CLEAN AND SIMPLE
Sleek contemporary furniture and a muted colour scheme are the hallmarks of the Turners’ striking new house
Having spent most of their married life living in various rural period properties dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, Judith and John Turner had never thought about living in a more modern home. So when the opportunity came up to build their own brand-new house on an attractive plot, it meant a complete shift in lifestyle. The couple had not long relocated to a Welsh farmhouse to be near their daughter and her family – and the plot they were being offered was back near the area they had just moved from in West Sussex.
‘John’s friend, Nick Lomax from LCE Architects, was selling off part of his mother-in-law’s garden,’ says Judith. ‘And John has always wanted to build a house – he’s a consultant chartered quantity surveyor – so we couldn’t resist taking a look.’
The Turners liked the location of the south-facing plot that was within walking distance of the village. Plus they loved the privacy offered by three old flint walls protected under conservation. Nick’s outline design was sympathetic, resulting in a discreet house set low on the plot with a flat roof. Distinctly contemporary, with Western red cedar cladding and large amounts of glazing, the design was a new concept for the Turners to consider. ‘ We didn’t want a pastiche house and felt that Nick’s design blended in well with the surroundings,’ says Judith. ‘I was also slowly getting used to the idea of a more compact way of living as when we moved to Wales, we also bought a flat in London, so we had a place where we could be near to our son and his family.’
The conservation area plot became a contentious point during the planning process with 43 local objections – but an overall vote worked in the Turners’ favour, thanks to a progressive planning officer. The building work finally began in March 2015, taking 11 months to complete.
During this time, the Turners sourced their kitchen and bathrooms and planned the interiors well in advance of the structural work being finished. They also had to make the conscious move away from antiques and period decoration, embracing a light, clean, contemporary scheme for the first time. Such big changes meant buying a whole house of new furniture, and the couple began with the pale grey leather sofa and chairs, which they had spotted on display in Boconcept’s showroom. ‘We didn’t want fussy furniture anymore and liked the clean lines of this style,’ says Judith. ‘Boconcept produced a CAD drawing so we knew how the furniture would look and fit before the sitting room was even finished.’
The couple admit it was hard to let go of their old belongings at first. ‘ We had an antique dining table that held many happy memories,’ says Judith. ‘But it wouldn’t have suited the modern kitchen, and I had to remind myself that we didn’t want clutter.’
The new dining table, from Calligaris, is made with a grey ceramic resin top, which they matched
BEST BUY ‘We love the simple design of the dining table. The ceramic surface is so durable I can place a hot pan on it straight from the oven’
with upholstered grey chairs. ‘They’re far more comfortable to sit on than our old antique chairs,’ Judith continues. ‘In the end, it felt quite cathartic to be able to start afresh with our furnishings.’
A few pieces remain from their previous home – the travertine marble and smoked glass coffee table, artwork rejuvenated with plain white frames and a treasured mahogany elephant from a holiday in Sri Lanka. Now in their second phase of retirement back in West Sussex, living here has been a pleasant surprise to the couple – for Judith in particular.
‘If someone had said to me eight years ago we’d be living in a contemporary house, I wouldn’t have thought it true,’ she says. ‘Now I love this way of living, and I don’t know why we didn’t do it before. The house design is perfect – it has no wasted space – and the south-facing light is lovely.’