Now that’s a great barn

Mar 18 2008 by Emma Davison, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

NESTLED in the small hamlet of Arrunden, near Holmfirth, The Barn is one of the most stunning and imaginative barn conversions around.

Set within perfectly groomed landscaped gardens spanning half an acre this property offers a slice of the luxurious lifestyle that many of us aspire to.

The sleek and contemporary home, with its distinctive large glass windows, was created by its owners Melanie and Jamie Milner four years ago when they teamed up with acclaimed Lockwood-based architects 117 AD to design their dream home.

Keeping much of the original building, they added on a stylish modern extension to the rear. The result is an innovative design, maintaining the appearance of the barn while creating a modern, open-plan and spacious interior, to add to the overall feel of a home that offers the best in contemporary living.

While the couple had renovated before the conversion was the most major project that they had worked on.

“A conversion is something that we’d always wanted to do, so when the opportunity arose we jumped at the chance”, said Melanie, 29, who lives in the property with her husband and their children, Harriet, eight, and nine-month-old Joe.

“We fell in love with the area, which is so lovely and quiet while still being close to Holmfirth and all its amenities.”

When the couple set to work designing their dream home they had a pretty good idea of the look they wanted to achieve.

Melanie added: “The Barn had a lot of character with its original features and stonework. We wanted to retain this while creating a family home with a very modern interior as a contrast.

“We wanted an open-plan house with rooms that appeared to naturally flow into one another while retaining their sense of purpose.

“I think the architects did a very good job of translating our ideas and concepts into working plans. We are very pleased with the results.

“The building work took 12 months to complete and we were intimately involved at every stage to ensure that what was created was in line with our thoughts.”

The spacious property is set over three floors and the sophisticated, modern feel of the couple’s home flows seamlessly from one floor to the next.

Downstairs the rooms are huge and feature solid oak doors, combined with Welsh slate flooring and underfloor heating.

Light floods through the rooms, courtesy of the numerous windows forming part of the modern extension, the glazed original barn archway and twin glazed doors leading to the gardens. The sitting room is particularly impressive, with its ceiling to floor feature windows.

“It was very important for us to have lots of light,” said Melanie. “Light floods through the property and its feels like we’ve brought the outside in.”

The views are staggering, those from the garden room being particularly exceptional as they look down the entire Holme Valley to Castle Hill in the distance. The large dining kitchen is sleekly fitted out and is a great entertaining space and perfect for modern living.

Upstairs the accommodation is just as impressive, with five good-sized bedrooms and a house bathroom complete with a sleek white suite.

“It’s a very spacious house and it’s perfect for modern, family living”, commented Melanie.

“I love the kitchen, which is nice and big, and also the bathroom. Here we’ve kept the original stone wall, which feels quite traditional, but then we’ve added a modern suite with a free-standing bath which gives quite a luxurious feel to it.”

Several original features built into the fabric of the barn have been retained in the design to connect the old and new lives of the property.

They include exposed beams, a unique “hole-in-the-wall” wood burning fire and recessed log store in the living room and the original circular windows near the roof of the property add a touch of individuality.

A big deciding factor when the couple chose The Barn to develop was its unique and picture-perfect location. “People travel from miles around to walk up past The Barn,” commented Jamie, 32.

“Within 15 minutes walk up Westgate you are in the Peak District National Park, with nothing to see but moorland, forest and lakes.

“Most Sundays the kids, Mel and I don our walking boots and go for a long hike. You can literally walk out of The Barn’s front door and set off on a two-hour walk through breathtaking scenery without seeing a single car. It feels as if The Barn is on the edge of civilisation.”

The Barn, on Arrunden Lane, is on the market for £649,950. The couple are holding an open house this Saturday and Sunday from noon to 2pm for interested potential buyers to have a look around. For more information contact Simon Blyth estate agents on 01484 424422