The barn they found is vast and it was a bit of an overwhelming prospect for the family. They loved the scale of the buildings but they wanted our team to make it cosy for the four of them as well as an epic entertaining space for bigger gatherings. Much of the beauty of the original beauty of the building had been lost behind modern insulation, poor glazing and stark flooring. Contemporary partition walls had broken up its natural flow and a mezzanine office blocked light and took away from the scale of the building. By removing metres of contemporary stainless steel walkways and staircases that blocked views and felt cold we revealed the extraordinary architectural features of the barn. New windows, antique flooring, large fireplaces to our design, traditionally made bespoke joinery, furniture and lighting all added together to make a warm and welcoming home that feels like it has evolved over time. It has been a wonderful project of collaboration with the clients and as times changed with Covid, so did our brief. A music studio was built, a swimming pool added into one of the courtyards and a tennis court will be come next. It really is the perfect country home that works as well with two people in it as it does with a huge party.
What an epic home filled with everything you could possibly need – including 3 kitchens?! I love that Emma Kirby Design de-modernized it and highlighted so much of the original architecture. Brilliant.