An Edwardian seaside home in Northumberland

Looking along the elevated seafront of Northumberland’s Whitley Bay, the eye is drawn to the curious architectural mix, which ranges from the late 1800s to the present day.

The terrace includes three double-fronted houses, one of which is home to radio reporter and producer, freelance photographer, and sometime filmmaker, Caroline Briggs, her husband, Dan, and their two young children.

Having left London for Newcastle, the couple felt the sea beckoning and it was agreed that, if they were to live on the coast, a sea view was essential. A pin was dropped in Whitley Bay and the search began; it didn’t take long.

‘I clearly remember firing up my computer and there she was. I shouted to Dan that I had found ‘our’ house,’ recalls Caroline. ‘We knew she was right the second we saw her – her wonderful bone-structure and elegance, like that of an Edwardian lady, won our hearts.’

Wowed by the Minton floors, grand fireplaces, ceiling roses and far-reaching views of the bay, they made an offer.

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‘We owe a lot to the previous owner, who was an interior designer,’ says Caroline. She had lifted carpets to reveal the original floor tiles, returned ceilings to their former heights and reinstated beautiful marble fireplaces – vast in size, they overshoot the chimney breasts and took seven men to carry into the house.

Missing ceiling roses were replaced and cast-iron radiators were fitted. ‘Although she had a very different taste in decor to me, everything she did made me want to live here,’ says Caroline. ‘Every time I sink into the Victorian roll-top bath she installed I thank her.’

Once settled in, the couple decided to open up the higgledy-piggledy rooms at the back of the property and extend into the small backyard to create a large family-orientated kitchen-diner. They designed the space themselves, using salvaged materials throughout, which reflects the way they have chosen to furnish the rest of the house.

Although Caroline doesn’t consider herself a collector in the classic sense, she does concede that she is something of a treasure hunter and it was her late grandfather who introduced her to the joy of chance discoveries.

‘He used to help me collect stamps as a child, so I think this is where it started,’ she says. ‘As I got older my love of ‘old things’ kind of crept up on me – my twin sister shares my passion, so perhaps it’s genetic.’

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It’s the serendipitous nature of collecting that appeals to her rather than seeking something out, she explains. ‘If nothing else catches my eye when I’m visiting flea markets and auctions then maybe, just maybe, I’ll find something to add to one of my collections.’

Caroline enjoys the feeling of falling in love with an object, recalling a four-year obsession with the pocket-sized Observer’s Books. ‘I kept a list of all the titles and ticked them off as I found each one.

I felt both elated and sad when my parents gave me the last title and the display cabinet was full – I definitely enjoy the thrill of the chase and the small private pleasure of an unexpected find.’

Reflecting both her passion for photography and her career as a photographer, Caroline also collects vintage cameras and delights in the fact that she has used all of them at least once. ‘There is an honesty in this collection, as cameras are fundamental to who I am and what I do. Displaying them acts as a signpost to an important part of my life and creativity.

All my collections are to be enjoyed, not hidden away, which is perhaps why I have several display cabinets – you could say I collect these too!’ Caroline also collects vintage maps, though a personal rule dictates that she must have some connection to the place.

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As a journalist and photographer, storytelling is everything to Caroline, from an object’s history through to the tale of its search and rescue. ‘While doing the extension I spent a depressing hour at IKEA trying to work with a kitchen designer, until it dawned on me that my inability to decide was due to it not being ‘true’ to my heart.’

An original Victorian kitchen – an extraordinary chance find made by her sister – was the game-changer here. ‘For £1,500 I had beauty, functionality and inspiration.’

Once it had been designed into the space, alongside the sink and drawers the couple had saved from their old kitchen, with the addition of a reclaimed timber island, Caroline had a one-off kitchen ‘with bags of narrative’.

Even the flooring came with a story. ‘It was from my children’s school and has been walked on by hundreds of children over several decades and now, as a family, we walk on it daily,’ she says.
Whether it’s the huge bank of blue drawers in the kitchen, which had been hidden away in a garage for 50 years, or the reclaimed parquet flooring, these evolving and involving stories are clearly important to Caroline: ‘I feel a sense of responsibility when it comes to the provenance of an item and take great pride in adding to its story.’