The clients, Richard and Jo, picked a beautiful plot on a tree-lined plateau overlooking Nottinghamshire. The challenge was to create a substantial, luxury home to replace the tired 1970s bungalow on land that is designated Green Belt; meaning that any new development is closely controlled. We therefore had to be clever about which buildings we added under permitted development rights and how we used the existing built forms to justify additions. We guided the clients through the planning process, carefully negotiating with planners and other interested parties to achieve planning consent at the first time of asking; a significant achievement in such a restrictive Planning Policy context.

The final result is a contemporary home which blends country farmhouse style with generous open-plan living. The house comprises two receptions rooms, a home office, large utility and pantry spaces, a boot room and four bedrooms with accompanying bathrooms. We also managed to create two new outbuildings which afford the clients two additional bedrooms, a cinema room, a second home office and a pool room.

Being sensitive to the traditional buildings within the immediate vicinity of the site, we used reclaimed red brick, cast stone sills and window surrounds, together with accents of board and batten timber cladding finished in “Slipper and Satin” colour paint by Farrow and Ball. The slim aluminium Crittall-style glazing frames views of the courtyard garden, swimming pool and forest edge overlooking Nottinghamshire.

Here is a family home befitting of such a fantastic location and a wonderful project to be a part of.