly same sandy-coloured materials for the roof and exterior walls of the house, as well as the decking below, also helps blur that particular boundary. On the left-hand side of the photo, there’s more of that rusty, textured metal again; so unexpected as a construction material used in a modern home, yet so thoroughly suited to the setting.

​A new perspective

Seeing this house from this angle only, we might not immediately recognise it as the same building shown in the other pictures. But it is from this angle that it is possibly at its most impressive: a strong, dark and simple silhouette standing out boldly against the contrasting background of the seaside sky.

​The ultimate calm

The floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room follow the shape of the building faithfully, sloping upwards in line with the roof. This renders more of the sea view beyond visible from the interior; if the windows were a more conventional size and shape, most of the field of vision might instead be taken up by grass. Meanwhile, the simplicity of the furnishings, the blank walls and the simple, limited range of colours used ensures that the room feels as light and fresh as a sea breeze.

​The fireplace

The house might be on the beach, but it won’t always be sunny. That’s when this beautiful fireplace, the centrepiece of the living room, will spring into action.

​Light as a decorative element

Light itself, and the way it enters the building, is a significant part of this design. These elongated windows, for example, perfectly capture and direct this lazy beam of the late-afternoon sun.

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