Trend Spotlight: Japanese Inspired British Seaside Guest House

Amy Croft founded Modja Modja House, in Cliftonville Margate to conjures up notions of uncurbed exploration in both her B&B guests and resident artists.

 

Trend Spotlight: Japanese Inspired British Seaside Guest House

Amy came to us when she was renovating 1830's sweet shop as she wanted her future B&B guests to sleep comfortably, in style.

We loved getting to know Amy and being part of her journey in creating Modja Modja House. 

Modja Modja House

Q1.  What inspires your decor style?

I tried to embrace the amazing light which Margate has by keeping the overall colour scheme to a pale cream. Using this as a base I gave each of the house’s three guest rooms its own colour palette that plays with tonal combinations and textural layering inspired by Sanzo Wada’s 1934 “A Dictionary of Colour Combinations.”

I've been fascinated by the book for sometime - it is a collection of hues and shades largely from Japanese fashion and design which feel very unusual for a western colour palette and particularly in the combinations they play with.

Q2. What are your three must-have bedroom accessories?

Modja Modja House

A real hit with our guests has been the Ambient Sound Machine designed by my partner Yuri Suzuki. This small device creates an endless loop of ambient sound which by toggling a series of 32 switches you can select and condition the qualities of the sound. Guests have loved the "Spar-like" atmosphere that creates for them at Modja Modja House.

Storage is also always a key must have in the bedroom to hideaway the clutter and maintain a restful atmosphere. We commissioned emerging London based designer Jutta Goessl to create a series of bespoke storage solutions for our guest rooms in really beautiful deep reds and blues, complementing the existing colour schemes and blending into the rooms perfectly.

Modja Modja House


Finally it has to be a good bed and mattress! We have had so many comments about our amazing beds, for their incredible comfort but also the stunning design. We have the Maud cast iron bed in the bronze finish which I love for it's understated elegance.

Q3. What's been your favourite renovation project so at Modja Modja?

We decided to replace the kitchen and utility area floors with hand-made terazzo tiles from a family run company in Mallorca called Huguet.

They gave us the opportunity to design a bespoke pattern for Modja Modja House, so I developed a scheme which took inspiration from some original Cyclegraphs by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth. This type of photography was developed in the early 20th century to standardize and streamline work methods.

I took this aesthetic and applied it to the movements we commonly made around the kitchen - from oven to fridge, fridge to sink etc - Creating a series of repeatable patterns set into the cement tiles using small blue glass chips. I combined these movement lines with large circles created using a beautiful method of marbling cement colours.

The outcome is a really playful and unusual floor design which also doubles as a fantastic playspace for my daughter while we cook!

Modja Modja House

Q4. What's been your favourite vintage find?

Margate has some amazing vintage and second-hand furniture stores and we picked up a great day-bed which a local upholsterer Brigitte Lelievre recovered in a London underground fabric - to remind us of our days riding the Central Line!

Q5. Your one tip to anyone embarking on a renovation project right now?

Well beyond all the cautionary tales of budgets and builders, I would say have fun with it, and where possible get your friends involved!

Modja Modja House feels so special for us because every detail marks a point in the project's journey – symbolising friendships and commissions, acknowledging local brands, and celebrating iconic design pieces.


By sharing this space with our B&B guests and resident artists we hope it inspires them to embark on their own kind of uncurbed exploration!

Explore Modja Modja House stunning 3 bedrooms, each with their own unique look and book your relaxing stay today. 

All photography by Nick Clark.