THREE SIDES GLAZED: each exposed wall of the well-named sun-room has a wide window, to the north- west, south-west and south-east. The last of these is seen through the central picture window. The sun thus shines in all day. South Devon limestone acts as retaining wall. Foreground is planted with sweet cherries and bush peaches, replacing old cider-apple trees.
STONE, WOOD AND BRICK: the entrance front is characterised by a combination of the local limestone chimney-stack and wall, wavy elm gable boarding, and bricks. The tall stone feature helps to avoid any look of squatness. Cedar shingles form the roof. Tree by sun-room window at the far end of the house fell twenty years ago and has been left as a piece of natural sculpture.
STAGE-LIKE SCENE is presented by the 10-ft. picture window at night. The upright "soldier course" of bricks indicates floor level. The pond, fed from the roof, is in the position of a soakaway, and overflows to form a bog. Planting includes Primula japonica and florindae, and Iris Kaempferi, The gutters and downpipes are all aluminium, rustless and thus economical to maintain.
STONE INSIDE AS OUT: the same lovely limestone is continued right through for the fireplace wall of the sun-room. Framed picture niches give good scope for decoration here is wild arum in one, with German hand-carved deer disporting on the right. Rush mat, beech block flooring.
SPACE-SENSE IS THE KEY QUALITY of this new one-floor home space indoors, and a view of far vistas.
Rooms are arranged for morning-to-evening sun- shine-giving light and delight-and the plan is pivoted towards distant Devon moors.
Windows are wide and deep, but so successfully have materials been managed that, despite the expanse of glass, the initial impact is one of solid stone. For the front entrance is flanked by a thick-and-warm, right-angular wall feature in blue-grey local limestone, comprising also the chimney.
This projecting stack relieves any lack of height, particularly the flat roof of the sun-room, and is surrounded by a cedar shingle roof. Mingling with the limestone and shingles, bricks for the rest of the walls and elm boarding for gables create a well varied framework for a contemporary home in the country.
Just as large windows help to break down the barriers between outdoors and in, so is this sense of "one-ness" furthered by the limestone wall continued past the front door and into the hall, and also as the sun-room's fire wall. Once inside the house, the impression is of space far greater than its 1,170 sq.ft. None of this is wasted. The hall is no mere entry area, forming a dining-room, too, conveniently close to the well fitted kitchen. The latter offers a second meals alcove in its L-shape.
So that the dining-hall shall be as light as can be, and to impart that precious space-sense in rooms that are necessarily restricted in size, this two-purpose area is separated from the sun-room not by a wall but a floor-to- ceiling glass screen and door-presenting an un- interrupted vista of 34 ft. indoors and many miles beyond. The dining-hall is only about 7 ft. wide, but seems quite ample with minimum furnishings and the table against the wall.
So to the sun-room. Each of the three exposed walls has a wide window for all-the-day sun and space, the central south-westerly opening of 10 ft. being the focus. And as the sheet of glass forms the fourth wall, the room conveys an unusual sense of space, although measuring no more than 17 ft. by 121 ft.
As well as the sun-room, kitchen and two meals areas, space has been found for a 12-ft. study, distinguished by a low-set built-in bookcase incorporating an automatic radiogram unit. A screen at one side of the desk displays prints of pictures which can easily be changed as the mood may fluctuate.
At the end of the dining-hall, an archway defines the open division between daytime and sleeping areas, and also extends the two-room vista still further from one end of the house to the other, nearly 50 ft. At the end of the passage beyond the arch, pin-striped glass, as on the kitchen doors, gives lightness with privacy.
Two bedrooms lead off the left side of the passage, and the bathroom and w.c. to the right. Even this is not all: adjacent to the bathroom is arranged a 7 ft. by 5 ft. hobbies room, at present filling the rôle of photographic dark room in a light house!
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source: Ideal Home, September 1954
