Conversations with Emily | Love Locations
“Stylist, creative director and visionary founder of Caravan, Emily shares the story behind her beautiful English seaside home, Sea Tower - from Shoreditch to Margate.”
By Lisa Clarke, Love Locations
Originally published by Love Locations. Republished here with kind permission.
from Shoreditch Pioneer to Seaside Sanctuary
When Love Locations invited me to talk about Sea Tower, it became a chance to pause and reflect, an opportunity to look back at the journey from Shoreditch to the Kent coast, and how Caravan gradually evolved from a shop filled with carefully chosen finds into a creative practice centred around styling, storytelling, and creating spaces that help people feel at home. We talked about the early days of Caravan, the restoration of Sea Tower, the beauty of working with old buildings, and how living by the sea has gently reshaped the way I see light, materials, and home.
I'm delighted to share the interview here in full.
Portrait of Emily Chalmers, photographed by Ellen Christina Hancock (above)
Emily sits in the entrance hall at Sea Tower. The leaded mosaic floor is an original feature, laid by Rust & Co. in 1882.
The family living room, photographed by Michael Branthwaite for Love Locations (above)
Originally used as a dining room, this space has unusual parquet patterning, carefully restored by Emily’s father after earlier flood damage.
What first attracted you to Shoreditch?
I was drawn to Shoreditch for its raw energy and creative potential - it was an affordable area back then, full of character, texture, and possibility. Chris and I moved into a large live/work industrial unit not long after we met. He ran his video production company from there, while I worked freelance as an interior stylist, author, and writer, alongside having the space to collect treasures from my travels.
Vintage floral cushions from Caravan, photographed by Annelie Bruijn (above)
“It was more than just a shop - it was a community, and it became an extension of the creative energy that fuelled my work.”
My first shop was on Cheshire Street, off Brick Lane, shared with a friend who made beanbags, surrounded by makers and artists. We’d open during market weekends - I used the basement for shoot prep during the week and sold my books and market finds upstairs.
It was more than just retail - it was a meeting place, a creative hub, and the beginning of something that would evolve far beyond a shop front.
Eclectic ceramics display poppies on a side table, photographed by Annelie Bruijn (above)
How did Caravan come to find its home on Redchurch Street?
Over our time in the next shop at Spitalfields, where Caravan had a wonderfully loyal following, the area was changing and developing at a startling rate, with the historic market becoming sleeker and more commercial. I felt ready to move somewhere that still had that raw edge. A friend was leaving their showroom on Redchurch Street (a building coincidentally owned by a local resident and Caravan customer), and I took it over. At the time, Redchurch was still an in-between street - a little off the map but brimming with potential.
The building itself was perfect: a generous space spread over three floors, with room for a stockroom in the basement, a spacious double-fronted shop floor above, and an office/studio space upstairs. It allowed Caravan to evolve - to feel more like a creative studio than just a retail space.
What began as a shop full of treasures naturally expanded into Caravan Style - styling, storytelling, and creating spaces that helped others feel at home, too.
Recently added stone balustrade fits seamlessly into the coastal garden, photographed by Annelie Bruijn (above)
How did you discover Sea Tower - was it love at first sight?
Sea Tower found me at just the right moment. My husband and I hadn’t set out with a plan to move. When we saw the property, with its sea views and sense of history, something clicked for both of us. It felt like a place where life and creativity could flow together naturally - a home that could evolve with us.
It was a big change from the city, and I’ll always have a soft spot for Shoreditch, but the pull was strong. In many ways, moving here felt like a continuation rather than a departure - a new chapter in the same creative story.
The bright and airy kitchen at Sea Tower, photographed by Michael Branthwaite for Love Locations (above)
A beautiful Lacanche range cooker sits by a Victorian ceramic sink. The limecrete floor provides a breathable finish, perfect for the property.
How did you approach the renovation?
Renovating Sea Tower was definitely a labour of love. It wasn’t without challenges - a Grade II listing, coastal weather, structural surprises, and layers of history hidden in the walls. But we approached it gradually, always respecting the building’s character.
