Bold black-steel cladding stays faithful to its humble origins, while the interior reveals a contemporary, warm-hearted home
Caroline and John Groves's Suffolk barn conversion was formerly home to livestock in its pre-war days. Now, while a black-steel exterior nods to a past life, it's all change inside, with modern styling and softer natural materials creating a beautiful, stylish home.
The ground floor now consists of a large open-plan area where a double-sided fireplace acts as a focal point and a subtle divider between two seating areas, four quieter bedrooms and two workspaces. The dining, seating and cooking areas all feel connected, with a chimney that extends into the lofty mezzanine level, drawing the eye upwards to appreciate the airy, spacious feel.
White kitchen cabinets made by a local company, Anglia Factors, are softened by the addition of wooden worktops and plenty of texture-rich chopping boards, handmade ceramics and old agricultural implements. 'I didn’t want the space to look too clinical,' says Caroline.
An olive tree started life outside in the courtyard, where it acquired a blackbird's nest one year. Now indoors, it helps to soften the white decor and add a natural vibe.
A large trestle table with chairs and a bench give a relaxed, laid-back feel to the open-plan living space.
A large open woodstore indoors keeps logs and kindling on hand for the fireplace and helps to soften the robust concrete and steel aesthetics.
A staircase in wood and steel forged locally leads up to the sizeable mezzanine floor, where Caroline has a workspace.
Natural materials such as wood, steel and concrete are exposed throughout the house. 'I used a lye treatment on the wooden treads and risers for a pale, Scandinavian-style finish,' she says. One wall is painted black, which makes a dramatic backdrop for artwork, such as the piece by a family friend.
Veined marble tiles add interest to the neutral room scheme. Decoration is minimal, with a few framed prints and a wicker basket for bathroom toiletries.
Although narrow, the bathroom still feels roomy thanks to the huge white pitched ceiling and a low partition wall for the basins and mirrors, which separates it from the adjacent room.
A strong navy blue provides an accent colour in many of the rooms and contrasts well with the neutral decor.
Black corrugated steel cladding stays faithful to the building's unfussy, agricultural roots as a humble pre-war barn to house livestock.
In the courtyard, which was once a farmyard, agricultural feed troughs serve as planters. A yellow front door – it's colour-matched to the rapeseed fields that surround the house – shines out against the black steel cladding. 'We can always see the door in the dark,' Caroline jokes.
Architecture and interiors by Project Orange.
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