Old Barn near Otley that hides a sensational modern makeover

WHEN Graham Bates gave a beautiful, rustic barn conversion an ultra contemporary makeover 12 years ago, it raised a few eyebrows. It was out with the beams and country florals and in with minimal, modern furniture and a glass and steel staircase.

Now barns everywhere are being updated in much the same way as owners realise that old and new work perfectly together in this type of property.

A seasoned property renovator and investor, and now chief executive of Eddisons Residential, Graham bought the property because he wanted to live somewhere more rural with plenty of outdoor space for his two sons.

“It’s very private but there are just a handful of neighbours so you don’t feel isolated. Another thing I like about it is that it has a huge amount of natural light,” says Graham, who spared no expense on the revamp.

“The staircase was was a major architectural job. I had to have a steel frame built into the wall to hold the cantilevered stairs,” he says.

Another big expense were radiators, which cost £600 each. He also ripped the light wooden floors up and replaced them with walnut, changed all the internal doors, knocked down walls to open up the downstairs space and had the whole house wired with the latest electronic gadgetry, including a Bose and Sonos sound system.

Much of the furniture is from Ligne Roset, including the white leather sofas, though one classic country essential has pride of place in the kitchen.

“I’ve discovered that I love Agas. I’m a complete convert,” says Graham, who added a swiming pool complex to the property, which now has 4,500 sq ft of space.

On the ground floor, there is a hallway with music area, a family room, open plan sitting room and a kitchen which opens onto an exterior dining deck. The leisure facilities include an indoor swimming pool with glass walls, a steam room, relaxing area, gym and cinema room.

On the first floor, there is a master bedroom suite with internal balcony overlooking the pool, a dressing room and en-suite bathroom, plus another bedroom and en-suite, a third bedroom and house bathroom. The second floor has two bedrooms and a wet room. The adjoining annex has its own external entrance but is also accessed from the main house and could be used as a home office, teenage studio or selfcontained accommodation.

Outside there is a large driveway with parking and a garage along with two acres of garden.

Graham is leaving to downsize and move closer to his sons’ high schools in Harrogate.

He says: “It has been an ideal place to bring up my two boys. They have loved it. It is an ideal family home with all the space you could need but it is too big for me now.”