Architecture Wednesday: Swyllmers Barn

Goddess I love a barn conversion, even one as large as this one, at over 4,600 square feet with five-bedrooms … I sense B&B.

Nestled in a peaceful pocket of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in The Lee Conservation Area, this large home is a series of spacious living spaces that have been thoughtfully carved out, with a glass atrium at its core.

Set just off a quiet country road, Swyllmers Barn is almost totally surrounded by mature broad-leaf trees and foliage. Topped with an clay-tiled roof, the house is formed of red brick and black weatherboarding; come spring, the wisteria that climbs across its front aspect erupts with white and lilac blossom.

Accessed from the porch, the entrance hallway is the central node from which each of the living spaces branches out. To the right is the glass-framed, double-height atrium currently used as a sitting room that sets the tone for the strong relationship between indoors and out; three sets of French doors open to the garden, making the room a wonderful space to sit and observe the changing seasons.

The primary reception has a nest of exposed timber rafters above, a wood-burning stove, and windows that run along two sides of the room. On the opposite side of the home is an open-plan kitchen and dining room with a large lounge space, where a wide picture window captures views of the grounds.

Tucked to one side of the room is a small conservatory while a spacious games room-gym, home study with a fireplace and extensive built-in bookshelves, utility room, pantry and powder room make up the rest of the ground floor.

In the main entrance hall, two staircases—both with storage underneath—ascend to the home's separate first-floor wings. A bedroom between the two wings connects both sides of the first floor while internal windows along the landings and in three of the bedrooms peek down into the atrium below, bringing more light upstairs.

The principal bedroom has a brilliant en suite with both a walk-in shower and a bathtub while the four other bedrooms are similarly spacious and with garden outlooks; one has an en suite bathroom, while the other has a dressing room. A family bathroom, with walk-in shower and a bathtub, serves the remaining rooms.

The gardens serve a range of functions: wide lawns are perfect for a summertime picnic or games and terraced spots are ripe for dining set-up or just lounging. A formal garden has been meticulously cultivated over several years with alliums, foxglove and fragrant lavender growing within a perimeter marked by neat box hedging.

Adding to the generous internal plan is an outbuilding currently used as a studio, home office and storage space. On its roof are several succulents that thrive in the sunlight. Above the main garage is another large storage room.

Despite its secluded feel, Swyllmers Barn is within easy reach of Great Missenden Station, which runs regular services to London Marylebone in under 40 minutes.

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