Fifty Shades of Grey author EL James shapes up £1.13M bungalow on Cornish coast

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Writer behind steamy trilogy bought drab coastal bungalow that she'll flatten and replace with sea-view mansion
Sleek open-plan build will have five bedrooms and come complete with a sun terrace, sauna, cinema and wet room
James has sold 125 million books, with film franchise and lingerie deals too, amassing a cool £75million fortune

Published: 06:30 EST, 11 September 2015 | Updated: 09:08 EST, 11 September 2015

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The hugely successful author behind the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy is to knock down a £1.13million sea-view bungalow and replace it with her own dream coastal retreat.

Multi-millionaire writer E.L James has been granted planning permission to demolish the 106 sq m north Cornwall home she bought in 2013 and erect a five bedroom mansion in its place.

The new build - which at 706sq m is almost seven times as big as the single-floor detached house which currently stands on the site - will come complete with a sauna, cinema and sun terrace.

The sleek, modern design envisaged by the architects is ironically reminiscent of the minimalist aesthetic beloved by Fifty Shades’ kinky protagonist Christian Grey, who seduces student Anastasia into an S&M relationship (artist's impression)

Plans by architect JC Starr even suggest the author - who's raunchy novels have earned her a £75million fortune - will use her new abode to turn to a new hobby away from writing...surfing.

Her three-floor seaside build is to include a store-room for surfboards, which will adjoin to an indoor wet room.

However, Ms James has opted not to follow suit and include her own sex dungeon in the new build.

Open plan living, dining and kitchen spaces will further enhance the spacious feeling within the property, while the ground floor level opens out naturally to a generous terrace at the front, giving distant panaramic views across the beach to the sea

Built on an incline, seaside retreat will offer unrivalled views off the British coast from every spot of its ground floor and master bedroom

The 52-year-old - who sold the rights to her book for a 2014 film adaptation for £3million - used to live in a £350,000 redbrick terrace house in unfashionable Brentford, West London.

But since since selling 125 million copies of her novels worldwide, she and screenwriter husband Niall Leonard have moved into a £2.65 million double-fronted, six-bedroom house in a neighbouring suburb.

They've now boosted their property portfolio with the perfect beach getaway.

Built on an incline, the seaside retreat will offer unrivalled views off the British coast from every spot of its ground floor.

Architectural designs show the layout of the mansion's lowest floor, which will house three en-suite bedrooms all with views over the sea

Plans for the vast seaside home show that it is set to have five bedrooms, a sauna and wet room, double garage and private cinema

Built on a grassy incline, the seaside retreat will offer unrivalled views off the British coast from every spot across its three floors

Positioned in such a way to create a sun trap for the entrance area, the vast home will cater to the needs of it’s beachside location with a dedicated utility block containing external covered showers, large beach store, a wet room and utility room, with a sauna available to help those who've been in the cool sea waters heat up.

In keeping with the local area, the mansion will be finished in timber, white render and slate.

James was this year ranked fourth in the list of Britain's top earning authors.

The new build - which at 706sq m is almost seven times as big as the single-floor detached house which currently stands on the site (pictured, left) - will come complete with a sauna, cinema and sun terrace. Author EL James (right) has dipped into her £75million fortune to build her dream holiday home

Her steamy novels already have a second film in the pipeline, with the promise of a third coming too.

They've also stemmed a successful line of lingerie, all of which have contributed to her usurping the likes of Jackie Collins in the writing rich list.

However, she has a way to go before she reaches the top spot - held by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who has an estimated wealth of £580million.