Inside Josh Widdicombe's Cornwall home where coastal farmhouse comfort meets modern glamour
Josh and his interior design wife, Rose, have created a luxurious family own
He’s the new host of Strictly Come Dancing, but, quite frankly, we wouldn’t blame Josh Widdicombe if he decided to swap the dance floor and stay at home in his gorgeous Cornish coastal retreat.
Josh and his wife, interior designer Rose Hanson, invited The Sunday Times Style into their beautiful home in Mullion, which includes six bedrooms, a cosy TV snug, an open-plan kitchen-living space and an expansive farmhouse-style garden.
After 18 months renovating the property, Josh and Rose have achieved a rare feat; they’ve kept the coastal charm throughout by making use of natural, earthy and rugged materials. All while bringing a touch of high-end style and modern character with the repeated use of vintage lighting, antique displays and brass and gold flourishes.
Inside Josh Widdicombe's luxurious coastal home
One of the most notable changes they made when they started renovating the house after purchasing it in 2022 was turning separate spaces into one farmhouse-style kitchen-living area. To create a sense of openness and light, Rose and Josh kept the design features connected.
By weaving similar colours and textiles throughout the spaces, each room feels like an extension of the one that came before. One of the best examples is the repeated use of natural textures and materials, including oak flooring, wooden design features, and marble finishes.
Running through the kitchen and into the newly adjoining living space, the natural grain patterns and warm honey tones of oak create a light and homey atmosphere. The flooring’s natural variations and characteristics catch the changing Cornish light throughout the day and seasons.
With young children, the couple’s flooring isn’t just stylish; it’s sturdy and will survive muddy wellies and the scrapes and scuffs of happy children.
At the heart of this new room is a stunning, authentic table, an essential in achieving the farmhouse look, one of the most popular kitchen trends. Made from solid, dark wood, it anchors the room, acting as an alternative kitchen island.
Proving how small details can tie a room together, Rose and Josh have chosen accessories and statement pieces that elevate this rustic, farmhouse feel, using a blend of new and old.
The weathered, rustic wooden dining table is paired with smooth, light-coloured painted cabinetry and brass hardware, adding layers of visual depth. Gold and bronze pots, pans and utensils also hang from soft pink walls, bringing the feeling of a vintage farmhouse alive while feeling suitably modern.
Layered lighting is the final touch that completes this warm, almost-timeless feeling. Traditional overhead statement pendant lights are paired with subtle accents like the small lamp on the back counter.
These same design ideas repeat into what Rose describes as their TV snug, which features soft, sky-blue cabinets and warm, earthy colours. A huge L-shaped mustard sofa dominates most of the room, covered in plump pillows with minimal clutter around it.
A clean, neutral marble coffee table sits in the centre, with natural lighting pouring in through the expansive windows, and a painting of the coast hangs above, completing this feeling of indoor-outdoor open living.
Upstairs, a sense of unity continues. This time, Rose and Josh have chosen to repeat a stripe theme throughout each of the bedrooms.
From striped wallpaper in the children's rooms to pillows and cupboards with subtle colour stripes in the master bedroom, it's a clever way to add cohesion and bring a sense of character to a space.
Rose also offered a great tip for repurposing old fabrics for a small but impactful statement. Rather than ruining a stylish aesthetic with ugly shower curtains and blinds, Rose made her own using old fabric she found online.
Unexpected for a bathroom, it gives the room a feeling of history and fits with the subtle notes of antiquity and timelessness throughout the home.
Josh and Rose have designed an indoor space that feels open and effortless, and that is also reflected in the expansive gardens.
Perfectly imperfect, the couple have opted for a garden of wildflowers as well as a natural orchard. Keeping with this theme of wilderness and promoting nature, Rose and Josh have opted for a chemical-free swimming pool – something which, Rose explained, could end up with them attracting newts.
If you’re going to go in on the wild cottage aesthetic, you may as well go all in.
