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When buying a doer upper it is essential to be able to see its potential. But when that doer top has its “doors and windows that are blown in by the wind, and cows that roam through” — well, it must have been a chore to see the potential.
‘It was an austere shell,’ admits interior designer Abi Ward of the power substation tower in Nancledra, near St Ives, which she and her husband Morv have converted into a three-storey, three-bedroom house and now share with their whippets Wilf. and Daphne.
In fact, the substation tower, which they bought from a farming family in 2019, was such a huge project that their families, and even George Clarke (the property appeared on his Channel 4 show Remarkable Renovations earlier this year), thought they were “crazy.” were’ to take it. “I get it,” Abi laughs. “It didn’t even have a track to access it. But we saw it as an opportunity to turn a diamond in the rough into a family home.’
Called ‘Trevolt’ by the couple – ‘tre’ means homestead in Cornish, ‘volt’ refers to its earlier history – the substation tower was built in 1910 and supplied electricity to nearby towns. It had been abandoned since the 1960s, when the electricity system was automated. Abi and Morv had certainly done their best to fix it.
Abi and Morveth Ward (pictured) took on a challenging renovation project, transforming the property they bought in St Ives
Abi overlooks from the terrace. An extra floor was added to the tower, plus wood-clad rear and side extensions, all connected to the original building by a glass section
For an industrial look, devolkitchens.co.uk added a slate worktop to the wooden kitchen. The lamps are hand made and eyestudio.co.uk. The antique copper pans were a gift from Abi’s mother
Aside from moving the cows, the first major must in their £350,000 refurbishment project was to remove the reinforced concrete floor that divided the tower into two levels. “It was a huge threat to the structure and many builders refused to touch it,” Abi says. But it allowed them to add an extra 80 square meters to the existing floor plan. “It was worth it in the end.”
Other major structural works included the construction of three storeys and the addition of timber-clad side and rear extensions.
On the inside, Abi—who cut her design teeth by turning a horse box into a glamping station and renovating a cottage for herself and Morv—viewed every surface as a texture opportunity. The resulting interior is a warm mix of rustic and modern pieces.
Most people complete their building work before looking for furniture. Not Abi and Morv. “We’ve scoured antique fairs, digs and car boot sales, looking for unique quality pieces from the get-go. If we found something we liked, we would buy it and worry about the storage situation later.”
Left: In a quiet corner of the kitchen, Daphne the whippet poses near a painting of the original substation tower. The couch is from tobysreclamation.com. The runner is amara.com. Right: The stylishly weathered chair was an antiques fair find. For something similar, try birchandyarn.co.uk. The book – The Kinfolk Home – is Abi’s go-to ‘for inspiration for upcoming projects’
Throughout the house, Abi kept an earthy palette, with organic colors from earthbornpaints.co.uk reflecting the surrounding landscape. Chair by sixeresidence.co.uk
Among their finds were marble sinks picked up for £50 from Facebook Marketplace, and distressed pendant lights sourced from an antiques dealer for £35. The pièce de résistance? A painting of the original substation tower that Morv picked up for £180 (original gallery price £1,000) from a local auction house, now hanging in the kitchen. ‘That was fate,’ he smiles.
As for the color, Abi chose soft shades of cream, caramel and putty to act as a foil for the outdoor greenery. “I wanted the view of the tower to do most of the talking,” she says, “so I kept the interior understated and punctuated quieter areas with copper flashes or a twinkle of glass.”
Left: “We loved the dynamism that the slope added to the straight lines of the building,” Abi says of her bedroom’s sloped ceiling, which was an important part of the design. Right: The perfect spot to enjoy the view of the moors? The deep bath from bcdesigns.co.uk
In addition to its accents, the industrial history of the substation is honored in detail. The masonry windows framing the expansive view, the exposed beams and beams, the lime-washed walls and the bare pipework are all reminders of its heritage.
“The substation will always be part of our home,” Abi says, as everything excavated from the original building was repurposed for renovation. The path leading to the property is a prime example. It is made from recycled aggregate from the original tower, with even the excess utility pylons being reused to make a garden fence. “It’s the little things that make Trevolt Trevolt,” says Abi.
- For more information, visit @trevolt_