BUCKS NEW BUILD

Sometimes, the only thing to do is knock it all down and start again

What

do you do when you’ve outgrown your home but love its location too much to move? That’s the dilemma the gilmour family found themselves in for years – constantly on the lookout for exciting properties for sale in their Buckinghamshire market town, all the while making do in a too-small house. But then the plot that was to become their future home came up for sale.

‘we love this area and have a wide circle of friends and family here,’ says Jane. although the couple had extended their current property, Jane’s husband stewart was eager for a new challenge. ‘he has endless energy,’ she says.

‘he would take on another project tomorrow if he could.’

The property they bought had belonged to an elderly lady and hadn’t been touched in years. ‘we loved the quiet location at the end of a cul-de-sac, and we had been looking for a property that we could either extend significantly or knock down and rebuild,’ says Jane. given how rundown the house was, the couple chose to do the latter.

For seven months, while the couple developed their meticulous plans, the family of five lived in the rundown property. ‘it was small and quite cold, but we managed to have fun. let’s just say, it was not without its challenges,’ says Jane. with the plans finalised, the gilmours

decamped to Jane’s parents’ home for a year, while the job of knocking down and rebuilding began.

Stewart, who has a degree in industrial design, put his skills to use conceiving the new house, enlisting the help of architectural firm OB Architecture towards the end of the design phase. Having lived in London where space is at a premium, he was keenly aware of how to utilise every inch of square footage. ‘Stewart designed the footprint to maximise the space in the plot, which has an unusual fan shape. Every inch has been dedicated to something useful,’ explains Jane. The house is tilted diagonally across the plot, with a slightly shorter depth of lawn at the front. Impressively, Stewart also threw himself into the project management and the build itself, working on the brick cladding, landscaping the garden, and building the decking and children’s playhouse.

Sharing a love of skiing, the family had a clear vision of their future home, which would be inspired by a contemporary yet cosy ski chalet. In wintertime, with underfloor heating in all the downstairs rooms and two open fireplaces, the house really comes into its own. ‘It’s incredibly economical and the heating bills are very low,’ says Jane. Walking into the open-plan kitchen, you’re met by a fireplace that is angled in three directions. ‘We

What we love most about living hereé ‘The abundance of countryside. We’re in the Chiltern Hills and there’s a lot of local woodland. The transport links to London and the local schools are also both fantastic’

What makes this house a homeé ‘All the colour we’ve added throughout, and the central warmth of the fireplaces’

wanted it to be a central feature with the rustic brick chimney stack stretching up to the next floor,’ says Jane. A log pile, built into the wall, adds to the charm.

As the property was taking shape, it became obvious that colour would be important. ‘In the early stages, the skeleton of the house was very neutral so we wanted to introduce a vibrant palette that would make our home unique,’ says Jane. She had reconnected with a childhood friend, Annabel Smith, who runs her own interior design firm, and together the two women worked on numerous mood boards and schemes to bring the house to life, including plans for several feature walls. Annabel also helped in upholstering furnishings and making light shades.

Stewart and Jane love entertaining, so chose to include a kitchen bar, as well as free-flowing space from the kitchen to the living area, ideal for hosting guests. The family room, separated from the kitchen by a sliding pocket door, gets a lot of use in the evenings. ‘Often the girls will be watching a film in there while I’m cooking,’ says Jane.

And sliding doors open up the entire ground floor to the garden, so the chalet-style house reflects the seasons. ‘We like the sense of bringing the garden inside,’ says Jane.

ANNABEL SMITH INTERIORS, ANNABELSMITHINTERIORS.COM. OB ARCHITECTURE, OBARCHITECTURE.CO.UK.

Exterior The house fans out to match the shape of the plot. Stewart project managed the build, and installed all the insulation, studwork and plasterboarding himself.

Landing Sculptural lighting makes excellent use of the high ceilings above the living area. Pendant lights, Moooi.

Living room The openplan format of the downstairs space is ideal for family life. Similar log basket, Trouva.

Kitchen The sleek, modern space provides ample storage for all the family’s essentials. Kitchen, Red Kite Kitchens. Calabash pendants, Lightyears at Utility Design.

Living room A log pile cut into the chimney adds an interesting rustic architectural feature.

Kitchen A high bar area provides a sociable space for dinner guests to sit and enjoy a drink while the couple prepare the food. Henriksdalbar stools, Ikea; upholstered in Mosaic Mulberry mattoil cloth, Only Oilcloths.Mirror, Maisons du Monde.

Guest bedroom Unfussy modernist furniture is paired with elaborate floral wallpaper, and floating bedside tables cleverly conceal power points. Wallpaper, Designers Guild. Similar cube shelving, B&Q.

Bathroom A deep tub is the focal point of this modern scheme, while a punch of colour from the green side table adds interest to the calming grey tones. Similar table, Maisons du Monde.

Main bedroomA feature wall of coral Chinoiserie blossom offers a soft contrast to the more modernist furniture choices. Wallpaper, Harlequin.

Garden Cool Gardens designed the planting plan, but Stewart did all the landscaping himself, including laying the patios and gabion stone retaining walls. Similar fire pit, The Farthing.