ESSEX BARN
IN NEED OF A PLACE TO GET AWAY FROM CITY LIFE, SARA MICHAELS FOUND AN ANCIENT BARN SURROUNDED BY LAND WHERE HER FAMILY COULD ENJOY A SENSE OF PEACE
This country house is the getaway that fulfils one family’s desire for silence, solitude and space
We
wanted a getaway, but it had to be in a rural location and within one-and-a-half hour’s drive from our London house, with good motorway access,’ says Sara Michaels of her and husband Nick’s hunt for a country home where they could spend time away from their hectic London lives.
Their search took them to a hamlet in Essex where a barn, adjacent to the property they had originally gone to view, caught their eye. ‘It was enormous, black, wooden, unconverted and surrounded by its own land. All boxes were instantly ticked!’ As there was no one around, the couple decided to take a look. ‘The barn was all boarded up,’ says Sara. ‘I tried a door and it was open so we went inside. Much to our surprise an alarm went off!’ Sara and Nick rang the agent who was selling the farmhouse they had gone to view and, having assured them that their intentions were honourable, made an appointment to see the barn which, as it turned out, was also about to come on the market.
This ancient barn suited the couple’s needs perfectly – it was close enough to London and situated in beautiful countryside with good dog walking on their doorstep. Sara and Nick had loved the open-plan living style that the space lent itself to, as well as the four acres of land and cart lodge that came with it.
The current owner had been in the process of renovating the barn and agreed to stop work and sell it as it stood with the
planning permission for a residential property in place. ‘Importantly for us the interior was still a shell and we were able to alter the floor plans to suit our own needs and ideas.’ Sara and Nick also ‘inherited’ the team of builders, who were happy to carry on working on the barn – just for a new client.
‘We wanted to maintain the integrity of the ancient barn and at the same time create a comfortable and modern home with a relaxed feel that would accommodate the family, as well as visiting friends,’ she says. Sara was also keen to create a decor where the use of wood and earthy tones would blend in and not detract from the original features.
Strict planning conditions meant that only the two ends of the large space could have a mezzanine level, so the couple created a bedroom and bathroom on each mezzanine level leaving the full atrium for the living area with its beautiful exposed beams. A second barn at right angles to the main barn, added in the 1950s, houses a spacious and dramatic kitchen and dining area with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the original farmyard. There is even space for Camden, Levi and Summer to have their own dog room, which features a special dog bath where they can be hosed down and dried off before going into the main house.
The house really has fulfilled all the couple’s expectations.
‘We feel so at peace here that we’re looking forward to the day when we can reverse the situation, making this our full-time home and London the place we visit at weekends!’