Durable, maintenance-free floating terrace with unique view

For a unique and contemporary home on the Looe coast in Cornwall, the low-maintenance Millboard boards were chosen. The Enhanced Grain in Smoked Oak enhances this home beautifully.

On the Looe coast in Cornwall (UK) lies this unique contemporary home. The living space is spread over two levels and it has several outdoor areas. The exceptional location – a cliff with phenomenal views over a beach on the south coast – also demands specific materials that can withstand the salty environment and various weather conditions. The home, designed by Harrison Sutton Partnership, won the CIAT award for ‘Excellence in Architectural Design’.

The combination of steel and timber create a unique look. Millboard boards were used for the terrace here not only for their characteristic appearance – the Millboard boards are virtually indistinguishable from genuine timber – but also due to the product's good performance, which is particularly important in a place like this, on the coast with salty sea air and often wet conditions.

The naturally warm appearance is the result of Millboard boards being exact, hand-formed replicas of oak boards. Enhanced Grain in the colour hue Smoked Oak was chosen here – a durable, versatile classic with the look and feel of natural oak. The elegant soft gray and brown shade looks decadent and at the same time contemporary and traditional.

This unique product is of high quality and can take a beating. Millboard decking is made of wood-free polyurethane combined with mineral stone, making it strong enough for year-round outdoor use. It will not warp or rot and has high dimensional stability. The boards are also resistant to all kinds of weather conditions and are maintenance-free. The resilient, non-porous top layer – one of the aspects that makes the board so unique – is inherently grippy and algae cannot adhere to it, giving it the best non-slip properties. The boards are also UV and weather resistant: in 25 years, no discolouration will be apparent to the naked eye. The perfect choice for this seaside home with floating terrace effect.