enki FOR MODERN LIVING
THE HOME OF DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
the house in the woods
November 2021 £5.20
SUSTAINABLE
LIVING
FINDING
THE ONE A passionate revival of an old barn sits against the green backdrop of the lush Buckinghamshire landscape Photography Lucy Walters Photography Styling Kirstie Howard
T ”THE OVERALL FEEL OF THE BARN IS OUR FAVOURITE PART”
hey say when you know, you know. And when Barr Group construction director Chris Noonan and his interior designer fiancé Kirstie Howard first laid their eyes on Hollow Brook Farm, they knew almost immediately that they’d found something special. “We always knew it would be a huge challenge and long process getting the barns through planning, but as soon as we saw Hollow Brook Farm, we knew we had to try,” Chris reflects. A moment of serendipity? Perhaps. But once you step inside the concrete-framed structure and see what the creative duo have achieved, there’s simply no denying that this home was always meant to be. During their initial visits to the dilapidated site, the decaying asbestos sheet roof and muddied floor were camouflaged by the overwhelming potential – not to mention size – of the plot. After three years tucked up in a snug 60 sq. m bothy, the sheer magnitude of the space was impossible to ignore. And as the family had spent so much time together in close proximity, it was essential to ensure the home still felt cosy and communal despite its immense footage. “The space needed to have soul and comfort even though the rooms would be big,” affirms Chris. To achieve this, proportions were meticulously examined by the design team while Kirstie put together a relaxed and welcoming interior scheme that created natural zones in the open plan. As both the client and designer Kirstie had no guiding brief to follow, but whilst living on site during the build, she felt a natural pull towards organic textures, timbers and biophilic principles. “Being surrounded by greenery and nature was fundamental to the design blueprint,” she notes. These elements paint a distinctive identity for the dwelling, one that instead of speaking to its origins, is reflective of the family it homes. While Chris and Kirstie are both well versed in the built world, this was never just another project – Hollow Brook Farm is a passionate realisation of not only their love for design, but also their family.
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OWNER’S BRIEF
An agricultural plot in Buckinghamshire was home to two barns in need of some serious TLC. The first metalframed build was taken on as a refurb project before being sold as a finished residence, while the second offered Chris Noonan and his fiancé Kirstie Howard an opportunity to work on a passion project for their young family.
”I NEEDED THE BARN TO HAVE ITS OWN IDENTITY BUT STILL FEEL LIKE IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN HERE”
The open kitchen, designed in collaboration with Barr Kitchens, sits underneath the brand new first floor, offering a warmer, more intimate space than the double-height living room it sits next to. Rhythmic timber battens stretch across the ceiling and were inspired by a vineyard Chris and Kirstie had visited during a trip to Italy
HOME PROFILE A cobbled stone hallway lined with textured walls lies behind the front door of this barn conversion. Off of this passage sits two bedrooms with en-suites for Chris and Kirstie’s sons, as well as a guest room and family bathroom. Burnished black steel doors announce the end of the hall and lead through to the social spaces; a multi-functional living room, kitchen and dining area which highlight the original concrete frame of the barn. A new first floor and mezzanine acts as a home office and also hides the master suite. Two staircases have been integrated to create a circular flow so the family can move around with ease. LOCATION Worminghall, Buckinghamshire PROJECT SIZE 450 sq. m
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”A MEZZANINE ALLOWED US TO CREATE A MORE INTIMATE COSY SPACE BELOW” 37 enki | the home of design and architecture
”WE PUT A LOT OF FOCUS ON OUR MAIN LIVING AREA BEING MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SO WE COULD STILL ENJOY BEING TOGETHER”
Planning regulations required the design retain the original concrete frame of the structure. Its weathered form only appealed to the couple and added character to the space. “Chips, lichen and rusty fixings were a perfect reflection of the barn’s former life”
architecture | case study
DESIGNER’S QUESTIONS What did you want from the design?
CN With such a big space to work with our initial efforts were to come up with a design that didn’t feel cavernous. The space needed to have soul and comfort even though the rooms would be big; therefore the balance of proportions were crucial – nothing in the building is a standard size! Was it hard designing for yourself?
KH As a designer, deciding a direction for your own home is difficult. You’re exposed to inspiring styles every day so you really have to question what it is that you like. The barn could be whatever we wanted it to be as there are no set ‘rules’ for a building like this. We had the original concrete exposed stanchions and the building shape to go by and that was it. What inspired the integration of a mezzanine? CN We didn’t want the space
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to feel cavernous, in particular the space where we cook and eat together as a family.
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Introducing a mezzanine allowed us to create a more intimate cosy space below with oak timbers and decorative lighting. It also meant we could take advantage of elevated views across the countryside and farmland. This has created the most inspiring place to sleep and work from as our office and master suite is on this floor. We also managed to sneak in a hidden bar! Did the concrete frame need any work? KH Apart from a light brush to
remove years of cobwebs… no. We loved them and left them exactly as they were. They are up lit at night with soft pin lights and we also began to train a climbing plant up one post before the build was complete. What is your favourite part of the home?
KH The overall feel of the barn – it’s not like anywhere else we’ve ever been. Having said that, it has taken inspiration from many places we love. It’s the sense of space whilst still feeling incredibly connected.
Placing the home office up on the mezzanine has paid off for Chris, “I can work with family life going on below and I also get to take in the amazing elevated views across the stunning surroundings.”
”HAVING THE MEZZANINE MEANT WE COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ELEVATED VIEWS ACROSS THE COUNTRYSIDE AND FARMLAND"
”THE PROJECT ORGANICALLY MOVED IN A DIRECTION OF NATURAL TEXTURES, TIMBERS AND BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN"
Rather than opting for a typical pale wood panelling, Kirstie has embraced deep hues that hug the space and exhale the ‘soul’ that the pair were searching for
Hidden within the first floor is the tranquil master suite which comprises not only a place to rest, but also a dressing room, store room and linen room
”THE DESIGN OF THE BARN HAS TAKEN INSPIRATION FROM MANY PLACES WE LOVE”
PROJECT NOTES ARCHITECT KD Design INTERIOR DESIGNER Kirstie Howard CONTRACTOR & BUILDER Barr Build STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Cox Clifford Partnership GLAZING SQ Line
As you move through the home the flooring changes. After a warm welcome from the cobbled hall, you glide over polished concrete in the main living space before heading upstairs to a bespoke timber design
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FLOORING Lazenby; Oakley Wood Timber LIGHTING Astro Lighting; Society of Lifestyle
KITCHEN Design by Kirstie in collaboration with Barr Kitchens CABINETRY Design by Kirstie in collaboration with Barr Joinery BATHROOM Sanitary-ware, Lusso Stone; bespoke tiles, Maitland & Poate NOTABLE FURNITURE Dining table, Spekva; cabinet, Muubs; bed, District Eight; leather chair, Morgan Wright; rattan pendants, Raft; rug, Linie Design; island pendant, Rubn; sofas, White Meadow