Kitchen Clarity Adventures in Kitchen and Bath Design

I thought I’d show you a few British beach retreats. They might not be as elegant, and they’re definitely not as isolated, as the Scandinavian escapes I wrote about here, but since Victorian times the humble and democratic Beach Hut has been a  much loved feature of our too frequently windswept and rainy seaside resorts.  The Queen even had one on her estate at Sandringham – until it was destroyed by fire a few years ago. I suspect Her Majesty’s was a little further from the neighbors than is usual:

Beach Huts at Whitby, North Yorkshire

An Englishman's hut is his castle

Little more than garden sheds at the beach, really – you are not even allowed to spend the night in most of them. Coming from a family that never had a beach hut, even for a day, I always wanted to peak inside these private and carefully protected retreats – to my endless frustration, if the door was ever actually open, the proud occupants would be sitting right in front, smugly blocking my view (and it wouldn’t be British to stare).  But thanks to the wonders of technology, I’ve finally achieved my ambition, and peeked inside. Nothing complicated actually, not a lot of whimsy or fantasy at all, but just perfect for brewing tea, sheltering from a rain shower, or drying off after a swim (brrrr):

The kettle's on - via Beach Studios

Hanging to dry - photo Phil Gyford

(via Phil Gyford on flickr)

Simple and stripey - deckchairstripes.com

Who's for a cuppa? Phil Gyford via flickr

(via Phil Gyford on flickr)

Outside looking in

Room for a tea table - just! shedworking.co.uk

Hmmm, there’s definitely a blue and white theme emerging here.  And talking of emerging, here’s one hut that didn’t want to stay at the beach, bursting through the wall into the kitchen:

Beach Hut Kitchen - photo Tony Hall

It’s probably a pantry, but I like to imagine it as a relative of the Wardrobe (of Lion and Witch fame) – you step through into a magical world where you’re always at the beach, and the sun is always shining… who wouldn’t want one of those in the kitchen!

Related Posts:

• Back to the Beach Hut
• So serene – kitchens to linger in
• Sunny Baths – Yellow and White
• Kitchen comfort – English style
• Round and round the kitchen