This rural home is now a stylish and inspiring space
Louisa and Lee Morgan's careful restoration of a 16th-century farmhouse in rural Wales evokes its original rustic charm. A former exterior wall is now a beautiful feature in the restructured hallway, while the tack room and workshop are unrecognisable as the pared-back, stylish, open-plan living space. And what's more, the views over the Monmouthshire countryside are to die for...
The hallway, originally a leaky, flat-roofed corridor, was transformed by a pitched roof into a beautiful room. New energy-efficient aluminum windows have been fitted with traditional wood surrounds, while an old machinist's chair and a rustic pig bench reflect the industry of past generations.
This room, originally a tack room and workshop, is now an open-plan space with a designated dining area. It has been incorporated into the main building and leads on from the restructured hallway.
Several small rooms were knocked together to form a long, open-plan living space with a marble-topped kitchen at one end. Original oak gateposts from the fields have been repurposed as window lintels, and a concrete-effect Italian light adds further texture against the smooth marble worksurfaces.
At the other end of the kitchen, the family can step up to an eating area where the lower ceiling creates a comfortable space for informal meals.
The living space is warmed by a woodburning stove with a chrome chimney that accents the heightened roofline. Exposed structural beams add real character.
Louisa, who is marketing director for Mandarin Stone, used limestone floors thoughout much of the ground floor so that spaces flow naturally into each other: grey in the new rooms, warmer honey tones in the older part. A woven light by Amanda Rayner of Wyldwood Willow and lengths of raffia hung from the beams show the height of the ceiling.
In the large hallway, one wall of rubble stone (with what would've once been an exterior window), remains as a reminder of the building's original age.
White painted beams visually raise the roof in the upstairs rooms, where the wooden floors were treated with Osmo oil for a pale, limed effect that maximises the light. At one end of the bathroom, the wood gives way to marble tiles around the bath and shower.
A luxurious bed with quilt and throw becomes the focus in a pared-back all-white bedroom.
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