2019-07-01_Country_Homes_Interiors

Athome with...

OwnersElizabethSandeman

andherhusband,Derek,whois

medicaldirectoratSouthampton

GeneralHospital.Theyhave

threegrown-upchildren,Jack,

PeterandAlice,andtwodogs,

RubyandMoses.

HouseNew-buildoak-framed

twobedroomproperty.They

movedinfiveyearsago.

B

uildingtheirownhomewasneveronElizabethand

DerekSandeman’sbucketlist.But,likemanyoflife’s

bigdecisions,it seemedtheobviouschoicein

retrospect.Theyweredrivenbythedesiretoremain

intheidyllicNewForestvillagewheretheyhadlivedfornearly

20 years.‘Wehada lovelyperiodhouse,butit wasexpensiveto

run,’saysElizabeth.‘Ourchildrenwereleavinghome,sowe

decidedtomovesomewhere smaller. As we love the village, we

didn’twanttogotoofar.’

Fewpropertiescomeupforsaleinthearea,sowhena

bungalowona largeplotoflandwentonthemarket,Elizabeth

andDerekhurriedtoviewit.‘Itwastherightlocation,butthe

wronghouse– anuglybungalowina darkcorner.Weboughtit

witha plantoreplaceit witha houseina morecentralposition.’

ElizabethandDerekwanteda characterfulpropertymade

withnaturalmaterialsthatwouldsitcomfortablyinitsNewForest

setting.‘WefoundOakwrights,a companythatspecialisesin

oak-framedbuildings,andsawa photographofitsshowhouse

inHerefordshire– it wasperfect,withlotsofbeamsanda warm

atmosphere.Wewereactuallyabletogoandstayinthe

showhouse,andI lovedit somuch,I didn’twanttoleave.

Weknewthenthatwewantedtobuildsomethingsimilar.’

ArchitectJohnWilliams,whoworksinconjunctionwith

Oakwrights,designedthehouseanddealtwiththelocal

planningdepartment.‘Wesoldourhouseandwereableto

liveinthebungalowwhileworkontheoak-framedbuilding

tookplace,’saysElizabeth.‘Wewereallowedtobuilda new

propertywiththeprovisionthatweknockeddowntheold

bungalowwithinthreemonthsofmovingintothenewhouse.’

Theworktook 15 monthsintotal,includingbuildinga

basementbeneaththehouse.Theframewascutoff-sitein

Herefordshire,thenerectedoverfourdays.‘Puttinguptheoak

framewasa quickprocess,’saysElizabeth.‘Oakwrightsalso

suppliedtheSIPs(structuralinsulatedpanels)thatmadeup

thewallsandtheroof.Thesetooktimetoputinplacebutthe

advantageis that,becausewehavehighlyinsulatedfabricin

thehouse,weneedlittleheatingandhavemuchlowerfuel

bills.’Workthenbeganonaddingtherooftiles,puttingin

windows,positioningguttering,andplumbingandwiring.

Asthepropertyisn’tlarge,ElizabethandDerekchosean

open-plandesigntomakeit feelmorespacious.‘Wealsowanted

maximumlightandtohaveviewsoftheplot,soweplanned

plentyofwindowsanddoors,’saysElizabeth.Forthedecor,she

chosewoodandleatherfurnituretocomplementthemellow

tonesofthewoodenbeamsandflooring.‘Wewantedthe

interiortolookhomely,’shesays.‘Wechoseindividualpiecesof

furnitureandolder,distressedpiecestocreateaneclecticlook.’

Itis fiveyearssinceElizabethandDerekmovedintotheir

home.‘We’reabsolutelythrilledwithit andsogladwemadethe

decisiontobuild,’saysElizabeth.‘We’restillpartofthevillagewe

love, but our new home is just right for our new, downsized life.’

NEW-BUILD HAMPSHIRE BARN