Escape to the country in style the converted barn with a modern touch
Zoe Glencross designs beautiful fabrics in soothing shades, which she’s used to create a stunning home that’s the epitome of modern country
Moving to the countryside had long been Zoe Glencross’s wish. Zoe and her husband, Jonah, had lived in Didsbury, a leafy suburb of Manchester, since their early twenties. “We loved Didsbury, but then we had children and it became a dream of mine for the boys (Ben, 12, and Toby, nine), to grow up in the countryside,” says Zoe. “I was raised in Sussex and spent holidays in Devon as a child, so I have lovely memories of a childhood full of freedom.” Jonah, a barrister, however, wasn’t keen to move away from the city as he had a short commute to work and loved the area. Then one day in 2013, while Zoe was driving through the Cheshire countryside, she spotted a building that would change their lives. “I was travelling along a country lane when I noticed a barn covered in scaffolding,” she says. “The barn was derelict, with birds’ nests in it and plants growing up the internal walls, but was being renovated. I told Jonah about it, but he said he wasn’t interested. However, the next day was a sunny Saturday and I persuaded >>
him to come with me to the site. He took one look at the view at the back and said that if he ever moved from Didsbury, it would be to here!”
So the family took the decision to move to the barn, which dates back to 1873. Having bought it, they remained in their Didsbury home for six months until the work on it was completed. Zoe wanted to make some changes to the build. “The developer’s plan was for a four-bedroom conversion that was minimalist, but that wasn’t what I wanted,” she says. “So we bought the barn off-plan and the developers planned the layout while I chose everything for the interior.”
Zoe’s priority was to give the barn character, as she and Jonah had only lived in period houses previously. “This was basically a new-build in an old skin – and new-builds can feel rather cold and sterile,” says Zoe. She wanted to create a contemporary rural style that incorporated texture, print and pattern in the soft furnishings. The natural surroundings had inspired Zoe to start her own business designing fabrics, and she has used her linens to create elegant schemes for her home set against a largely neutral backdrop.
“I tried to use a chalky palette in the main areas of the house so that they flowed, but I also incorporated accents of colour, such as the deep blue in the living room, for cosiness and warmth.”
When Zoe and Jonah had first viewed the barn there was no staircase leading upstairs, so it was only when their home was finished and one had been fitted, that they realised that the sun rises over the Peak District hills at the back. “The view from our bedroom is amazing – it’s wonderful to look out of the window first thing in the morning,” says Zoe. “Living here is so peaceful. It feels completely different from living in the city and we’ve never regretted making the move.” w&h