Houzz Tour: Lighter Look and Period Features in a Converted Barn
In England’s Cotswolds district, an update introduces calm, contemporary elements while keeping a barn home’s character
As you might expect from a former agricultural building, this converted barn in Gloucestershire, England, is brimming with original features, including honey-toned Cotswold stone and hefty beams. When its owners bought it, they wanted to update the interiors, which featured a lot of dark wood, without destroying the character. So they asked Kirsty Jephcott and Megane Leeding from Ivywell Interiors to redesign the entire home. “The owners wanted to lighten it up and modernize it, while still respecting its heritage,” Jephcott says.
Now, a palette of neutral tones delivers a fresh backdrop and softens the appearance of those gnarly old beams, while stylish furniture and lighting brings this barn into the 21st century. Most dramatic of all, though, is the addition of a modern glass staircase, which has boldly transformed the living room from dark and gloomy into bright and beautiful.
Now, a palette of neutral tones delivers a fresh backdrop and softens the appearance of those gnarly old beams, while stylish furniture and lighting brings this barn into the 21st century. Most dramatic of all, though, is the addition of a modern glass staircase, which has boldly transformed the living room from dark and gloomy into bright and beautiful.
The house needed a complete redesign. “It all went smoothly, which is a lot down to the builders being lovely,” Jephcott says. “They were very can-do and solutions-focused.”
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
The barn was converted into a home about 20 years ago and, while the layout worked, the owners felt the decor was a bit dated and heavy. “It looked very traditional, with a lot of dark wood,” Jephcott says. “We designed a new mezzanine, with a glass and steel balustrade. It opened up the whole area.”
The stairs are glass too. “We did toy with the idea of making the mezzanine floor glass as well,” she says. “In the end, painting the ceiling underneath lightened the space so it didn’t feel necessary.”
The stairs are glass too. “We did toy with the idea of making the mezzanine floor glass as well,” she says. “In the end, painting the ceiling underneath lightened the space so it didn’t feel necessary.”
Selecting a neutral scheme helped this space feel open and contemporary. “The pale shades complement the sand color of the Cotswold stone, which used to get a bit lost before,” Leeding says.
This is the largest room in the barn and was designed for when family and friends get together. “When it’s just the two owners at home, they use the [den] off the kitchen,” Jephcott says.
There’s a projector hidden in the ceiling — which drops down to create a home cinema — a small seating area near the window and a piano on the mezzanine. “It’s a multifunctional space and we zoned it to reflect that,” Jephcott says.
The sofa was custom made.
This is the largest room in the barn and was designed for when family and friends get together. “When it’s just the two owners at home, they use the [den] off the kitchen,” Jephcott says.
There’s a projector hidden in the ceiling — which drops down to create a home cinema — a small seating area near the window and a piano on the mezzanine. “It’s a multifunctional space and we zoned it to reflect that,” Jephcott says.
The sofa was custom made.
Before: The kitchen wasn’t working for the new owners, who wanted improved functionality and a more contemporary look. The adjoining utility room, seen through the interior windows, was also redesigned to include a dog shower and storage facilities.
After: “The owners didn’t want to spend a lot on the kitchen, so we sourced cabinets that were really good value but look fresh and clean in a soft dove gray,” Jephcott says. The kitchen has built-in appliances and a good balance of closed storage and open display space.
Interior glass divides the utility room from the kitchen, seen just to the left.
Kitchen cabinets: Howdens; backsplash tile: Mandarin Stone; pendant lights: Där Lighting
Interior glass divides the utility room from the kitchen, seen just to the left.
Kitchen cabinets: Howdens; backsplash tile: Mandarin Stone; pendant lights: Där Lighting
A relaxed dining area and den open off the kitchen. “This is really the heart of the house,” Jephcott says. “The owners spend most of their time here.”
Megane and Jephcott sourced all the furniture. “The people who bought the owners’ London flat also bought all their furniture so we were starting from scratch here and didn’t have to fit in existing pieces.” Jephcott says.
Megane and Jephcott sourced all the furniture. “The people who bought the owners’ London flat also bought all their furniture so we were starting from scratch here and didn’t have to fit in existing pieces.” Jephcott says.
Before: “We kept the original timber beam as a beautiful feature but updated the flooring so that both the kitchen and dining spaces flow together,” Jephcott says. This shot shows the near end of the kitchen pre-renovation.
