Our latest feature in the current issue of Country Homes & Interiors, April 2023, is a tour of the Pittenweem home of Sam Withall, owner of the magical fashion and lifestyle store in Elie, Sam By The Sea, @sambythsea on Instagram.

Entitled 'The Best Medicine': owners, Sam and Toby Withall bought and renovated a former doctor’s surgery and its adjoining home to create a chic and stylish residence, complete with a stunning holiday let in the original consulting rooms.

The house was put on the market when its previous owner, Dr Kennedy, a long serving local GP, passed away during the winter of 2017.

It was the winter of the Beast from the East and only the bravest were looking at properties during the worst of the snowfall, but when the initial sale fell through Sam and Toby were first through the door. ‘I used to drive past it and thought it was extremely pretty and when it came on the market, I was very curious, but Toby was not keen at all’ Sam recalls, ‘but when we looked round, he became absolutely determined to go ahead, we struck a deal and bought all the contents as well.’

Sam removed decades old red gloss paint from the stone staircase during lockdown, a very satisfying job, despite the probably rather dangerous chemicals involved she reports! The pendant light is from Oka The walls are painted in ‘Railings’ by Farrow & Ball up to wainscot height.

The house was dated but very clean, it was not derelict, and it had a lovely feel to it.

The Kennedys had married in 1964 and had clearly decorated then, installing things like a blue bathroom suite, the height of fashion at the time, but it had not been touched or altered since. It was definitely in need of modernisation! 

‘We had a party when we first moved in that we christened the ‘What The F*** Are They Thinking’ party, a friend commented that scaffolding might have been a useful housewarming gift’ Sam laughs. However, two years later, in 2019, it was completed, and the same friends have been nothing but complimentary.

They got the kitchen for free, a friend with a very strong sense of style, bought a new home with a very good quality kitchen, knowing it was not right for her and Sam nabbed it.

‘Our joiner was able to slightly remodel it to fit the space, but it was enormously satisfying for everyone to save it from a skip’ she recalls. The single storey extension on the east side was a warren of small spaces: a corridor leading to a sewing room and a utility room. They have now opened it up into a spacious new kitchen, stretching from the front of the house to the back. The old kitchen is now the dining area.

‘Our previous home was lovely, but a little small for welcoming our adult children and wider family and friends, so we are delighted with all this space, plus, the prospect of an adjoining holiday let felt like a very good opportunity’ Sam reflects.

The process was not without drama.

‘We had a builder lined up, but at the last minute he realised the project was too much for him, a larger firm stepped in and did a wonderful job’ Sam explains. The family had to move out for six months which added to the budget, to keep costs down she researched like mad, finding bargains on eBay and fabric and carpet remnants that she would snap up for a steal.

The previous owners had opened up what is now the drawing room and master bedroom, into a large drawing room with a grand piano. Sam and Toby reinstated it, as two rooms the wall had been removed just up to the cornice, so it was easy to complete neatly. They rewired and updated the central heating, replacing the oil-fired boiler with a more efficient gas boiler, but keeping the beautiful original radiators, ‘I sent them to Powderhall Bronze, a foundry in Edinburgh, to be refurbished and I bought more vintage radiators on eBay to extend the heating throughout.’

The result is a stunning family home, lived in, but without a doubt, chic rather than shabby.

‘I do not really have hobbies outside work, but I love doing up my house’ Sam admits, ‘I am quite happy researching for hours, I tear images out of magazines and file them away for each room and then recreate looks I particularly love. My best friend is an interior designer in Hereford, Louise Rogers  from No28 Interiors and she helped me source some great deals as well. I made a few mistakes along the way, but all in all, we are delighted.’

The walls in the master bedroom are painted in 'Borrowed Light' by Farrow & Ball a lovely gentle shade for a bedroom. The grey velvet throw and colourful cushions are all available from Sam’s shop in nearby Elie, Sam By The Sea

The wallpaper in Sam's daughter's bedroom is called ‘Yanagi’, in bright pastel by Linwood, the walls are painted in ‘Dorchester Pink Mid’ by Little Greene. The pale pink velvet throw and cushions are all from Sam By The Sea, the bed is from Loaf.

Sam found the amazing bathroom suite on eBay, the elegant white curtaining is from No 28 Fabrics & Interiors, the woodwork is painted in ‘Scree’ by Little Greene. The walls are painted in ‘Loft’, also by Little Greene.

You can find the Withall’s holiday home on Airbnb as a ‘Stylish 2 bedroom apartment in Pittenweem’.