If you find a remote plot of land that has an awesome, sweeping view of the gorgeous Welsh countryside, then the desire to live there and have that vista as your nearest and forever companion is surely overwhelming.
And if you can get planning consent and have a big budget to lavish on its creation, then building your own dream home from scratch is the way forward to design how you live with that panoramic vista at the core.
That's exactly what has occurred at this ultra modern home in the heart of the Carmarthenshire countryside - a contemporary abode has been born out of the fields that looks like a property that could easily appear on Channel 4's Grand Designs.
Called Crugdu, this very special home in a very special spot in Carmarthenshire was once the site of a two-storey, period dwelling that included single-storey annexes and outbuildings.
Planning was submitted to Carmarthenshire County Council in 2016 for permission to demolish these existing structures to create a 'new environmentally friendly, two-storey house with single-storey annexes and garage, with associated remotely situated solar panels'.
This new build replacement dwelling, designed by Llandeilo-based company Arwain Architects, was pitched to the planners as demolishing an old thermally inefficient stone cottage and constructing a new purpose built contemporary dwelling, that will provide a home for future generations and future custodians.
The planning documents state that the dwelling will be 'sympathetic to its habitat and with its use of natural sustainable recyclable materials, will be environmentally friendly, dramatically lowering the carbon footprint'.
Crugdu was granted permission to be born in 2017 and from the rubble of the old came the rise of the contemporary. But this house is not a boring, modern box plonked onto a section of rural land, it's a well-designed, carefully considered home that works with the landscape rather than against it.
The first sight this new born house enjoyed was the sweeping rural landscape rushing down the gentle hillside to the horizon from its enviable, elevated position - a front row seat to the changing seasons and sometimes wild Welsh weather.
Set back from the quiet country lane, the stone wall entrance with pillars and electric gates makes the statement as soon as you arrive that this is going to be a special home.
The first glimpse of the house is as the drive sweeps to the right and two wings of the house, one single storey and one two-storey, cwtched around a central tree in the front courtyard, that make an immediate visual impact, clad in dark aluminium.
This sectional style of construction was informed by the design of creating a home based on a ‘Welsh smallholding’, rather than a traditional detached house, so there is a primary, secondary and tertiary hierarchy of buildings to support this core design statement.
Park at the entrance and maybe you think this modern home is quite a modest offering, but it stretches out behind these L-shaped sections into a four-bed house with extra reception rooms, all cloaked in the glorious Carmarthenshire country views.
But keep the car going and drive around the biggest of the two wings that greeted you and the heart of the home is revealed, in a predominantly U-shaped configuration.
The centre of the house, and of the U-shaped layout, is obvious from inside the car, with two walls of glass meaning you cannot only see into the spacious kitchen dining and living room, but then beyond it to the views that stretch out to the horizon. This snapshot of what is to come provided by the use of oodles of glass is very enticing and surely raises the anticipation level to over-excited.
The front door and entrance, also drenched in glass, opens into an area that leads directly into the open-plan living space and the visual impact is overwhelming.
There's a glass roof to this entrance area, a full-length window at the end with a view of the garden to distract you, and a tactile, exposed Cornish stone wall that you will definitely be touching and pays homage not only to the landscape but the old stone farmhouse that this home has replaced.
This area also teases you with the first glimpse of the steel staircase with an intricate and delicate design that is a wonderfully direct contrast to the robust and bulky stonewall opposite it - a visual feast to dine on.
Then into surely the main event of the house, the core of the property that's home to the main lounge, dining area and kitchen, with a wall of glass sliding doors that span the whole of the space, offering maximum connection to the magnificent views.
The flow between zoned spaces inside and then to the outside is seamless as well as stunning, finessed to perfection, drenched in contemporary interior design that keeps the contrast going - hard surfaces mixed with tactile fabrics, black with white, metal with glass.
But, of course, it's the panoramic view that rightly demands the most attention, and this continues into the principal bedroom suite, which has the whole of the first floor of this middle section of the home to itself.
Up the fabulous, bespoke stairs gets you to this spacious master bedroom with perfect views from picture windows on both sides, plus a Juliet balcony in the corner that creates a reading nook with a view sure to distract you constantly, however absorbing the story you are reading.
And, of course, the master bedroom has a large and luxurious ensuite and good sized, separate walk-in wardrobe too. Back down the stairs and to the end of the open-plan core space gets you exploring the first of the buildings that greeted you when you first arrived.
The corridor section of the two connected wings is again of note, with a glass ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows at both ends making you feel like you've stepped out into the garden again. The ground floor of this wing is a practical area, offering a utility room, boot room, plant room and access to the integral double garage.
Up the stairs and there's a handy home office that could easily be another bedroom, a modern shower room and a second reception lounge that could remain as this function or become a bedroom too. This wing of the house feels quite self-contained, so is perfect as a teenager or older generation annexe, and however they need the rooms configured, this versatile home can easily cope.
The second building that greeted you when you arrived is an intriguing proposition - a detached building that has been designed as a gym with sauna and shower room but the agent selling the home suggests, with the correct permissions investigated and obtained if required, could become a residential unit.
Back to the other end of the open-plan reception room, past the stone wall by the main entrance that conceals a handy cloakroom too, and into the third and final wing of this outstanding dream home. This is a single-storey section that offers two double bedrooms, both with ensuite shower rooms and both with a set of French doors out to the garden.
When you step out into the garden, just for a while, try and ignore the stunning, surrounding views and have a better look at the house because it can reward you with an attractive aspect too.
Varying rooflines and heights across the four sections of this modern 'smallholding' ensure visual interest. Add in the mix of materials that includes modern aluminium in a dark and stormy shade, smooth cream toned render, and multi-toned sections of exposed stone, some placed at a jaunty angle, and the result is a triumph of unique and absorbing design, able to stand out within the landscape but not at all overwhelm it.
The garden is worthy of admiration too, and this dream home is so fancy even the hot tub in the garden has its own dry stone walling, and from the bubbles you can admire the 13 acres of land that come with Crugdu.
The hot tub is also a good place to view the beautifully landscaped gardens that include a spacious, sociable and sunny terrace that is the cherry on the top of this most delicious of property cakes that offers all the right luxury ingredients for a perfect place to call home.
The home that's all about the views inside as well as outside is on the market for £1.5m, contact John Francis Ammanford on 01269 790034 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, auction properties, renovation stories, and interiors - join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter , sent to your inbox twice a week.
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