Architecture Wednesday: Reighton Wood

Reighton Wood sits on almost nine and a half acres near the market town of Tenterden and was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s residential work where natural materials carve out elegant, light-filled living spaces, and connections to the outdoors.

Reighton Wood was remodeled and reconfigured with the help of local architect who added the glass conservatory. A refined palette of wood and glass has also been adopted throughout resulting in an easy, uplifting and organic harmony between the building and its natural environment. The home is especially quiet and private, sitting behind solid oak electric gates with a large driveway and a beautifully planted turning circle.

The front door, tucked under a porch, leads into a wide entrance hall that serves double purpose as a dining room. To the left is a living room, which looks out into the garden, the pool and rolling countryside; it has tall, pitched ceilings and a wood-burning stove. To the right is a more formal sitting room, arranged around another working fireplace, with the same white ash floorboards found throughout the house and There are more large expanses of windows here.

A third living space lies adjacent to the kitchen; this is an intimate space with an exposed brick fireplace fitted with wood-burning stove, crowned with a concrete lintel. Large sliding doors and windows create an unbroken connection with the garden. 

The kitchen is arranged around an oil-fired Sandyford stove and a Lacanche cooker. Grey cabinets and central island are both topped with wide unpolished granite counters and a utility room and pantry are just nearby. Beyond the kitchen is a light-soaked Scot's pine-framed, south-facing conservatory which is bright throughout the day and year. A glazed door slides open to reveal a sheltered spot—perfect for outdoor breakfasts, lunches and dinners—and features the same limestone flooring as the kitchen.

The first floor is home to six bedrooms, including two en suites and a shared bathroom. All of the bedrooms are fitted with bespoke banks of cupboards, while some have built-in bookshelves and desk spaces.

Outside is an annex featuring a bank of windows that can be opened on two sides to enjoy the view of the lily pond beyond. The building has a large living space with a kitchen, and upstairs there are two bedrooms and a shared bathroom. The pool house, with a small kitchenette, bathroom and wood-burning stove, is used throughout the year for entertaining, workshops and as a yoga studio.

The gardens are centered around distinct areas—Oak pergolas create distinct 'rooms’—and plantings to encourage pollinators and provide respite for people. The lily pond, just in front of annex, features a curved boardwalk that ends with an oak bench surrounded by wildflowers. The garden is also home to a tennis court and hot tub, a kitchen garden with fruit cages, greenhouse, and fruit trees; there are ancient oak trees and native ferns and a swathe of woodland stretches beyond the formal gardens.

All yours for £3.75 M or $5.08 M75USD.

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The Modern House