This house in the British countryside is a vision of high quality and class. Designed by Robert Harvey of architecture firm Yorke, Harper and Harvey in the 1960s, it was the kind of job Harvey surely would have lapped up.
Having been given a generous budget by the clients, R M Wilson, a wealthy engineer and businessman and his wife, afforded the architect carte blanche, making no interference in the design process, besides requesting “a house that would be noticed”.
It certainly is noticeable. From the exterior, it almost looks like a high end hi fi. And true to that comparison, the abiding theme in the design is, of course, the beautiful polished wood that crops up throughout the design.
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Principally comprised of rosewood and teak, both woods which are derived from forests far away from the UK setting they have found themselves in, the high quality of these materials is made all the more obvious by the expert joinery and polishing, especially clear in sections like the roof overhang by the balcony and the embedded fireplace.
Among many other aspects worthy of note is the spectacular circular indoor swimming pool on the ground floor, featuring a simple yet beautiful tile pattern, subtly displaying mermaids and fish beneath a spectacular, still distinctly futuristic ceiling.
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Harvey seems to have had a predilection for tile patterning since it is noticeable in the kitchen also, where he has paired a more abstract, blue-toned tile pattern with the predominant wood feature, making for a quite idiosyncratic combination.
Besides the prevailing wood theme, the tones of the rest of the décor are rather muted. This is not such a bad thing as it serves to bring out the wood motif even more. Likewise, it lends a subtle class to the fixtures and fittings which really underlines that this house knows it’s good and doesn’t need to shout about it.
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Photos via The Modern House
