a star is born
With its verdant rural views and crackling woodburner, Sarah Nelson’s converted barn comes into its own in winter
All-round views of the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside teamed with a warm and welcoming interior turn this converted barn into something special
The interiors of Sarah Nelson’s rustic barn are the epitome of Christmas chic at this time of year, with roaring fires, flickering candles and reindeer decorations. ‘It’s cosy and it comes to life during the festive period,’ says Sarah.
The move to the barn came some 18 years ago. The family was living in Worcestershire when Sarah’s husband Mark got a job in London. ‘This barn in Oxfordshire was listed for sale online,’ says Sarah. There were just two problems: Mark didn’t want to live in a barn and it wasn’t a detached property, which had been at the top of the couple’s wish list. ‘I drove up to it and almost drove away again – it looked so small,’ Sarah recalls. ‘But then I spotted the paddock and the outlook, both of which I loved. Also, I’d grown up nearby, and being here felt like coming home.’
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
As it turned out, there was plenty of space inside, which was essential, as the couple’s children, Dan, now 22, and Chloe, now 20, needed room to run around. ‘I fell for the place there and then, so I took Mark along to see it,’ says Sarah. ‘He took one look at the paddock and said, “This is great – we’ll buy it.” He didn’t even need to look inside.’
Initially, the Nelsons didn’t carry out any work to the barn, partly as it had recently been converted. However, after three years they decided to build a green oak garden room. ‘Because of where the house was situated we only had one window that looked out over the fields,’
favou r i t e f e at u r e ‘Our woodburner was the best thing we bought. It makes our home so cosy during the winter’
says Sarah. ‘Adding the garden room meant we could see the view all around.’
Sarah and Mark also turned the sitting room, which was adjacent to the garden room, into a kitchen. ‘The space works brilliantly now,’ says Sarah. ‘Everyone used to gather in the sitting room while I was cooking, and I felt left out, but now they sit in the kitchen or the garden room, so it’s much more sociable.’
Sarah had very clear ideas about the look of her new kitchen. ‘I was keen to have painted cabinetry so I could change the colour whenever I wanted to,’ she says. ‘I chose an Aga with a fire surround as a focal point. I also installed a large island with a sink so I can look out to the front and back gardens while I cook.’
OLD MEETS NEW
Sarah’s signature interior style seamlessly blends Scandi and French influences with older pieces. ‘I love new things but prefer to mix them with pre-loved furniture,’ she explains. ‘Running my own interior design and homewares company, Vintage Barn Interiors, I often bring clients back to our home so the look has to be just right. Above all, though, it was important that this be an easy-going family home and not look too precious.’
The barn definitely comes into its own at Yuletide. ‘The children are home and we invite friends around. We wait until Dan’s birthday on 18 December is over, and the next day we buy the tree and put it in the garden room where there’s a woodburner. Then we enjoy mulled wine while we decorate it. It really is a special time of year.’