The biggest lesson I learned was to see the renovation as part of the creative process, not something to rush. We balanced practicality with intuition- often stepping back and letting the space speak for itself.
For anyone starting out, I’d say think holistically - structure, light, materials, flow - it all connects. Let the house tell you what it needs.
The kitchen at Sea Tower, photographed by Michael Branthwaite for Love Locations (above)
An old butchers block pairs perfectly with a bright yellow desk, repurposed as the family dining table.
Tell us about the interiors - the textures and atmosphere
The kitchen was designed around simplicity and tactility. The poured limecrete floor adds a quiet strength to the space, grounding the more delicate, timeworn pieces. The bathroom was one of the first rooms to be furnished - the free-standing bath echoes original fireclay baths from the time Sea Tower was built in 1882.
The living room at Sea Tower, photographed by Michael Branthwaite for Love Locations (above)
Emily and Chris added a cosy wood-burner to the space. Natural sheep wool insulation lies below the flooring and above the ceilings throughout.
Throughout the house, polished raw lime plaster, clay paint, and linseed paint allow the walls and woodwork to breathe and age gracefully. Texture is everything here - softening the light and creating depth.
“The ‘perfectly imperfect’ aesthetic has always resonated with me - spaces with soul, that feel evolved rather than styled.”
The palette is neutral and layered rather than loud - perhaps an intentional shift from the busyness of the city. The changing light and sea views have become the main event.
The bathroom at Sea Tower, photographed by Michael Branthwaite for Love Locations (above)
A freestanding tub is flanked by softly ruffled shower curtains, while a swan (a familiar sight at Sea Tower!) holds toiletries.
The shower room at Sea Tower, photographed by Michael Branthwaite for Love Locations (above)
The large pink washbasin was a reclamation yard find, the large ornamental swan is from a selection at Emily’s shop, Caravan.
Sea Tower exterior, photographed by Annelie Bruijn (above)
Looking towards the house from the end of the coastal garden.
And the exterior?
Sea Tower is one of the original bungalows built on what became the first bungalow estate in Britain - a visionary seaside development inspired by single-storey homes in India in the late 1800s. The original geometric windows give the façade its distinctive character, while the veranda wraps around the house, providing shelter and a place to watch the storms roll in over the sea.
The tower itself offers a lookout across the water, and the garden runs right down to the shoreline - every view feels like a painting in motion.
Chalk cliffs and a sea view, photographed by Annelie Bruijn (above)
Enjoying high tide, from the end of the coastal garden.
Sea Tower is also available as a shoot location
Opening the house for shoots felt natural. It’s a real home, not a showroom, and that authenticity translates beautifully on camera. Through Caravan Style, I also offer styling support for shoots - reshaping layouts, layering details, and helping clients get the very best from the space.
The top tower room at Sea Tower, photographed by Michael Branthwaite for Love Locations (above)
How has life by the sea influenced your work?
Living here has changed my pace and perspective. I notice light more keenly and feel drawn to grounded materials - linen, plaster, wood, clay. The rhythm of the sea has brought a calm focus to everything I do.
Sea Tower captures everything Caravan Style has become - calm yet characterful, quietly imaginative, and deeply connected to its surroundings.
“Sea Tower is my home, but it’s also a reflection of everything Caravan Style stands for - creating space for your magic.”
Thank you, Lisa, for your thoughtful questions, and the invitation to share the story of Sea Tower and Caravan Style. Thank you, too, to Sam and Jacob for including my home in Love Locations’ wonderful collection of inspiring shoot locations.
Thank you for visiting the Caravan Style Journal ✨
Emily x
Read the original interview on Love Locations.
Exterior & product photography by Annelie Bruijn
Portrait photography by Ellen Christina Hancock
Interior shots by Michael Branthwaite for Love Locations
Styling by Emily Chalmers, Caravan Style
If you're looking for a characterful coastal location for photography, film or creative projects, explore Sea Tower or enquire about booking through Love Locations.