Living Summer by the Coast with Maria Le Mesurier
Through her considered eye for interiors and her unhurried way of living, style editor and Maria Le Mesurier invites us to slow down and reconnect with nature, and with the quiet magic of a wildflower summer on the North Devon coast.
Tell us about your home, and what drew you to this location?
We are mostly at home in the summer as we live so close to the sea. After months of mud & rain it’s very lovely to enjoy this magical place when it’s warmer & the sea not quite so cold. We live a few fields above Speke’s Mill Mouth where there’s an incredible waterfall & beach surrounded by banks of wildflowers. And a mile away from Hartland Quay, where we swim at high tide - it’s like a vast swimming pool with water the colour of emeralds, enveloped by dramatic spectacular cliffs. We moved here almost 4yrs ago as a bit of a wild card - we had not been before & knew no one - but after seeing our cottage & the peace that came with it, we knew we would somehow make it work.
Do you have any cherished rituals or routines that mark the start of the summer season?
When summer is here, we are outside most of the time. Friends dropping in for drinks - lots of Aperol, rosé on the beach & endless swims in the sea. I always have lots & lots of baskets in the hallway full of beach gear to grab & go. It’s all the simple things that I love the most.
What scents remind you of summer, and how do you incorporate them into your home?
Herbs in bunches or pots in the kitchen - as many as possible. Basil, parsley, coriander & rosemary. And huge bowls of lemons. And I have still got the last of my favourite diffuser from Verden - Herbanum - which is giving me more pleasure than I can describe.
What’s your favourite room or outdoor space, and how do you love to spend time there?
Our garden is quite scruffy - we have yet to ‘do’ it like most of our cottage - it’s very simplistic & wraps around us. There’s a corner where we have a couple of wicker sun loungers & I love to have morning coffee there. We are surrounded by farmland so we have a rotation of sheep & cows around us, I talk to them everyday.
How do you bring the essence of summer into your interiors?
I have a lots of huge linen sheets that I throw over everything or hang as a single panel curtain on varying windows. Seeing linen blowing in a gentle wind gives me so much pleasure! I always bring in whatever I can find from outside like sea pinks, roses, fennel stems, beech branches - & have them in glass or some kind of Italian terracotta pot.
What colours, textures, or materials define the feel of your home in summer?
The colours & textures of nature. I’m constantly looking for special pebbles & shells on the beaches - earthy reds, the whole spectrum of toffee, sand, stone & pale pinks. They give me so much inspiration.
Is there a particular piece of furniture or décor item that embodies summer for you?
Maybe our Pallisade low chairs & table - or our huge table & benches that my husband of WoodEdit made out of scaffolding planks. And we are forever taking about 20 natural linen cushions outside from inside & vice versa whenever it’s not raining.
What’s your ideal summer gathering at home—who’s there, what’s on the table, and what’s in the air?
To have all my children home together at the same time is always very special to me. I still can’t explain the feeling of it when they grow up & aren’t by my side all the time any longer - I cherish every second when all 5 are here. On there table is always lots of different easy bowls chucked together - leaves, tomatoes, cheeses, sardines, green beans, potatoes, focaccia & bottles of beer & wine. It’s always very relaxed & not requiring a lot of actual cooking. And in the air - constant chatting & laughter.
FIND MARIA
www.marialemesurier.com - Maria offers 1:1 interior consultations online.
Maria's life & style Podcast is called Maria Le Mesurier & available on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
Instagram - @marialemesurier
Maria is Creative Director of www.woodedit.co.uk - @woodedituk all furniture Maria's home is Wood|Edit - Ash Tables & benches etc & including the French Cane Cover in one of the photographs.
