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Wooden beach huts are a fixture all along the British coastline. The quirkiest, brightest, and most desirable are the subject of books and TV shows—despite being no bigger than around 60 square feet. With many passed down through families, they are notoriously difficult (and expensive) to get hold of.
So when Amy Bannerman, pre-loved style director for eBay and founder of slow fashion brand Francine, had the chance to acquire one 18 months ago, she didn’t dawdle. Located a short drive away from her home in the historic town of Hastings, it quickly became a fun base to hang out on the beach with her five-year-old son, Alfie, without having to lug all the usual swim stuff around. “My mom’s Canadian and the funny damp wood smell it has inside takes me right back to our family house there,” she says.
The charming hut came filled with previous owners’ belongings. A daybed and a table proved useful, but any decor touches that were too nautical-inspired were taken to a thrift shop. “I didn’t want it to feel too over-the-top, but I kept the ‘wet stuff’ sign because it makes me smile. And if you can’t have a beach sign in a beach hut, when can you?” Bannerman reasons.
As her job title suggests, Bannerman is obsessive about sourcing second-hand clothing and interiors. But she’s also passionate about good design, so she teamed up with Colours of Arley founder Louisa Tratalos to make use of offcuts and seconds from the latter’s customizable fabric brand. “I gave her reference sheets of really rich colorways from the catwalks of Prada and Miu Miu,” explains Bannerman. The result is a fun, striped counter skirt in shades called Bon Bon and Mulled, and a long curtain that pulls across to create a private changing area. Bold cushions and a loose trim on the daybed continue the stripe theme without a hint of predictable blue-and-white.
Bannerman’s love of old things even extends to towels: “My mum will pass on threadbare ones that I had as a kid. I find them so soft and useful to have in the hut.” And there’s also a small collection of vintage jumpers, “which are good to throw on after you’ve been for a cold dip in the sea.”
When something isn’t quite working in Bannerman’s house, she’ll take it down to the hut for a new lease of life. That explains the highly-collectible Habitat Crayonne mirror on the wall, and Alfie’s toy IKEA kitchen in the corner “which he wasn’t really playing with but gets used a lot here.” Bannerman had designed checkerboard banquette pads with Colours of Arley for her dining area but had them made too tall, “and now they fit here perfectly,” she says (they provide back support along the daybed).
Naturally, friends are always keen to take up invites down to the hut. “It feels really wholesome when we’re here. The kids are free to explore and are always looking for shells and pebbles,” she says. They come armed with supplies as the unit doesn’t have electricity or running water.
What’s great is it’s not just a summer fling. “In winter, with the doors closed, it’s so cozy,” she says. Over time she has layered in rugs and blankets, making it a year-round destination. “Alfie and his friend pull the long curtain across and make themselves a den—he absolutely loves it here.”
