SEARCH & rescue

FINDING AN HISTORIC BEACHFRONT HOUSE AND GIVING IT FRESH APPEAL WITH A SEA-INSPIRED PALETTE WAS JUST THE START OF A NEW CHAPTER FOR JANE AND MARTIN WILL

- ALI LOVETT

HOME NOTES 

WHO LIVES HERE? 

Jane Will lives here with her husband Martin, and Baxter, a West Highland terrier. They run the gallery and interiors store Will and Yates (willandyates.com) with their friend, artist Caroline Yates.

THE PROPERTY 

A three-bedroom Victorian former coastguard’s house in Deal, Kent, built in 1860.

Having always had plans to eventually move out of London to be nearer the coast, Jane and Martin Will never imagined they’d find such an ideal place to live. On the seafront, with uninterrupted views of the sea and such a rich nautical heritage – the property used to be the coastguard’s house – the couple’s new seaside home perfectly suited their changing lifestyle.

WHAT PROMPTED THE MOVE? 

‘We had always wanted to move out of London once our children left for university, and had considered Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. However, I realised I wanted to live within two hours of London. We have friends with a house in Deal, with its independent shops, and we loved visiting. It seemed the ideal place for us to open a gallery.’

DID IT TAKE LONG TO FIND THE HOUSE?