Shingle-minded

Dungeness on the south Kent coast is a Marmite kind of place. Known as the desert of England and flanked by a nuclear power station, it has been described by some as “bleak” and “post-apocalyptic”.

Keith Stephenson and Mark Hampshire have a friend who used to play the soundtrack to the dystopian film Blade Runner as he drove down to the beach to visit them but they love this nature-rich headland and all its strangeness.

The Yorkshire-born designers, aka the duo behind hip homeware brand Mini Moderns, are a bright addition to the small community after buying a holiday home on the shingle.

“We have been visiting Dungeness for nearly 20 years and have always loved the landscape, the atmosphere and big skies,” says Mark.

The pair, who have a main home in London, viewed a Grand Designs-style property before spotting their converted Victorian railway guard’s van. It is one of several placed on the beach in the early 1920s when workers employed by the then Southern Railway bought old rolling stock and turned the carriages into holiday shacks.

“We decided against the Grand Design and went for what some might have described as ‘a shed next to a nuclear power station’. It had been rented out and had seen better days but we loved it immediately,” says Keith.

Its location between the two lighthouses and its uninterrupted views towards the English Channel sealed the deal. While the view was exceptional, the layout was less than ideal. Three extensions had been added to the carriage over the years and there was a dark sitting room at the back. “The fishermen who lived here originally didn’t want to sit and face the sea when they got home from working in it, so they didn’t mind,” says Keith.

One option was to rebuild. Several owners have done this and Dungeness is becoming something of a showcase for contemporary architecture, with one property recently shortlisted for the RIBA House of the Year award.

“The carriages themselves are protected but the temptation was to consider what could we build if we took away everything but the carriage,” says Mark. “Frankly, though, we neither had the budget nor the stomach for a full rebuild. Besides, despite its aesthetics, the building was essentially sound and had been well-loved.”

They decided to revamp the building and reconfigure the layout but resisted the urge to do it immediately.

“We wanted to connect with the building’s idiosyncrasies and get a feel for how we wanted to live in the space. So instead we spent a cold winter there with no form of heating,” says Keith.

They also set to exposing the original features and planning a new look that included making a bedroom and dining room into one large, sea-facing sitting room.

One of the first jobs was replacing the original birdcage roof of the carriage, which enabled the guards to look out. It was not watertight so the weathered opaque windows were replaced with a large skylight lantern.

The original carriage floor was a patchwork of wooden planks covered in bitumen, while the walls were layered with old lead paint. Stripping this off by hand would have been too time-consuming so Mark and Keith had the whole interior sandblasted.

“We wanted to make a feature of the carriage floor so this was varnished. As a contrast, we painted all the walls white to bounce as much light around as possible. All floors except the one in the carriage were painted in a mid-grey paint to create a neutral, harmonious feel,” says Keith.

The stainless steel kitchen is from Ikea and was chosen as it reminded them of a fishmonger’s preparation area, thereby reflecting the property’s heritage.

While some of the furniture is new, including the String desk, most of it is a mix of mid-century finds. The sofa and chairs in the sitting room are by Guy Rogers, while the headboard in the main bedroom is by G-Plan.

Every room has been “Mini Modernised” with the pair’s trademark designs, which are rich in pattern and colour. The fabrics, wallpapers and accessories include Hinterland – a print inspired by Dungeness.

Their best-selling Whitby wallpaper – a homage to childhood trips to the Yorkshire coast – features in the guest bedroom. “We both love Whitby and we did think of buying a holiday home there but in the end it is just too far from London for a weekend retreat,” says Mark, who grew up in Pudsey, while Keith is from Guisborough.

The pair have no regrets and no problem with those who see Dungeness as depressing and also sad via its association with artist and film-maker Derek Jarman, who spent his dying days there. “We love it and feel lucky to be part of the lovely community down here. It’s flat and it’s bleak but there is a beauty in the bleakness,” says Keith.

* Mark Hampshire and Keith Stephenson launched Mini Moderns 10 years ago and it is now one of Britain’s coolest homeware brands. They describe their work as “pattern with a story”, with influences ranging from mid-century modern design and vintage toys to literature, telly and childhood memories.

Their prints are now applied to everything from wallpapers, fabrics and rugs to ceramics, candles and even radios.

Whitby, featuring coble boats and choppy seas, came out in 2011 and is their best-selling design.

They have a legion of fans and their products are stocked by John Lewis and top independent stores. They also sell from their own website. minimoderns.com