Hampshire Life: February 2019 (^) 117
the hall door behind you and you
are in a door-less, free-flowing,
open-plan living space with areas
for cooking, eating, relaxing,
socialising and working defined
by partial walls, changes of level
(including two mezzanine floors
accessed by spiralling staircases)
and even a glass walkway.
A bigger reveal is the view.
Steve has configured the living
spaces (apart from a formal
dining room) so that they run
across the back of the first floor
which is entirely glazed, making
the most of the outlook across
the gardens and surrounding
woodland to the New Forest in
the distance. Now Woodside no
longer has the appearance of a
wood cabin; instead it is a cool,
contemporary glass box hovering
among treetops above a dry stone
wall of Purbeck stone and topped
with that zinc roof.
Steve explains: “We wanted a
home that was light and airy, and
we flipped it upside down with
living spaces in the volume of the
Best Individual Building for the
Mill Stream at Burley in 2018.
So there was, understandably,
a drive to design a home of
their own. The plot, hidden in
countryside west of Romsey, was
perfect: “We wanted somewhere
with woodland and big views and
we were lucky finding this plot as
it has both.”
On site was what they describe
as a very grotty bungalow: “Walls
were black with mould, only one
light socket worked and the coal
fired Aga was the only source of
heating.”
The intention was to pull it
down. When they did their sums,
however, they realised that to
fund their ambitious designs,
they would need to live in the
bungalow while the house was
being built. Contributing to the
construction costs was their
use of natural and indigenous
materials, including that wall of
Purbeck stone across the ground
floor at the back of the house and
the use of timber inside the house
with light oak boards and roof
timbers of palest pine. Steve says:
“The pine has been treated to
keep it light as I wanted the feel
of a beach house.”
Siriol adds: “What I love about
this house is that although it’s big
and spacious and contemporary,
it’s really comfortable as it has
been constructed with lovely
materials. It’s not hard and
white.”
She also describes it as a very
sociable house – particularly the
beautiful centrally positioned
open plan kitchen with tiled wall
of Italian limestone, polished
concrete worktop and island unit
with hob - allowing them to chat
and look out at those glorious
views while preparing food.
roof for dramatic effect and to
make the most of those views.”
Siriol adds: “We lived in a very
dark old 16th century thatched
cottage before – so we have gone
from one extreme to the other.”
Steve has been designing
homes throughout Hampshire
and the New Forest for over
35 years, regularly picking up
awards. These include New
Forest Building Design Award for
RIGHT: The living
room is a calm,
relaxing space
with handmade
Italian leather
sofas, dramatic
artwork by Siriol,
balcony and spiral
staircase leading
up to a hidden
study area
The verdant gardens with wooded valley, curving terraces and hornbeam hedge were
designed by Siriol
REAL HOME
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