British Houzz: A Contemporary Home With Country Charm
This new-build family home is modern, open and full of light, yet it blends in effortlessly with its traditional English country backdrop
It’s gutsy to build a modern family home in a traditional, rural village, but the team at Mailen Design used their creative judgement to achieve just the right balance of old and new. The resultant modern property is a marriage of vernacular materials and contemporary form in Buckinghamshire, UK.
“We tried hard to avoid transplanting a slick city house into historic Buckinghamshire,” says Kieran Hawkins, architectural director of Mailen Design. “Our aim was to construct a home that had the clarity and strength of an agricultural building, while providing an uplifting backdrop to daily life for the family.”
The owners were moving from a city and were keen for a design that felt like a “viking longhouse meets New York loft apartment”, the architect explains. “Their philosophy on the project was this: each decision you make should move you towards a simpler life.”
“We tried hard to avoid transplanting a slick city house into historic Buckinghamshire,” says Kieran Hawkins, architectural director of Mailen Design. “Our aim was to construct a home that had the clarity and strength of an agricultural building, while providing an uplifting backdrop to daily life for the family.”
The owners were moving from a city and were keen for a design that felt like a “viking longhouse meets New York loft apartment”, the architect explains. “Their philosophy on the project was this: each decision you make should move you towards a simpler life.”
“The clients had bought the land with roughly outlined planning approval already in place for a traditional barn-style building,” explains the architect, “but their ideas and tastes were more contemporary.”
It was crucial, though, that the building retained a recognisably traditional form, but with a sharp, modern outline and using a blend of old and new materials.
“The structurally insulated panels used to build the house offer rapid construction and exceptional environmental performance,” says Hawkins. “The clients have found the house is so well insulated they very rarely have to use the heating, even in winter. Friends think the concrete has underfloor heating, but it’s just the stored heat from the sunlight coming through the windows.”
Aluminium windows and doors: Velfac; clay roof tiles: Marley Eternit
It was crucial, though, that the building retained a recognisably traditional form, but with a sharp, modern outline and using a blend of old and new materials.
“The structurally insulated panels used to build the house offer rapid construction and exceptional environmental performance,” says Hawkins. “The clients have found the house is so well insulated they very rarely have to use the heating, even in winter. Friends think the concrete has underfloor heating, but it’s just the stored heat from the sunlight coming through the windows.”
Aluminium windows and doors: Velfac; clay roof tiles: Marley Eternit
The contemporary, flat-fronted door was made from engineered timber by the contractor and painted in a grey-blue for a bold, modern statement.
Door painted in Stiffkey Blue: Farrow & Ball
Door painted in Stiffkey Blue: Farrow & Ball
“When you enter the house, you’re presented with views across the whole ground floor, upwards to the bedrooms and through the roof lights to the trees and clouds beyond,” explains Hawkins. “We hoped to offer a sense of arrival into somewhere special.”
The walls throughout the downstairs are painted in a very pale grey, which marries harmoniously with the plywood stairs for a contemporary, pared-back feel.
Vitra Eames Hang It All coat rack: Nest; ceramic light fitting: Trainspotters; walls painted in ‘Ammonite‘: Farrow & Ball
The walls throughout the downstairs are painted in a very pale grey, which marries harmoniously with the plywood stairs for a contemporary, pared-back feel.
Vitra Eames Hang It All coat rack: Nest; ceramic light fitting: Trainspotters; walls painted in ‘Ammonite‘: Farrow & Ball
To enhance the flow of the space, pale, natural materials are used both inside and out. The partially polished concrete floors in the kitchen and hallway lead to Douglas fir boards in the living room, finished with a white oil.
Leather sofa: Heal’s; Muuto E27 pendant light: Made in Design
Leather sofa: Heal’s; Muuto E27 pendant light: Made in Design
The neutral living room is furnished with an easy-on-the-eye mix of simple, classic seating, a wood-burning stove and the odd splash of citrus yellow. Full-height cupboards next to the window (built by the contractor) offer plenty of storage space.
Rug: Habitat; Squirrel wood-burning stove: Morso; Mosto plaster wall light: Holloways of Ludlow
Rug: Habitat; Squirrel wood-burning stove: Morso; Mosto plaster wall light: Holloways of Ludlow
“The clients like to cook and entertain and wanted a simple kitchen with lots of natural light,” says Hawkins. The Ikea units are topped with a plywood benchtop, which is echoed in the bespoke plywood shelves and cover around the extractor fan.
It was the clients’ idea to paint half of the kitchen in dark blue. “It breaks up the wall surface and adds colour,” says Hawkins.
The sideboard is a vintage piece by McIntosh of Kirkcaldy and was given to one of the clients by their grandparents.
The sideboard is a vintage piece by McIntosh of Kirkcaldy and was given to one of the clients by their grandparents.
Pale plywood – shown here on the panelling either side of the patio doors – is a material that runs throughout the house, lending it a distinctly Scandinavian flavour.
Dining table: Ercol; Eames DSW chairs; The Conran Shop
Dining table: Ercol; Eames DSW chairs; The Conran Shop
“The split-level design of the home was very important in order to provide enough space and a sense of connection between different parts of the house,” says Hawkins. The bedrooms feel connected to the ground floor, but separated enough to give a sense of privacy. The plywood stairs and handrails are pale, sleek and fuss-free.
Upstairs, the pale plywood landing – a favourite spot for the family dog – is flooded with light, thanks to the large skylights above.
A trio of bare bulbs creates a contemporary industrial look, and a synergy between upstairs and down. “The timber beams are required for the structure,” explains Hawkins. “We left them exposed because the client wanted the building to be as pared-back as possible, with the structure on show.”
Small internal windows open from each bedroom onto the double-height hallway below. “The hatches felt right from the first time we sketched them,” explains Hawkins.
“They allow the clients to enjoy the double-height hallway from the bedrooms and to connect the first floor and ground floor in a way that gives them options of varying privacy levels,” he adds. It also allows easy communication between the bedrooms.
The family bathroom continues in the same design tempo as the rest of the house, using plywood panelling and light, neutral shades.
Basin and bath: Duravit; taps: Hansgrohe; Chalk Farm tiles: Walls and Floors
Basin and bath: Duravit; taps: Hansgrohe; Chalk Farm tiles: Walls and Floors
Once the family had settled in, the house gained a more lived-in look …
… and a new spot for the dog to snooze in.
Here’s the home office, in use, with views into the living area through large internal windows.
A few more artworks have also gone up.
Plans of the ground floor (above) and upper floor (below) show how the space has been laid out.
Who lives here: A couple and their 5-year-old son, plus the family dog
Location: Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, UK
Size: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Architect: Mailen Design
Contractor: Link Development & Groundworks Ltd
What looks like a traditional barn from the outside opens up into a thoroughly modern, free-flowing layout. The house has few walls and doors, and double-height spaces are flooded with light.
“The design developed within unusually tight parameters due to town planning, timescale and budget,” says Hawkins. “It was fantastic for us that, despite these constraints, the clients were always very clear on what they wanted – a unique and delightful family home that’s open, full of light and crisply built, but in keeping with a rural English setting.”