A contemporary oak frame farmhouse in Lancashire

Philip and Judi’s project was instantly re-invigorated.

“Suddenly progress was being made in leaps and bounds,” says Philip. “Planning sailed through with only one minor change, and we were ready to start on-site. Our plot is north facing, therefore the orientation of the house on the site was as important as other design consideration. Oakwrights provided us with shadow diagrams so we could see what outdoor areas and rooms benefited from sunlight at different times of the day, which was incredibly useful, and with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside from the site, framing the views was key when positioning the windows.”

“Designing and building a house that looked like it had always been there was very important to us,” explains Judi.

“We chose the local honey-coloured stone that gives out a warm and welcoming feel against the often grey background of the Lancashire skies. The original stone from the demolished house and barns was deemed unsuitable to use on the new house. Fortunately, a local reclamation yard was able to provide local stone from a Cotton Mill that was being taken down. The freshly cut stone mullions and door jambs were sandblasted to give a soft aged finish, giving the impression of a house well settled into its location.” In fact, local ramblers often ask the couple when they started renovating and cannot believe it’s a new build.

The eastern elevation of Philip and Judi’s home features their open-plan kitchen, dining room and garden room and makes up the hub for the household. Accessible from the backdoor, via the utility, this is the most used area of their oak framed home.

“We have to remember that we have a front door too,” says Philip.

Philip and Judi’s spacious Shaker-style kitchen has a warm and cosy vibe, with double ovens, an induction hob on the large islands and a large fridge freezer.

“We chose to have exposed oak floor joists in the ceiling of the kitchen and dining room as we love the character of the oak,” explains Judi.

Their garden room has three walls of face glazing and is the perfect place to sit during the daytime and keep an eye on their horses in the fields below.

The living room on the other side of the house has a cosy feel, with oak floor joists adding warmth and an impressive fireplace that’s made using the door jams of the original longhouse. The colourful wallpaper on the feature wall and French doors looking down onto the fields make it a wonderful place to retire to in the evening when the work is done and it’s time to relax.

This modern oak framed country home offers one more ‘wow factor’, as you descend the stairs from the garden room, past the wine racks to the modern equivalent of the billiard room: a luxury ‘man cave’. Lots of concrete, walnut slats, cut face slate tiles and football murals adorn the walls and a comprehensive gin collection is lit up on a feature wall. It’s a fabulous space to socialise, but Philip admits “it is in reality a bit of a man cave!”

Outside, the underground hideout sits a wooden decking area, looking down towards the pond. Originally a ‘soggy hole’ that the farm’s septic tank drained into, has now been revitalised.

“We dug out a pond, especially, but not only, for Lilah the Labradors to swim in!” Says Judi. “Nature has colonised the pond and we have even had kingfishers and a family of ducks this year.”

On the drive by the back door, the couple chose to incorporate a three-bay Winchester garage from our room above garage range with rooms above built to store building materials during their self-build process.