Just north of Cardiff is a charming property that can pack a punch - it has location and character to offer as well as space. The location is a semi-rural spot surrounded by rolling fields, hedgerows and winding lanes.
It's an idyllic location, but it's not idle as place to call home, as Cardiff is about a 20-minute drive away and all the amenities of the popular village of Creigiau are literally just around the corner.
The converted barn is nestled into the countryside at the end of a private lane, and has been a labour of love for the current owners, working hard to create a home full of original character and charm but also ensuring the spaces are sizeable, sociable and flow well throughout the home.
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Plenty of parking at the front of the barn means a party packed with people is easily an option, at least from the aspect of where the cars are going to spend their time while the sociable event gets underway inside and out in the large rear garden.
The front porch area is an added bonus for anyone coming home from a rural ramble with muddy boots and an even muddier dog, so it's even handier that a utility room and downstairs toilet can be found just off this space. There's also a surprise rear porch too, that leads from the kitchen diner into the substantial rear garden, so whichever route you take into the home, there's a vestibule ready to greet you.
But you miss a special feature of this home if you don't look up when you step inside the front door. The double height of the former barn has been captured with an open space up to the roof, via the galleried landing.
The result is not just a light and spacious welcome, but a wonderful glimpse of the exposed roof beams that can be enjoyed from the ground floor thanks to the double-height void and the clever use of glass balustrades so nothing gets in the way of that vertical view.
Then straight into the large kitchen and the stylish interior design begins, with a Shaker-style kitchen in a soft heritage green that not only reflects the age of the home but also the rural location of the barn, surrounded by the lush and varied green tones of nature. The marble worktops and splashbacks add a timeless and lavish touch and the brass taps and handles bring in an accent of metallic luxury.
But in this space the property's former rustic roots are not forgotten with the exposed brick wall adding a tactile accent to the otherwise very smooth surfaces and textures in the space. The black and glass statement light over the island add an extra industrial, modern layer to the space.
It might be tempting to then wander outside via the back porch, but there's a fabulous broken-plan reception space next door that takes the tactile nature of the home to the next level. There's a beautiful parquet floor that continues from the dining space into the lounge, and a tactile wall of exposed stone that is so tempting to reach out and touch.
The two areas are partially divided by a wooden section of wall that again adds visual and physical texture but is also a delightful nod to the barn origins of this home. But there's not a horse and cart or a stash of hay bails on the other side of this wall, rather a sociable dining space that invites you to sit and chat for hours, long after dessert has been eaten.
Imagine sitting in either of these wonderful spaces, surrounded by the character of the barn inside and the beauty of the countryside outside, framed by each window. In the winter, getting cosy by the log burner must surely mean the lounge is the most popular place to relax in the whole property?
A bonus room off the lounge could mean working from home is covered, that has absorbing views from the window as well as a door to the outside world, letting in refreshing breezes in to stop the post lunch work slump on a hot day. Or this space could be a playroom or reading nook - whatever works for a new owner's lifestyle.
Up to the first floor via that well-designed, double-height staircase space and onto the galleried landing where there's access to all four bedrooms with a bathroom at each end. Of course, if the master bedroom wanted an ensuite, the door of the adjacent bathroom could be changed to provide private access from the bedroom, subject to planning consent of course.
There's plenty to see and appreciate from this upper floor, from the sweeping views from each window to the exposed beams and rafters that include the chunky and robust wooden lintel of the former barn door easily admired from the landing thanks to the glass balustrades.
One of the bedrooms is currently being used as a dedicated walk-in wardrobe and dressing room, designed to perfection to utilise all the space with bespoke Sharps wardrobes and carpentry.
Another of the four bedrooms is a dedicated home office, again with bespoke joinery, but if this room needs to be a slumber space again, the office could move downstairs.
The lucky bedroom at one end of the barn has a very special addition - arguably better than an ensuite - a glass door leads to a substantial, raised deck that captures the sun and the views of the landscape. Surely it's the perfect place for a brunch and any meal of the day through to a sunset cocktail?
A quick peek into the bathrooms, as well as the pretty pink cloakroom down stairs, reveals that even the smallest rooms in the house have been lavished with attention.
The family bathroom in particular is a special space, with matt grey tiles cocooning the modern space that has very streamlined additions that make the room look uncluttered and high quality, from the black shower and radiator to the slick basin unit crowned with a mirror with hidden lighting.
Throughout, the interior design is classic yet contemporary too, tasteful and timeless and mixes natural textures to create a warm and welcoming home that it would be a joy to come home to every time you had to tear yourself away from it.
The barn that mixes old with new, rustic with modern is for sale for a guide price of £675,000 with purplebricks, call them on 0800 810 8008 to find out more. And if you want to find out more about dream homes, renovations and interiors, join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter.
