Hankering for the beach lifestyle of her native Denmark, Elsebeth Gatacre and her husband Thomas, stumbled upon West Wittering. There they found a run-down bungalow built around some beautifully preserved railway carriages. With considerable vision, they turned the bungalow and carriages into a delightful family home. Here Bella, the couple's daughter, stands on the first floor balcony. Thomas built the fence from driftwood.

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Our house arrived on a lorry
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Elsebeth walks between the old railway carriages and the pool, which is heated by solar panels. 'We love being here,' she says. 'When we walk in I always breath a huge sigh of relief.'

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Our house arrived on a lorry
A natural retreat

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The large open-plan kitchen, with its white tongue-and-groove walls, is a stylish place for cooking and entertaining. Being Danish Elsebeth wanted a simple open-plan feel with white walls and untreated pine floors that could form the backdrop for carefully chosen objects.

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Our house arrived on a lorry
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When the house on the plot next door went up for sale the couple decided to buy it. They have now turned this into a guest house and this building, and the swimming pool which they had built, have become something of a paradise for the couple's teenage children and their friends.

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Our house arrived on a lorry
A natural retreat

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The kitchen opens on to the garden, which leads down to the sea. 'I'm delighted with the way the garden and houses have come together,' says Elsebeth.

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Our house arrived on a lorry
A natural retreat

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With a glimpse of the ocean and gentle sea breezes, this window seat is a perfect place to snooze. Plush though the home is now, for the first three years the couple did not have the money to renovate it. That did not stop them heading there from London to play on the beach and and plant their allotment in the village.

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Our house arrived on a lorry
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In the master bedroom, the air of understated elegance continues with a strong Scandinavian influence. 'Placing our bedroom and the children's bedrooms upstairs while keeping the railway carriage bedrooms downstairs for guests was inspired, and meant we could have a bit of space when family and friends came to stay,' explains Elsebeth.

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Our house arrived on a lorry
A natural retreat

We live in a railway station