Take a tour of this magpie’s retreat in Margate: The Tides

When Zoe Lower and her boyfriend Titus moved to Margate back in 2020, no one could have predicted what the upcoming years would have in store. Inspired by their own travels around the world, they spent most of lockdown transforming a six-bedroom townhouse into a colourful haven for the global gallivant. Each room will take you on a journey across the world, from Japan to Morocco.

If Zoe’s glittering transformations at The Mermaid Cave (the travelling business she founded back in 2015) were anything to go by, it was apparent from the start that The Tides, Margate was going to be a saturated success story. From reupholstering their own furniture to creating their own art, their seafront guesthouse and shoot location is a love letter to the repurposed, second-hand, and vintage.

We sat down with Zoe to talk about all things eco-friendly decorating, going bold with contrasting colours, and DIY corner-cutting.

We love how each of the rooms takes you on a tour around the world. What was the inspiration behind each of the designs? 

It was actually my boyfriend, Titus’ idea to do themed rooms. Each of the rooms are inspired by places we’d been on our travels.

My boyfriend Titus has spent quite a bit of time in Japan, so that’s where that came from. As the Japan room was initially our bedroom, he wanted it to be restful and have a monotone colour scheme, hence the black and white (with a bit of gold thrown in too). I’m obsessed with the kimono hanging above the bed in there too. Honestly, I’d grab Onyx (the cat) and that in a fire.

The vision for the Moroccan room was to create a dilapidated palace feel. Once I found the rugs it sort of took on a psychedelic sixties twist. Our only real extravagance was the rugs in the Moroccan room: they’re art for the floor! We’ve tried to buy as much as possible, locally, but you’ve got to have Moroccan rugs from Morocco. We got them on Etsy (which is a carbon-neutral company) and they’re also vintage, which makes me feel slightly better about it.

Bali’s probably the place I’d been to the most. I wanted to offer something a bit more ‘monk-like’ but still with a ‘Tides’ twist. The room’s neutral colour scheme gives it such a calming atmosphere, and everything in there is built for comfort. Many of the rooms have the most unbelievably soft sheets by Paragon Bamboo. It was so important for us to design spaces that felt like a retreat for our guests, and the sheets in the Bali room are the comfiest you will ever sleep in!

The Mexican room was inspired by our trip to Oaxaca just before lockdown. It’s very rainbow, with lots of cobbled streets. It’s got a really romantic feel there. We were inspired by the colourful, little churches you find there. So we decided to have stained glass windows in the bathroom. It’s meant to be a sort of cobbled courtyard garden. The walls are actually encrusted with used coffee grounds to create a textured look. So I kept them in the freezer for months before I started on those!

In three words, how would you describe your decor style? 

Hand-crafted, surrealist, detailed.

You have a wonderful attention to detail. How did you go about sourcing all the fittings and furnishings? 

I always know what I’m looking for, sometimes I just haven’t found it. When you do know what you’re after, Facebook Marketplace is great; otherwise, it can be a bit of a rabbit hole. We haven’t sourced anything from high-street retailers or Amazon. I actually did a panic dash to TK Maxx just before we opened, and had to take the stuff back as it just didn’t look right. Most of our fabrics are second-hand from eBay. Margate is great for antique and charity shops.

I love things that have a history, like the parasols in the Japanese room. I sent pictures of the room to a few of the people we bought them from, some of them were clearing out their granny’s loft, and they were so happy. It's lovely to be able to give something a new life, to show it’s gone from being hidden in the attic to pride of place in a new home.

What was your approach to sustainability when designing The Tides?

Maximalist design with minimal impact. That’s the key take-home, to tread lightly. Because I’ve been trying not to buy new, I’ve found some really weird and wonderful things. We want it to be escapist. We want guests to come here and feel like they're transported. I think one of the main things that makes us unique is that almost everything, from the canvases to the fabrics, is sourced second-hand. What isn’t, we’ve bought from brands that are ethical and eco-friendly. Our zero waste solution to bathroom luxury was found with the gorgeous FIILS products. They provide an all-natural, divine smelling range in a closed-loop supply, so we can offer all the hotel luxuries without the guilt of any waste in packaging. I also use leftover paint for my artwork and upcycling furniture. Nothing goes to waste!

What would your advice be to first-time upcyclers?

I’m a bit of a corner cutter, and my advice would be not to do this. The pieces where I’ve followed the steps are the ones that look the best. And they’re the ones that will stand the test of time.

We love how brave you’ve been with your colour combinations. How did you go about putting the colour schemes together?

I feel like I’m always treading the line between colourful and garish. But for me, colour soothes me. I probably have the same reaction when walking into the Moroccan room that most people get when walking into a neutral room. I'm a big fan of colour contrasts. I do a lot of fashion photography, so I’m always considering gradations and tones.

When it comes to putting a colour scheme together, sometimes it’s one random piece that can inform the whole palette. My biggest learning from the Moroccan room project was that it’s so much more difficult to find the perfect rug once everything else is in place. Find the rug first and then you can weave in the other colours and fabrics.

Fancy a trip to The Tides? You can book your stay on their website or give them a follow at @the.tides.margate to keep up to date with the latest news.