Architecture Wednesday: Pen Pits in Somerset

I do love an Art Deco home, with it’s curved walls and somewhat nautical vibe … little portholes in walls and such … and this 1935 Art Ddeco home by architect Peter Harland, commissioned by famed British composer Arthur Bliss as his family’s country retreat, is no exception.

Plus, it has a bonus feature …

Pen Pits, as the home is known, sits on the border of Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset and hosted the Blises and their influential group of friends, which included writers, artists and other musicians for decades; it’s had just three owners in its lifetime and has been exquisitely preserved through the decades by those careful custodians.

The ‘service’ areas of the main 2,640 sq ft house—the kitchen, pantry and utilities—are set along the north side of the home while the living room and shared spaces have the preferred southern garden views. The dining room has curved windows to take in the views and opens directly onto a large terrace. And the sunken, moody living room has full-length windows to the gardens, high ceilings, and an enormous red brick fireplace.

One notable difference in this Art Deco beauty is that the Blises, and subsequent owners, broke away from the monochrome art deco archetype and splashed color on nearly all the walls. That said, the lime green carpet in the bedroom would need a quick change for me.

And the bonus feature? The property holds not one but two Historic England designations, the second being Bliss’s woodland music room, which is located north of the main house.

To be fair, while the house was for sale, it did require some modernization, but … and this is a but I like … the home, er homes—there is also a four-bedroom guest cottage with a separate driveway on the property—you also get 25 acres of woodlands and gardens.

I mean, come on, an Art Deco home, a famed composer’s studio, and another cottage sitting in those beautiful gardens?

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