FORMER WALES STAR COOPER LEFT ‘TOTALLY BETRAYED’ BY HIS WIFE AND FRIEND IN £1M CON
BARN conversions come in all shapes and sizes but all are unique to the building’s past and to the new owner’s personal interior requirements.
Called Squirrel Oak Barn, this incredible £1m conversion in the Vale of Glamorgan is unique in many ways – obvious from the moment you turn into the driveway.
The views are sweeping and uninterrupted and surround the whole plot, so any direction you turn will reveal a slice of beautiful countryside.
The barn itself looks like it has been converted into a dream home, if the attention to detail of the exposed stonework, windows and doors on the outside are an indication of what is waiting for a potential buyer inside.
Then there’s the garage, converted from a smaller farm building, that can welcome up to four cars and a garden that is big enough to accommodate the next Champions League final – maybe the pitch, if not the stadium.
And so to the most unique aspect of this property for sale – a separate and huge spa and leisure suite housed in a building that is larger than the actual converted barn.
According to the estate agent selling the property, the barn renovation covers approximately 1,277 square feet, while the spa is a whooping 1,509 square feet.
On the outside the spa has been clad in dark wood and features an asymmetrical sloping roof to give the building more country character than a regular new-build in a rural setting.
On the inside there is a collection of rooms offering a good selection of spa experiences.
There’s a heated swimming pool and hot tub that open up on to garden decking via floor-to-ceiling bi-fold doors.
In the adjacent games room, separated from the pool area by a glass internal wall, there is room for a snooker table, a football table, gym equipment or sofa-strewn chilling-out area.
A new owner can basically decide how they want to equip this versatile space to suit their needs and wants, which also has glass doors out on to the garden.
At the rear of this impressive building is a separate sauna, a shower room for rinsing off all that pool water and a dedicated tanning room for anyone wanting a bronzing “top-up”.
There are plenty of activities here for a new owner to spend all day resting, playing and tanning at their own personal spa.
If the pool party participants can ever drag themselves away from the spa and to the main house, they had better take their mucky shoes off and have clean hands; the inside of the barn is almost completely white and definitely spotless.
The interior design within this period property is contemporary – white walls creating a clean and modern atmosphere, with arguably the showcase room being the kitchen.
There are the expected high-spec additions a buyer would expect in a dream kitchen in a dream home, including integrated Siemens and Miele appliances, Quooker tap, wine cooler and Corian worktops.
Handle-less gloss-white units, white walls and a white floor mean the whole room is a seamless canvas for the feature beams.
Even the huge island unit that can easily seat four people does not dominate the space.
There are accents of grey to complete the modern style, but that doesn’t mean the home is cold and clinical.
The base of white and grey creates a calm backdrop for the exposed wood ceiling beams, fireplace mantels and window lintels to be the stars of the show, not surrounded by colour and clutter to lessen their visual impact.
All the roof structures in the upstairs rooms are like pieces of unique artwork and a reminder of the age and character of the building.
Warmth and texture is created by a number of wood storage areas built into the walls and exposed stone feature walls.
Tiles have texture, carpet where laid is thick pile and most rooms feature wood or thick fabric furniture. It’s not all about the white in this home.
There are some clever design features that give this home even more character.
A bespoke hob extractor is hidden in a suspended ceiling that hangs from the central section of the kitchen.
But instead of a boring box shape, it is a bespoke curved design that brings movement and a soft shape to a space that is predominantly full of straight lines and sharp corners.
Another intriguing feature is the glass internal wall between the kitchen and living room.
A potential buyer might think that there’s nothing too unusual about this, until they see that the wall is actually sectioned glass like a bi-fold door and can be completely opened to create a seamless openplan space between the two sociable rooms.
And when someone burns the toast, the wall can be moved back into position to stop the smell spreading and every smoke alarm going off.
Also on the ground floor is a separate dining room, cloakroom and utility room.
The impressive double-height entrance hall with first-floor galleried landing enjoys one complete wall of exposed stone plus a bespoke wood staircase.
Ascend these stairs and there are four bedrooms to discover.
The master suite boasts an eye-catching restored roof structure, best viewed from the bed, which is also the optimum position to enjoy the rural views through the glass doors to the Juliet balcony.
The suite also has a contemporary en-suite shower room and walk-in wardrobe.
Bedroom number two also has an en-suite and the remaining bedrooms are all doubles.
The family bathroom on this first floor is a stylish space that would not look out of place in a five-star hotel.
The feature slate tiles on the side of the bath and back wall not only create a seamless visual flow and connection between the two areas but also bring texture and colour to an otherwise shiny white space.
But how often will a new owner actually be enjoying the use of this bath and, indeed, the whole beautiful barn, with the spa calling out to them to visit next door? Maybe it depends how dark a tan they want to achieve.
■ Squirrel Oak Barn near Cowbridge is on the market for a guide price of £999,950 with Watts & Morgan. Call their Cowbridge branch on 01446 773500 for further information.