Julie and her husband Chris bought the house just under five years ago. Julie explains, “We’d lived in this area for quite some time and were more than happy here, but we had aspirations to find a new home which would offer plenty of space, more privacy and most important to us, amazing views over the beautiful Surrey Hills. With such a specific search our choices were quite limited but when this large 1930’s home in Cranleigh came on the market we arranged a viewing and were wowed.
“The interior was extremely dated, most of it dating back to the 1970’s. That wasn’t important to us though, it was the location and views that made us fall in love with the home immediately. There would be a lot of work ahead of us to make the house how we wanted it, but the stunning views and privacy were exactly what we had dreamed of.”
Originally built in the 1930’s the home is situated on an elevated position on the side of the Surrey Hills with views stretching as far as the south coast, and with 18-acres of land the couple would also have the peace and privacy they wanted to find from their new home.
Inside the property still maintained its original layout with five large reception rooms on the ground floor, all very separate and disjointed, and upstairs five bedrooms and three bathrooms that were also desperately in need of updating.
“We knew there was an immense amount of work ahead of us but the one thing that didn’t need fixing was the location and the stunning views so that would keep us going.”
When it came to choosing wood floors for the bedrooms the couple’s original aspirations were starting to be hit by the build budget. “We knew we wanted a uniform wood floor finish throughout all of the five bedrooms on the first floor. We liked the idea that if you stood on the landing and all the doors were open you would see the same floor finish in each room. We had chosen a higher priced wood floor but with budget in mind we asked the V4 team when we visited their V4 World showroom for their suggestions on lower priced alternatives.
“They showed us the Vittoria collection which still offered a high quality oak floor but at a slightly lower price point. We loved the Vittoria Oak Smoked Brushed and Lacquered finish, and actually preferred these floors to our original choice. Because they offered random board sizes it not only created a much more natural installation affect, but also reduced wastage as the different plank lengths made installation really versatile. They also had such a lovely warm tone and naturally aged feel about them.”
To create the warm smoked tones of this Vittoria wood floor finish the solid oak top layer of the precision milled engineered plank is fumed to darken the wood giving a deep earthy lustre that comes with ancient oak. The aged aesthetic is further enhanced with a light brushing treatment to accentuate the grain before coats of natural oil which is UV cured is added to form natural and durable surface.
With flooring choice made for all the first floor bedrooms this just left the new master bedroom they had created in the loft. “As this was a separate space and floor in the home we were happy to find something different for up here, ideally wanting something really warm, rustic and cosy.
“The room would get heaps of natural light from the large dormer windows we were adding and we wanted to contrast that with a darker floor. We originally looked at a walnut wood floor as a lot of our bedroom furniture was walnut but eventually went with Urban Nature Tannery Brown. Not only are the floors the perfect warm and rustic finish we had in mind, but as they are UV coated they would be protected from the vast amount of sunlight that floods through the dormer windows.”
The surface of Urban Nature Tannery Brown boards is given various treatments including cross sawing and hand scraping with traditional tools, using timber that has been selected for its character filled knots and natural blemishes.
The top layer of each plank is then filled and sanded to leave open knots which give the appearance of an aged and weathered plank, and finally the wood is given a deep lustre with the application of coloured oils which are UV cured to build up a natural protective surface.
The renovation was completed in an impressive ten months. “We moved back into the main house just a couple of weeks ago and have to say all of the hard work and careful planning of both the layout and interior design was well worth it. We’re thrilled with all of the flooring and love having wood floors in the bedroom. They deliver such a natural floor finish with a little rustic charm, and are incredible easy to keep clean. They just feel so much more hygienic than carpet.
“The help from the V4 team every step of the way was fantastic, and they certainly introduced us to products we might not have thought of, but now the home is finished they really do all combine beautifully. We couldn’t be happier.”
Read the full design story about the entire house which also features our Panneau wooden wall panels.
