DUTCH BARN

Internal fit-out of a Dutch Barn in Suffolk

IP30

This project was for a creative couple who were moving from London to start a new life in the Suffolk countryside. They had purchased a ‘Dutch Barn’ in partial shell form, which required a full internal fit out to create a family home for them and their young children. The brief asked for a design which was creative and inspiring, memorable and unique, family friendly and timeless, but with a sense of fun. This was all to be achieved on a very tight budget.

The barn is a very large space, over 600sqm, so the first design problem was how to create a family home that was practical and cosy but also incorporated the dramatic double height volumes and large spaces the barn offered, without feeling too cavernous and impersonal. After many floor plan iterations, a layout was chosen which incorporated a ‘street’ which ran in a straight line from the front door all the way through the barn. This helped organise the barn into a series of open plan spaces leading from this pathway, separated by functional elements such as the new staircase, utility and bathrooms. Each ‘room’ has a different function and relationship with the countryside views and garden, creating a very flexible layout which can easily adapt to family life. There are hardly any doors on the ground floor, so the spaces all flow together which gives a sense of the scale of the barn. There are always glimpses from one space to another or to the outside.

EXISTING GROUND FLOOR PLAN

COMPLETED GROUND FLOOR PLAN

The dining area was sited in the double height space, overlooking the large garden and flanked by the kitchen with a double depth island unit for people to gather around. Hidden behind the kitchen is the main living room, which was given a new fireplace to create a focal point for the room and a concrete bench with storage underneath.

The material palette was kept deliberately simple and utilises materials which were economic but added warmth and character to the barn. Plywood was used to line the walls on the ground floor and create joinery and doors with oversized handles. The existing concrete floor was polished and the gaps left by old partitions infilled with brass plate, which is mirrored in the kitchen splashback. The ensuite uses a similar batten detail to the staircase, in a different colour. Black is used to bring different elements together, such as the kitchen, Crittall doors and living room wall, which ties into the colour of the primary steel frame of the house. 

A large workroom and studio is separated from the evening living room with Crittall doors. The walls are clad in cork to improve sound quality and provide a surface for pinning drawings up, and a new peg board wall allows for creative storage and display solutions.