• WILTSHIRE BARN APARTMENT

A near-derelict 300-year-old farm building has been repurposed into a characterful one-bed flat

When Sarah Vanrenen and Grant Barker were married, seven years ago, they settled in a 17th-century farmhouse that had belonged to Grant’s family for generations. Part of a busy working arable farm, the house is surrounded by a series of outbuildings, including an old flint and brick barn. ‘It was almost derelict and hadn’t been used for years,’ says Sarah.

As an interior designer and co-founder of Vanrenen GW Designs, Sarah saw the opportunity to convert the barn into a farm office on the ground floor, with a flat for guests above. ‘We liked the option of extra accommodation – for overflow from our house, perhaps for a nanny one day, or to rent out if we wanted,’ explains Sarah. The couple have three children between them – Fred, 21, Arthur, 16, and Alfie, 18 months – so life is busy with friends and family visiting regularly.

The first task was to convert the barn. They installed electricity and water, laid a concrete floor for the farm office, then added an upper floor to create the apartment. Restoring the original timber beams came next. ‘It made sense to use the beams as the best way to divide up the space,’ explains Sarah, who created areas for cooking, eating, relaxing, bathing and sleeping. She even managed to fit in a small shower

❝MY DRIVE TO WORK THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL WILTSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE ALWAYS MAKES ME ❞ START THE DAY ON A HIGH

room tucked under the eaves, and double doors to separate the living and bedroom spaces. ‘Distinct areas allowed me to make the very most of every inch of space, without it appearing cramped,’ she says.

‘I wanted to create a really cosy flat with room to curl up in comfort in a deliciously big bed, somewhere that would work well for a single person, a couple on a romantic getaway or a small family, as there’s also a sofa bed in the living area,’ she continues. While the walls and wooden floor were painted in a gentle shade of white to boost the sense of light and space in the barn, Sarah’s love of colour and pattern then came into play. As the daughter of interior decorator and design doyenne Penny Morrison, Sarah says, ‘I was literally weaned on decorating. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been visiting antiques shops and seeing my mother’s projects, which is probably the reason I love designing and enjoy having colour in my life.’

Unafraid of combining furniture from different periods and fabrics in various hues and patterns, Sarah’s goal is to create interiors that look as if they have evolved over time. ‘Rooms must be functional, with considered lighting and practical storage, but I also feel they should express personality, with finds that have been collected over the years,’ she says.

‘I like putting unusual things together because that creates character and makes a house feel like a

❝I PARTICULARLY LOVE THE LIGHT, THE CHARACTERFUL BEAMS, THE COLOUR SCHEME ❞ – IT ALL COMBINES TO CREATE A COSY FEEL

home.’ As if to demonstrate, a Perspex chair from the 1930s sits next to an antique mahogany desk, cushions made from vintage fabrics add comfort to the sofa, and emerald green painted kitchen cabinets sing with lively personality. ‘Be bold,’ Sarah enthuses, ‘and not just in terms of using splashes of bright colour and pattern, but also in selecting just a few oversize pieces, such as lamps and headboards, which can be much more effective than lots of little things.’

‘Do it with your eye,’ she continues. ‘Lay fabrics out on the floor or on a big table, combine them with trimmings and paint swatches, and see what looks good together. Keep going until you feel happy and don’t worry if things don’t match – in fact, that can stop a room looking too contrived.’

With The Nest, as it was dubbed, complete, Sarah and Grant spent some time living there, while work was done on their own house. ‘It felt as though we were on holiday and we loved its cosy feel,’ she says. Then, on the eve of lockdown, their first tenant moved in for a short stay. ‘In the end, she loved it so much she stayed for nine months and we became great friends,’ says Sarah. ‘It was wonderful to be able to pop over to the flat in the evening and enjoy a glass of wine together – it felt like a real escape.’

To find out more about Vanrenen GW Designs, visit vanrenengwdesigns.com

The kitchen cabinets are painted in punchy green and finished with brass flower handles bought in India. Kitchen cabinets made by a local joiner and painted in Green S5040-G10Y eggshell, Leyland SDM Trade. For similar curtain fabric, try Tinsmiths Dining area to kitchen

The emerald green lamp was a twenty-first birthday present from Sarah’s grandmother. Bespoke cubes covered in linen, Vanrenen GW Designs. Ottoman upholstered in Designers Guild fabric. Walls painted in Wimborne White estate emulsion, Farrow & Ball Living area

To enhance the romantic feel of the reclaimed bath, Sarah installed it under the eaves and added a shower curtain. For a similar bath, try Nostalgia and New Bath area Sarah added joyous colour and pattern to the shower room with one of her own wallpaper designs. Aspa Raspberry wallpaper by Vanrenen GW Designs Shower room

Bedroom The bath is tucked away as a relaxing spot under the eaves. Walls (behind the bath) painted in Rhubarb pure flat emulsion, Paint & Paper Library. Ankara bedside lamp, Vaughan. Ava lampshade, Dunelm

Bedroom The pretty shape of the oversized headboard creates a dramatic focal point. Walls painted in Orchard Pink matt emulsion, Fired Earth. Headboard fabric and rug, Vanrenen GW Designs. Striped wool throw, Fez

Country views Prehistoric Silbury Hill is an ancient landmark in Wiltshire’s glorious rolling countryside