Houzz Tour: A New-build Family Home in a Pretty Devon Town
Take a tour of this carefully considered new-build house hidden away in a pretty corner of Dartmoor National Park
As the saying goes, finding the perfect property is all about location, location, location. So when Eilir Sheryn and Frederieke van Ellen were looking for a family home in Devon, they took the search for the ideal spot very seriously indeed. ‘We were living in London, but wanted to move to the southwest,’ says Sheryn, ‘so we spent a year driving around Devon every weekend looking for our perfect town.’
This dedication paid off when they discovered the beautiful town of Ashburton. Set within Dartmoor National Park, it is, according to Sheryn, ‘like a big village and a small town at the same time’, and it ticked many of the boxes on the family’s wish list. With the location sorted, it was time to begin a new search – this time for the perfect house.
This dedication paid off when they discovered the beautiful town of Ashburton. Set within Dartmoor National Park, it is, according to Sheryn, ‘like a big village and a small town at the same time’, and it ticked many of the boxes on the family’s wish list. With the location sorted, it was time to begin a new search – this time for the perfect house.
This wasn’t a rash decision, though: the family lived in the bungalow from 2005 to 2013 while they planned the new building, and they took that time to really get to know the area and work on the plans for a replacement building that was sympathetic to the location.
In January 2013, they moved into rented accommodation and the demolition of the old bungalow and construction of the new home began.
Noguchi coffee table, The Conran Shop. Billy bookcase, Ikea. Robin Day Forum sofa for Habitat (no longer available). Gijs van der Sluis day bed, manufactured by Gispen. Rob Parry Lotus armchairs for Gelderland. Ikea Expedit bookcase (now called Kallax).
In January 2013, they moved into rented accommodation and the demolition of the old bungalow and construction of the new home began.
Noguchi coffee table, The Conran Shop. Billy bookcase, Ikea. Robin Day Forum sofa for Habitat (no longer available). Gijs van der Sluis day bed, manufactured by Gispen. Rob Parry Lotus armchairs for Gelderland. Ikea Expedit bookcase (now called Kallax).
Throughout the build, the eco credentials of the house were of particular interest to the couple. The building is timber-framed and was built on site – a practice their architectural firm champions – and the walls are packed with thick layers of insulation to maximise thermal performance.
The building also has underfloor heating throughout, so there are no radiators anywhere. As Sheryn explains, ‘It’s a really nice, uniform source of heating and rather than having the “hot spots” you get with radiators, underfloor heating gives consistent warmth throughout a room.’
Cream leather sofa, Poliform. Alvar Aalto 615 dining chairs, Artek. Lounge chair by Ilmari Lappalainen for Asko. Arco floor lamp by Castiglioni for Flos. Midcentury Danish sideboard, vintage.
Tour an ecofriendly East London home
The building also has underfloor heating throughout, so there are no radiators anywhere. As Sheryn explains, ‘It’s a really nice, uniform source of heating and rather than having the “hot spots” you get with radiators, underfloor heating gives consistent warmth throughout a room.’
Cream leather sofa, Poliform. Alvar Aalto 615 dining chairs, Artek. Lounge chair by Ilmari Lappalainen for Asko. Arco floor lamp by Castiglioni for Flos. Midcentury Danish sideboard, vintage.
Tour an ecofriendly East London home
A wood-burning stove sits on a low shelf in the main living area. ‘Thanks to the underfloor heating in this room, we don’t have to rely on the wood-burner for heat,’ explains Sheryn, ‘but it’s a nice visual feature and very cosy on a winter’s day.’
Cube 16 wood-burning stove, Stuv.
Cube 16 wood-burning stove, Stuv.
A large, structural wall almost divides the main room in half. ‘It separates the TV area from the main living space, which is TV-less,’ says Sheryn. But it still allows for a flow between the two areas.
The kitchen is a large, welcoming space with a central table for family meals. It was thoughtfully designed to function as a 21st century version of the traditional farmhouse kitchen and ‘it’s a hive of activity’, according to Sheryn.
The sky blue tiled splashback adds a hit of fresh colour and livens up the room. ‘We’ve kept the palette fairly neutral throughout,’ says Sheryn, ‘then added accents of strong colour here and there for interest.’
Grey lacquered doors and white quartz worktop, Caesarstone.
The sky blue tiled splashback adds a hit of fresh colour and livens up the room. ‘We’ve kept the palette fairly neutral throughout,’ says Sheryn, ‘then added accents of strong colour here and there for interest.’
Grey lacquered doors and white quartz worktop, Caesarstone.
‘If we have friends over for dinner, we can use the more formal area in the dining room, but for breakfast and everyday meals, the table in the kitchen is large enough for the whole family to use,’ explains Sheryn.
Tiles, Original Style. Radius dining table, Habitat. Range cooker, Smeg.
Tiles, Original Style. Radius dining table, Habitat. Range cooker, Smeg.
‘We didn’t have a huge budget for a big-label kitchen, so we managed to install this entire kitchen for less than £20,000,’ explains Sheryn. Three pendant lights hung low over the kitchen table provide extra visual interest and offer targeted light for meals or activities.
Wan pendant lights, Flos. Windows, Velfac.
Wan pendant lights, Flos. Windows, Velfac.
A grass-green steel, wood and glass staircase provides a bold welcome in the main hallway. ‘We were keen to have something sculptural in the main hall,’ says Sheryn. ‘We wanted it to be transparent and hollow almost, as there’s a large, south-facing window directly above it on the first floor, and it made sense to bring light down from there into the hallway.’
