Contemporary takes on country houses aren’t always well received.
Fayland House near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, recently The Architectural Review, was slammed by the public for looking more like a wartime bunker with its flat roof, concrete columns and oblong shape.
But this modern architect-designed house in Tanworth-in-Arden is rather lovely, its large expanses of glass all the better to take in the rural views.
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There is even a duck pond at the bottom of the garden. Called Well Meadow, the house is in Bates Lane, a short distance from the village of Tanworth-in-Arden, near Solihull. Its location is private, though not isolated, and it overlooks fields and woodland.
It has been designed by architect Graham Sharp. Don’t let its appearance from the front fool you. It looks like a bungalow but from the back it has two storeys.
It is very light, thanks to the vast amounts of glazing in the doors and walls.
Entrance is through a bespoke Carlton Smith American walnut front door and solid oak flooring in the entrance hall.
At the heart of it is a two-level, open-plan kitchen/dining/family area.
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The kitchen is fully fitted with Gaggeneau appliances throughout, granite work surface and granite breakfast bar.
This area flows into a dining room with bi-fold doors out to the patio.
Cooks who like doing it outdoors will enjoy the brick built stone bake pizza oven, barbecue pit and open fire – perfect for al fresco parties. Back inside, there are steps down from the kitchen/dining area to the living room, which has floor to ceiling windows, again with bi-fold doors. During winter months, the focal point becomes the bespoke stone built fireplace with open fire.
The house has a separate study, a wet room, a guest suite with bedroom and shower room and a playroom/fifth bedroom on the ground floor.
On the first floor there are two double bedrooms, both with en suite wet rooms and double doors to a Juliette balcony.
A second staircase leads down to the master bedroom, again with bi-fold doors to a paved patio, and stairs rising to a dressing room and superb en suite bathroom.
There is dramatic tiling and lighting in the bathrooms. to the lawned garden. Beyond this there are mature trees and shrubs. And not forgetting the duck pond at the bottom.
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Tanworth-in-Arden is a charming village surrounded by the rolling countryside of Warwickshire. It has a village hall with garden club, WI, tennis club with three courts, post office, pub, popular pub and restaurant, junior school and nursery.
VIEWING INFORMATION
AGENT: Knight Frank
TEL: 01789 297735
WEB: www.knightfrank.co.uk
GUIDE PRICE: £1,150,000