CASE STUDY

IN THE PICTURESQUE town of Lavenham in Suffolk, Christopher Ash and James Soane have built a new home that blends well with its historic surroundings. Although based in London with their architectural practice Project Orange, they drive to East Anglia every weekend and consider it home. “It’s the perfect antidote to the stresses and busyness of the city,” James says. “We come here and relax – the pace is slower, the people are friendly and there’s a real sense of community.”

Outside, in their back garden, which is equally well designed and tended, with glimpses of medieval rooftops and fields, they recently built a wooden summerhouse as a place to entertain and unwind in warmer months. The modern garden building has a rustic aesthetic but combines traditional elements, too. Made from wood, it has a black-stained finish – a treatment that is often used to preserve clapboard barns and agricultural buildings in this area of East Anglia – and a pitched roof that is cleverly sectioned with pockets for planting.

The summerhouse is sited at the end of a path in the garden between raised beds, surrounded by clipped evergreens and box ball, and has its own little terrace, which has been furnished with allweather sofas, cushions and loungers. Inside, the white walls and floor make the space light and serene, while graphic prints on cushions and folding furniture and a daybed continue the fresh, contemporary style. Project Orange (projectorange.com).