East Sussex Farmhouse

East Sussex Farmhouse

The brief for this project was to consider the design of an existing historic farmhouse and propose an extension and full refurbishment. Our client is a young family with both parents working. The location of this picturesque house is tucked away in the gentle hills on the edge of the High Weald area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and to the East of the South Downs. Our brief was to seamlessly blend the new, modern elements of the extension and interior with the traditional charm of the original 17^th century farmhouse, ensuring that the transformation allowed for easy and fluid movement throughout the space.

The intention here was to create a refurbished house which is similar to the existing dwelling, whilst creating a slightly larger family home, more suitable for modern living. This brief is typical; to smarten up an appealing older house and refresh the original building making it work for contemporary living with upgraded elements such as double-glazed windows, under-floor heating, insulation and roof repairs.

Keen to follow similar principles which were used to create the original building the redesign of this farmhouse maintains the appearance of a two-storey farm style building, reworking the existing accommodation within the ground and first floor.

The refurbished scheme only increased the floor area by 7% with the final square footage being 3,215. This subtle extension allowed for remodelling the kitchen and dining area and creating a utility/boot room along with the quintessential dog shower.

The refurbished house remains settled within the surrounding landscape. The views towards the house from the Public paths remain unchanged. We worked with Georgina Gibson Interior Design who helped the clients with choice of colours, materials and furniture

Refreshed Kitchen with Open-Plan Design

Our team of architects demonstrated their expertise in architectural refurbishment design with the reimagined kitchen being more light filled at the heart of this home. The original bay window with French doors in a small dining room was replaced with a larger, gallery-style extension with folding doors. This has created a more light filled dining room and kitchen along with more pleasing access to a garden terrace for al fresco summer dining. In addition reducing the width of the wall between the kitchen and dining room opens up the food preparation area and allows for the island unit in the centre of the room. Two wider steps from the kitchen up to the dining area ease the flow in this refreshed family area.

Rationalising ground floor living area

The East facing elevation of the house was extensively refurbished and tidied up to accommodate a snug sitting room and utility/boot room tucked behind the kitchen with access door to outside for muddy dog walks and kids welly boots.  The South and West facing side of the house enjoy views across the rolling landscape and lake below. A pergola was rebuilt to accommodate a mature and stunning vine, making for a delightful summer terrace outside the family living room.

First Floor modifications

The practical layout includes four bedrooms and three bathrooms, two en-suite.  A new window was added to the southwest in the third bedroom creating a double aspect room and opening up the views. The family bathroom was completely remodelled taking in the area of a previous wardrobe creating a more generous bathroom.

Another smaller, compromised bedroom was re-allocated to become a study/office with sofa bed for visitors. Purpose built wardrobes and cupboards were designed by JWA to allow for adequate storage throughout the first floor for a growing family.

Our work on this project was conducted in close collaboration with interior designer Georgina Gibson  https://georginagibsoninteriordesign.co.uk/, ensuring that every detail met the clients’ needs.

The transformation of this listed farmhouse into a contemporary, functional home showcases James Wells Architects’ skill in modifying a historic, tired house into a modern, comfortable home. Through sensitive, thoughtful design, new architectural elements have been seamlessly woven into the historic fabric of the building.

James Wells writes “The result is a refined refurbishment that respects the property’s heritage while creating a fluid, effortless flow throughout the home with appealing modern spaces which work for contemporary, family living.”