LABOUR of LOVE
It took years of hard work for Steph Sorby and Steve Dransfield to make the dream of building their own home come true
Patience was key in the journey Steph Sorby and Steve Dransfield took to make building their own home a reality. ‘We had owned this land for a while and realised it would be a great opportunity to build a home,’ says Steve. So having laid the foundations in 2007, there followed years of planning issues, which meant they didn’t start building until 2013. ‘We were living close by and leading busy lives, so it was always going to be a long, drawn-out process,’ says Steph.
Planning permission was granted on the proviso that it was built of oak, which would weather naturally over time. ‘We live right on the edge of a nature reserve so we always wanted the house to blend in with the countryside,’ she Steph. Steve designed the 20m x 10m building by creating a series of 5m square sections that would support the roof, then added architectural details to make it as individual as possible, including curved internal walls, high ceilings and a gallery landing. Steve, who runs his own business Egg Interiors, has made wall panels, fitted furniture and even the staircase, which was built off-site long before building work on the house itself began.
As a result, the rectangular building, which looks so unassuming on the outside, has been turned into a series of modern living spaces inside. ‘I was never able to understand Steve’s vision for the place,’ says Steph. ‘To me it was just a big square box, but I knew he’d come up with something different. He was so full of ideas that he would wake up in the middle of the night and jot something down on paper. In the end it slotted together like a giant jigsaw.’
The family sold the house they were living in nearby and moved into rented accommodation for six months with their two daughters, Keeley, now 26, and India, 11, but had to move into their new home while it was still ‘like a building site’. ‘There was mud everywhere outside and Steve built a plank bridge so we could get in and out of the front door without sinking up to our knees,’ recalls Steph.
When it came to choosing the decor. Steph was keen to take a more adventurous approach than she had before. ‘I had always gone for a very plain look with neutral colours and was keen to be a bit more
lesson learnt ‘Create a home that brings the family together, but includes enough areas for everyone to have individual space’
adventurous,’ says Steph. ‘I wasn’t sure how to introduce more colour without it looking too bright or busy.’ She called on a local company, The Blueberry Home, who helped her pull her interior design ideas together.
Most of the furniture from their old home has now been replaced so that the style and proportions work with their new house. The couple were fortunate that Steve was able to turn his hand to a range of skills from joinery and tiling to decorating and even making furniture. ‘It might take longer to finish but it was worth the effort,’ he says. ‘You have to be patient and try to see the bigger picture,’ says Steph. ‘There were times when we thought we’d never get things straight, but then it all falls into place and you realise it’s been worth the wait.’