Penty on the Hoo is finished!

We’ve made it!

The metamorphosis of Penty on the Hoo is complete. From a tired looking property, stuck in the 80’s to a cool and colourful mid-century seaside escape. We’re proud to announce that Quince’s latest property, Penty on the Hoo is now open for bookings and we’re so looking forward to welcoming our first guests next week.

The Penty inspiration

Whenever I start any new project, I search for inspiration everywhere I go. Whether it is the history of the property we have purchased, a hidden gem in the local vintage store or even a piece of fabric in a homeware shop. In Penty on the Hoo’s case, it was three beautiful and bright 1950’s light pendants sourced from Mileage, a treasure trove of vintage finds. These were then paired with three sunshine hued pottery sculptures from 157 Antiques and Interiors on the high street in Aldeburgh. These wonderful pieces set me off on a year-long journey of searching and scouting out the very best interiors of mid-century living that make up the character of Penty on the Hoo. During this hunt we discovered vintage bathing costumes, ruched for shape as elastic had not been invented, and framed these in the kitchen. We later bought vintage chairs from Italy and upcycled and redesigned these to ensure the quality was exceptional but so that the vintage feel prevailed.

Scrapping the Exterior

When we bought the house, it was, with no exceptions, the ugliest house I had ever bought. From the red brick exterior matched with a yellow brick chimney, the first impression of Penty on the Hoo, then Victoria House, was not the best. However, I’ve always been told that I can see the potential of every property and I could tell instantly that this one had great bones. From the fantastic footprint to the idyllic location, Penty on the Hoo was just 5 minutes from the centre of Aldeburgh, one of the most sought after seaside towns in Suffolk. We knew that guests could walk down to the sea or relish the sunshine in the private south facing garden. I knew, whatever we decided to do, it was imperative that we put a veil across the red brick with larch or European Redwood cladding. I really wanted to give it a mid-century vibe and completely hide the original elevations. I was also looking for the added benefit of insulating the property to keep the cool breeze in during the summer, the heating bills down, and future proofing Penty on the Hoo.

Interiors and Quince’s splash of colour

Once the European Redwood cladding was chosen, we knew that wooden flooring was a must. All of our properties are dog friendly for two, very well behaved  dogs and as a seaside escape it seemed practical to use walnut hard flooring throughout for those wet paws and sandy toes.

Bringing the outside in is also important for us as we spend so much time planning and landscaping the gardens, the obvious choice for the windows was Crittal which was very in keeping with the cladding.

As with all of our properties, we try our best to source locally, to help give back to the community we have just entered. Suffolk is filled with vintage and antiques shops that are overflowing with special finds just waiting to be discovered. It tends to be the smaller items such as vases, pictures, armchairs and side tables that give a space its signature atmosphere. Many of the items in Penty on the Hoo were selected and purchased in Aldeburgh or the surrounding villages.

The colour scheme of Penty on the Hoo was dictated by the three original light pendants that were the colours of sunshine hued orange and yellows matched with white. Not only are these colours the reflection of Quince as a brand, but they also linked the house to its origins of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. We wanted to counteract the citrus colours with a marine blue and rich teal to bring an edge to the property’s interiors without it being too conflicting.

Next, we decided to paint all of the walls and woodwork white to reflect the mid-century era again but to also compliment the vibrant colour scheme already in place. The colours and interiors of a property build its character and, when you come to stay at Penty on the Hoo we’d be more than happy to give further information about any specific piece of furniture or paint colours you fall in love with.

 Sun traps and alfresco soaks 

We always landscape our gardens and try to reuse plants that are already embedded in the grounds of our properties. We want to create a pleasing and private place for guests to sit, relax, and enjoy. Each of our gardens have a soft seating area, a dining area with a BBQ and an outdoor bath house with our iconic copper bathtubs. Each property is landscaped by garden designer Posy Gentles who helps us to develop a scheme that will create a peaceful yet practical space for our guests to enjoy.

My favourite part of designing the gardens with Posy is the creation of the bath house.  Whilst we want each bathing area to have heating, lighting and of course the copper bath, we also want each to be individual and so we collaborate with our skilled artisan carpenters.  As a result, no two alfresco bathing areas are the same as one artisan will turn up with a window from a baptist church to include and another will make a window out of scaffolding boards, some have tiled roofs and others are corrugated, and we love them all.  At Penty on the Hoo, our builders wanted to bring as much light as possible into the bath house, so they have added a long landscape high level window to the design, allowing you to enjoy the greenery and skies surrounding the house without any loss of privacy.  We love it!

Come and See for yourselves!

After nearly a year, from the initial planning to the final finishing touches, we’re so excited that Penty on the Hoo is ready to go! Bookings are now open and we can’t wait to share this lovely home with you

Vintage sources in Suffolk:

Thorpeness Antiques Emporium, Thorpeness http://www.thorpenessemporium.co.uk/, 

157 Antiques and Interiors, High Street, Aldeburgh

Snape Maltings, Snape, Suffolk   https://shop.snapemaltings.co.uk/

Vintage Angels  http://www.vintageangelsclothing.co.uk/

The Barn, Friday Street: https://www.the-barn.co/

Stratford St Andrew antique and collectables, Suffolk

Vintage 49, Thoroughfare, Woodbridge