farmhouse fantastic

I have some lovely friends who have recently completed their beautiful Border Oak home - and if you buy Ideal Home magazine this month you too can have a look at their wonderful oak framed farmhouse.

I have added some of the photos here, but there are lots more in the article itself. It has a vibrant, homely ambience that really jumps off the page - someone who visited their house recently even remarked to us that 'stepping inside was like being embraced in an oak hug' - high praise I believe! And even more wonderfully a baby is now on its way - thus proving the magical properties of a Border Oak home (I think that is a claim that requires independently verified scientific support - of which I have none). 

 The design is very classical Border Oak - one wing in full oak framing with a jetty (the sticky out upper level with lovely shaped feet and brackets), the other wing is SIPs and oak with a brick outer face.

The kitchen is arranged as a large living, cooking, eating space which works so well for families (and for entertaining I imagine - I have the same layout here but we never have people round, because Ben is not a social butterfly and finds it all a bit of a faff (aka as talking to people) , but my resolution for 2011 is to have lots of pals round and to drink lots of wine. Just to make sure that the open dining/cooking/living arrangement works of course - all in the name of research).

The hall way is open to the sitting room so both feel larger and less formal

Clever cupboards built into the eaves..........leading through to a posh en suite. My en- suite is just being painted (don't worry, by a professional not me) - so hopefully it will look clean, if not glamourous. Not sure is ANYTHING I have ever done could be called glamourous - maybe in the next house? I doubt it.

I like how the house is full of personality and fun - and I love this idea of a wall full of family and friends

I also love the big bold brave fabric choices - it works so well with the granite and the grey painted units.  My gorgeous new roman blinds by the ever amazing Marina (hello!) are ridiculously timid - stripes, plains and spots - all in grey, beige, cream etc. The nearest I got to crazy was a bit of floral - in french grey. I need to experiment.

Splashes of aqua thread the interior together which is furnished with a mix of inherited pieces and ebay finds - layers of textures, with some patina and resonance really work well with the new oak and natural materials I think.

And the plot is, quite simply, spectacular - on the edge of a beautiful village, large, with mature trees and surrounding farmland  = J-E-A-L-O-U-S

Rush out and buy yourself a copy of May Ideal Home - I shall be testing you all with a multiple choice exam.

The next post will be about the Border Oak open day (at my house and a nearby cottage) on Good Friday. And I also have a post to do regarding the NEC show - when I get the photos. And the website is crunching away (I think) along side our magazine/newsletter. So many balls in the air as usual! And I was supposed to be on holiday this week..............