From London to North Devon: The Story Behind Praktyka
There was a time when we lived and worked in Hackney, East London and spent our weekends trying to escape it.
We loved London. We loved the energy, the people, the art, the food, the possibility of it all.
But we also found ourselves craving being closer to nature.
In 2018, we decided to make the move.
We came to North Devon with a vague idea of creating somewhere that could be both a home and a creative project. We didn't have a finished business plan or a grand masterplan. We simply knew we wanted to make a place where people could slow down, spend time in nature and have the space to do something creative.
That place became Praktyka.
What is Praktyka?
Praktyka is Polish for practice.
The word has gradually come to define what we're trying to do here.
Practice isn't necessarily about becoming an expert or producing something perfect. It's about showing up. Making things. Trying something new. Getting things wrong. Paying attention.
We wanted to create somewhere that made it easier to do those things.
Today, Praktyka is a small creative retreat tucked away in the countryside of North Devon, close to the coast.
There are three very different places to stay: the Barn, the Dome and the Cabin.
Each has its own character, but they share the same idea — spaces designed to help you slow down and reconnect with your surroundings.
The Cabin is deliberately simple. A small architectural space for one or two people, with a private garden, outdoor shower and wood-fired bath.
The Dome sits beneath an ancient oak, surrounded by gardens, with views stretching across the Devon countryside.
The Barn is a little more spacious and homely, with a wood burner, underfloor heating, a well-equipped kitchen and room to settle in for a few days.
They are all a little bit out of the ordinary.
And that's intentional.
A place for making
Creativity has always been at the heart of Praktyka.
Ania is an artist, jeweller and photographer, and her studio is here at Praktyka. She runs jewellery-making workshops using traditional lost-wax carving techniques, as well as private sessions and creative experiences.
We've also started inviting other artists and makers to share their practices here.
Sometimes that means a jewellery workshop around a table.
Sometimes it means a retreat combining walking, drawing, printmaking and foraging.
Sometimes it means giving someone a quiet cabin for a week so they can simply get on with their own work.
We don't think you need to call yourself an artist to be creative.
You might want to draw.
Make something with your hands.
Write.
Take photographs.
Cook.
Garden.
Or simply sit somewhere beautiful and think.
There is no right way to practice.
Why North Devon?
Moving here wasn't simply about leaving London.
It was about moving towards something.
North Devon has a particular quality. There are dramatic coastlines, ancient woodlands, quiet lanes, sandy beaches and big skies. But there is also a strong community of independent makers, artists, farmers, food producers and small businesses.
We're still discovering it ourselves.
One of the things we enjoy most about having people stay at Praktyka is sharing some of those discoveries.
The hidden beaches.
The good coffee.
The pubs worth driving for.
The places to swim.
The artists and makers working nearby.
The walks that don't necessarily appear in a guidebook.
We're happy to share our favourite places, but we're equally happy when guests spend an entire day doing absolutely nothing.
Sometimes that's the point.
From a home to a creative community
When we started Praktyka, we imagined it as somewhere people could come and stay.
It has slowly become something more.
We've hosted families, couples, groups of friends, artists, designers, makers and people simply looking for a few quiet days away from normal life.
We've run workshops and retreats.
We've welcomed people from the creative industries and people who hadn't made anything since school.
And we've started developing artist residencies, giving people time and space to focus on their own creative practice.
The ambition is to keep this evolving.
We don't want Praktyka to feel like a finished product.
It's more like a slowly developing art project.
The gardens change. The buildings change. New ideas come along. We meet interesting people and find new reasons to collaborate.
That's probably why the name still feels right.
Practice.
A little bit of the outside world
Recently, our story was featured in the Evening Standard, which was a lovely opportunity to look back at how this slightly unlikely project came about.
The article explored our move from Hackney to North Devon, the restoration of the old farmstead and our hopes for creating a wider creative community here.
It was strange — and quite nice — to see our story described from the outside.
Because when you're living and working here every day, Praktyka doesn't feel like a finished destination.
It's our home.
It's where we work.
It's where we raise our family.
It's where we make things, grow things, repair things and occasionally wonder what on earth we're doing.
But when guests arrive, we see the place differently.
We notice the things they notice.
The light through the trees.
The sound of the owls.
The gardens.
The wood burner.
The feeling of being somewhere else.
And perhaps that's the real reason we built Praktyka.
To create a place where you can step outside your usual rhythm for a while.
Come and stay. Slow down. Make something. Find your rhythm.