After: This is the same area seen after the redesign. The island marks the transition from kitchen to den and dining area. The green-blue pendant lights help to zone the space and are a nod to the wall color beyond. “The kitchen island naturally nests within this opening,” Jephcott says.
Pendant lights: Där Lighting
Pendant lights: Där Lighting
In the informal dining area, a round, whitewashed oak table faces the huge window that provides lovely views of the landscaped backyard.
There is also a separate formal dining room, which Jephcott and Leeding designed around the table and artwork. “The owner had the table made, and wanted its Art Deco feel echoed in the rest of the space,” Leeding says.
The designers found a sideboard and shelving and then had the chairs made. Some of the beams and the wall behind the art are painted a soft gray to lighten the space. “We had originally planned a dark color on that wall, but together with the red art it was too intense,” Leeding says.
The designers found a sideboard and shelving and then had the chairs made. Some of the beams and the wall behind the art are painted a soft gray to lighten the space. “We had originally planned a dark color on that wall, but together with the red art it was too intense,” Leeding says.
Blues and greens crop up throughout the house, reflecting the owners’ love of color and passion for gardening. “It was nice to introduce some blue in the main bedroom as a feature wall,” Leeding says. “Rather than a flat color, we picked a wallpaper that’s slightly textured and mottled.”
Wallpaper: Caselio
Wallpaper: Caselio
At the far end of the room is a peaceful reading corner with a view of the yard.
The owners wanted a luxurious, wet room feel in their en suite bathroom, achieved with two different styles of tile and brushed gold hardware.
“The shower can get a bit lost in a room like this, so we went for beautiful big tiles here,” Leeding says. “They’re quite shiny, so you might not want them across all the walls, but it’s nice to have that reflective finish here as everything else is more matte.”
Tile: Mandarin Stone
“The shower can get a bit lost in a room like this, so we went for beautiful big tiles here,” Leeding says. “They’re quite shiny, so you might not want them across all the walls, but it’s nice to have that reflective finish here as everything else is more matte.”
Tile: Mandarin Stone
Before: Aside from the mezzanine, the barn has no upper levels and all the bedrooms are on the ground floor. This is a guest room before its transformation.
After: Jephcott and Leeding redesigned the room to suit visiting children and adults alike. “It’s younger and more fun than other rooms,” Jephcott says. “We used bolder colors. The decorators kept calling and saying, ‘Are you sure? Are you really sure?’ and we were like, ‘Yes! Keep the faith!’ By the end, they said it was their favorite room.”
The communal spaces in the house feature mostly neutral tones. “But we thought, this is quite a small space, let’s have fun with color in here,” Leeding says. “You notice the edges of the room a lot less with dark shades, so it works well here.”
An almost terra cotta on the walls is anchored by a strong blue on the baseboards and doors. The beds were custom made for the space, combined with oversized lamps and a large mirror to make it look bigger.
Wall paint: Ashes Of Roses; woodwork paint: Juniper Ash, both Little Greene
The communal spaces in the house feature mostly neutral tones. “But we thought, this is quite a small space, let’s have fun with color in here,” Leeding says. “You notice the edges of the room a lot less with dark shades, so it works well here.”
An almost terra cotta on the walls is anchored by a strong blue on the baseboards and doors. The beds were custom made for the space, combined with oversized lamps and a large mirror to make it look bigger.
Wall paint: Ashes Of Roses; woodwork paint: Juniper Ash, both Little Greene
The en suite to the twin guest bedroom features a graphic, black-and-white scheme. “Again, we deliberately went for something funky for this bathroom,” Jephcott says. “We chose monochrome, though, as there’s a lot of color in the bedroom and we didn’t want to add more in here.”
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with grown-up children
Location: Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, England
Size: Three bedrooms and three bathrooms
Interior designers: Megane Leeding and Kirsty Jephcott of Ivywell Interiors
“The owners were relocating from London,” Jephcott says. “They loved the garden and wanted a rural life, so a converted barn was perfect.”
For much of the project, they were overseas or in London and not on site, but good communication and the latest technology meant this wasn’t a problem. “We use Houzz Pro and have for more than two years,” Leeding says. “We use the 3D Floor Plan the most, which is great to quickly put together initial room concepts, and the walk-through feature [where homeowners can get a real feel of the proposed scheme] allows us to capture specific details we want to draw attention to.”
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