Photo: Chris Snook © 2015 Houzz

Sue Stubbs

A bedroom painted in Farrow and Ball Pigeon, with paneling added.. Wall lighting and upholstered headboard. Brass and Matt black accessories.

Unique Home Stays

Alison Hammond

Hidden within a clearing in a Grade II listed arboretum in Hampshire, this highly efficient new-build family home was designed to fully embrace its wooded location. Surrounded by woods, the site provided both the potential for a unique perspective and also a challenge, due to the trees limiting the amount of natural daylight. To overcome this, we placed the guest bedrooms and ancillary spaces on the ground floor and elevated the primary living areas to the lighter first and second floors. The entrance to the house is via a courtyard to the north of the property. Stepping inside, into an airy entrance hall, an open oak staircase rises up through the house. Immediately beyond the full height glazing across the hallway, a newly planted acer stands where the two wings of the house part, drawing the gaze through to the gardens beyond. Throughout the home, a calming muted colour palette, crafted oak joinery and the gentle play of dappled light through the trees, creates a tranquil and inviting atmosphere. Upstairs, the landing connects to a formal living room on one side and a spacious kitchen, dining and living area on the other. Expansive glazing opens on to wide outdoor terraces that span the width of the building, flooding the space with daylight and offering a multi-sensory experience of the woodland canopy. Porcelain tiles both inside and outside create a seamless continuity between the two. At the top of the house, a timber pavilion subtly encloses the principal suite and study spaces. The mood here is quieter, with rooflights bathing the space in light and large picture windows provide breathtaking views over the treetops. The living area on the first floor and the master suite on the upper floor function as a single entity, to ensure the house feels inviting, even when the guest bedrooms are unoccupied. Outside, and opposite the main entrance, the house is complemented by a single storey garage and yoga studio, creating a formal entrance courtyard to the property. Timber decking and raised beds sit to the north of the studio and garage. The buildings are predominantly constructed from timber, with offsite fabrication and precise on-site assembly. Highly insulated, the choice of materials prioritises the reduction of VOCs, with wood shaving insulation and an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) to minimise both operational and embodied carbon emissions.

The master bedroom is located at the top of the house. Once again, maximum use has been made of the available space by extending into the former loft area. A mezzanine dressing area has been created, reached via a cantilevered oak staircase with a structural glass balustrade. Photographer: Bruce Hemming

Photography: Werner Straube

A beautiful light master bedroom with a neutral and grey colour palette. The oyster grey rug is heavenly to walk on and the wall of built in cupboards makes it easy to keep organised and tidy. We have been careful to combine traditional elements such as the cornicing and period windows with contemporary features such as the dark wood flooring and fitted cupboards. It leads on to an amazing en suite bathroom - see photo

Pernilla, http://houseoflocations.com/

Pale pink and Emerald green Master bedroom with South American Influences.

Guest bedroom featuring hot pink and green. Beautiful impressionist art style wallpaper is the inspiration matched perfectly with a walnut bed and glass bedside tables so as not to obscure the paper.