The barn conversion was a two year labour of love project for owner Tim Pearce. Describing himself as part time farmer and part time builder, he designed and completed all of the work himself.
“I’ve worked on lots of projects, but this one was more personal as it was to become a long-term home for my partner and I. When I found the redundant barn, which was over 250 years old complete with original features and located on the edge of beautiful farmland, I could see the potential it had to be converted into a stunning home full of character but with a modern twist.”
The original Cotswold Stone barn offered huge potential with an impressive 8m height from floor to full height roof pitch and a generous footprint which offered huge scope to create an impressive light, airy and contemporary open plan home which would combine authentic elements of the original barn with new modern and clean design concepts.
A large open plan kitchen now sits at the heart of the ground floor with a central feature dining table. Modern in appearance and with newly plastered walls, this contrasts with the cosy living area which maintains the original Cotswold stone walls of the barn.
Key to the design success is the central stairway that has been installed, which leads to a bridge between the two bedrooms allowing the full ceiling height of the barn to be on view from the ground floor.
Upstairs are two spacious bedrooms. To keep with the natural feel of the barn Tim wanted wood floors throughout the upper level, creating a natural blend with the original wood beams, whilst also providing a clean modern backdrop to newer plastered finishes and minimalist design.
“I’d installed V4 Wood Flooring on past jobs I’d worked on, and impressed with the quality was happy to head straight to their latest collections to choose wood floors for this project.
“I loved the look of their new modern herringbone floors Deco Parquet. The size of the blocks meant they would deliver a cleaner, minimalist look which suited the interior style, whilst the herringbone block formation would add some texture and interest to the floors.”
Tim ordered the floors from V4 approved retailer Oakwoods Flooring. He was able to browse the V4 collections on their website and receive a quick and easy quote online before going ahead and placing the order. The floors were prepared with a sand and concrete mix screed before the Deco Parquet blocks in Natural Oak were installed over underfloor heating. “I was really impressed with the uniform dimensions and precision milling of each block which made installing them easy and there was hardly any wastage. It is more time consuming than plank installation but worth it for the high end look they deliver.”
To complete the look Tim wanted a similar finish plank wood floor for the stairs and connecting bridge. After ordering samples from Oakwoods he chose Alpine Oak Rustic Brushed and Oiled wood floor planks, which blend beautifully with the herringbone blocks and create a natural flow between the bedroom spaces.
The finished barn is now an absolutely stunning home. Keeping the high ceilings in view at the centre of the home enhances the natural light, creates a spacious feeling and gives hints of the original barn formation. Authentic old finishes remain in place, positioned perfectly against the more contemporary design touches added to complete the home.