See 12 ways to make more of your staircase
See 12 ways to make more of your staircase
‘We designed the staircase ourselves and people either love it or hate it,’ says the architect. ‘Because we were able to go directly to the fabricator for the materials, then had it made locally, we were lucky that we could get it for a fraction of what you could pay for a bespoke staircase.’
The first floor houses five bedrooms and two bathrooms, all of which feature crisp white walls and bold injections of colour.
The master bathroom sports a zingy orange tiled wall. ‘Frederieke is Dutch, so she likes orange,’ says Sheryn. ‘In every house we’ve lived in, we’ve always had something orange.’
‘I was a little bit nervous about the colour at first,’ admits Sheryn, but the result is surprisingly cheerful. ‘It’s such a warm, happy colour,’ he says, ‘it brings brightness to every day.’
Many of the first floor windows extend right down to floor level – another carefully considered decision by the couple. ‘Having vertical windows like these allows a better sightline down into the garden below,’ explains Sheryn.
‘We always wanted a contemporary building,’ says Sheryn, but the couple were keen to make the structure work for everyone.
‘Although it’s a two-storey building, we designed in a flat roof to get two storeys without a large pitched roof. As such, we were able to reduce the height of the structure and preserve the views for our neighbours.’
‘Although it’s a two-storey building, we designed in a flat roof to get two storeys without a large pitched roof. As such, we were able to reduce the height of the structure and preserve the views for our neighbours.’
Aware of the impact the building work could have on the surrounding area, Sheryn was keen to keep everyone nearby in the loop. ‘The neighbours were all great,’ he says. ‘We consulted with them all before we began and explained the thought process behind the new building.’
With so much careful consideration poured into the planning stage of this build, the actual construction time was relatively short. After moving out of the old bungalow in the January, the family were settled into their new home 11 months later – just in time for Christmas.
With so much careful consideration poured into the planning stage of this build, the actual construction time was relatively short. After moving out of the old bungalow in the January, the family were settled into their new home 11 months later – just in time for Christmas.
As the name implies, Hidden House is largely shielded from the road by a high surrounding wall. The driveway offers a tantalising glimpse of the building beyond.
‘In many ways, the walled garden helped,’ says Sheryn, ‘as the large surrounding wall acts as a screen and obscures the house from the main road. That’s why we renamed it Hidden House.’
‘In many ways, the walled garden helped,’ says Sheryn, ‘as the large surrounding wall acts as a screen and obscures the house from the main road. That’s why we renamed it Hidden House.’
Clad in a mix of brick, zinc panels and colourful blocks of painted render, the exterior of the building is reminiscent of a Mondrian painting.
Each element was carefully thought through. The bricks were shipped over from a factory close to van Ellen’s home town in the Netherlands. ‘Dutch bricks are thinner than British ones,’ explains Sheryn, ‘and a bit more elegant and elongated.’ Painting them white was a deliberate move to create a Scandinavian feel.
Each element was carefully thought through. The bricks were shipped over from a factory close to van Ellen’s home town in the Netherlands. ‘Dutch bricks are thinner than British ones,’ explains Sheryn, ‘and a bit more elegant and elongated.’ Painting them white was a deliberate move to create a Scandinavian feel.
As a visual contrast to the textural, handmade element of the bricks, Sheryn chose to clad the rest of the building in zinc panels. ‘I liked the slightly machined nature of zinc as a contrast,’ he explains. ‘It’s coated with a brown finish and acts as a vertical contrast to the horizontal brickwork.’
The zinc also creates a 3D sculptural effect due to the way it wraps around the corners and stands away from the brickwork. ‘It leads your eye around the corners,’ he says.
The building has 20 solar panels hidden away on the roof, too, which generate the majority of the household’s electricity. ‘A flat roof is idea for solar panels, as they are largely hidden from view and can be angled to catch the sun, unlike on a pitched roof, where the angle is fixed and they are usually much more visible,’ Sheryn explains.
The zinc also creates a 3D sculptural effect due to the way it wraps around the corners and stands away from the brickwork. ‘It leads your eye around the corners,’ he says.
The building has 20 solar panels hidden away on the roof, too, which generate the majority of the household’s electricity. ‘A flat roof is idea for solar panels, as they are largely hidden from view and can be angled to catch the sun, unlike on a pitched roof, where the angle is fixed and they are usually much more visible,’ Sheryn explains.
This was the 1950s bungalow that originally occupied the plot.
Floor plans of the new space show how the semi-open-plan layout fits together.
TELL US…
What do you think of this contemporary new build? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
What do you think of this contemporary new build? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here Architects Eilir Sheryn and Frederieke van Ellen, plus their children, Rhys, 14, Sanne, 13, Lowri, 12, and Else, 10
Location Ashburton, Devon
Property A new, two-storey house
Size 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Architects van Ellen + Sheryn
Looking around the town, the couple discovered a three-bedroom bungalow on a third of an acre of land. But it wasn’t so much the bungalow that caught their attention as the location. The house was set within a walled plot, which largely hid the building from the road, and the couple could see it had great potential.
‘The bungalow was on a great plot and one day we hoped to develop that,’ says Sheryn. So in 2005, the couple bought the house and moved their family in.
‘We thought at first about converting and extending the existing structure,’ says Sheryn, ‘but it became obvious it was a pretty tired, post-war 1950s construction that had reached the end of its life. So we took a leap of faith and decided to knock it down and start again.’