The first step was to open up the floor plan and connect it with the spectacular views and a seaside-inspired garden designed in collaboration with landscape architect Myles Baldwin. This approach not only embraces the surrounding vistas, but fills the previously dark interior with abundant natural light.

The ground floor is home to the communal living and entertaining spaces, which seamlessly flow out to the garden, while the first floor contains more private spaces, such as bedrooms.

A circular skylight above the stairwell ensures light reaches into the heart of the home, and into the semi-subterranean lower ground floor.

With a desire to create a home that evokes its seaside location, it’s unsurprising that Tobias decided on an elegant yet playful palette of natural, authentic materials. Pink Rosa Nuvola marble in the kitchen and terracotta tiles in the master ensuite complement original features that have been retained, including an impressive brick fireplace. “I’m a very tactile person and my home reflects that,” explains Tobias.

On the ground floor, these elements are brought together by swathes of Tongue & Groove solid engineered European oak floorboards in Chamoisee with a natural, textured finish. The soft tones and natural beauty of the timber works seamlessly alongside the polished plaster interior walls and complements the sandstone paving in the garden, helping to dissolve the boundaries between inside and out.

“I wanted something really easy to walk on, durable and a material that had a natural, earthy feel about it,” says Tobias. “The classical colouring of Chamoisee Oak flooring creates a neutral backdrop for the eclectic collection of furniture and artwork throughout our home.”