A home by the sea

Even on grey days, the view from this Port Isaac balcony is incredible

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? The more I travel, the harder that question is to answer, and my recent trip to Port Isaac has added another option to the ever-growing list.

This tiny fishing village in North Cornwall is best known as the setting for the sweet UK series Doc Martin, and like most tourists, I was there to see the grumpy doc’s house, Large Restaurant and Louisa’s pretty school (all in the name of journalistic research, of course!). Usually, going behind the scenes of a TV show strips the magic a little, but in Port Isaac, it’s all there: the view, the harbour, the soundtrack of seagulls, the quirky locals and the whitewashed houses. Approximately five minutes in, I was ready to stay for good.

A balcony for all seasons

I'm so happy to announce that the Love is growing! Balcony Love’s very first guest post comes from my mentor, the wonderful editor of Country Home Ideas magazine, Margaret Megard. She shares a magic (and homesick-inducing) moment on her Sydney balcony...

Feel the love

What happens when you see something beautiful? Does your heart skip a beat? Does a little thrill run through you? It does for me. Small things, like a poppy pushing through cobblestones or a perfectly chiselled wooden spoon, give me a jolt of joy so powerful I wonder how anything could be wrong with the world.

It’s the same with balconies. Tiny pockets of floral triumph, secret spaces with million-dollar views, a place for washing and people-watching, balconies are something I’ve been drawn to all my life. Lately, it’s become an even greater obsession. Two trips to Europe in recent years have opened my eyes to the most beautiful examples and I’ve found myself training my camera lens on terraces instead of churches, window-boxes instead of sculptures. The first time, it inspired me to fill my own modest apartment balcony with geraniums, hydrangeas and succulents, but this time around, I don’t have the same outlet. Intent on discovering even more of Europe, I’ve moved from Sydney to London, which means I've gained an exciting new adventure but lost my beloved balcony.

So, I’ve decided that the answer to this small problem is to do what any enthusiastic Gen Y-er would – start a blog. I have no idea if anyone will share my passion for the simple combination of railing, pots and, more often than not, bougainvillea, but the internet spins a wide, wide web and I hope that somewhere, someone will see these pictures, read these posts and feel the same little thrill as I do.

It’s my way of spreading the (balcony) love.

White and brights in Mykonos

Pure romance in Positano