Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK’s Folkestone, this incredible barn conversion sees a shabby 18th-century structure transform into a rugged, masculine, and deceptively modern home.
Liddicoat & Goldhill eschewed the language of the typical barn conversion, instead turning the cluster of historic agricultural buildings into a getaway for relaxing and gathering. Their brief focused on materiality and atmosphere, and on creative re-use of the existing volumes. The surviving bones of the building are blended with the texture and tone of found materials collected by the owners, a fashion designer and a digital designer.
The result is a home that is both charmingly antiquated and cleverly contemporary. Aesthetically, the space retains a handsome weathered look. Exposed wood beams and stone walls are unrefined but effortlessly appealing. The all-in-one tapering brick chimney, open fireplace, and spiral staircase is an especially stunning focal point.
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Beneath the surface, the barn packs an unexpected suite of high-tech features. A ground-source heat pump harvests warmth from the paddock soil to provide heating and hot water. Reclaimed light fittings were adapted to use long-life, low-energy LED lamps. The barn is even part of the much-hyped Internet of Things, thanks to integrated heat, light, and security systems that can be controlled remotely.