The Story
Raising their glasses of champagne on their wedding day and gazing out across the still water, the owners of this exquisitely built house toasted their fabulous home as well as their future together.
The beautiful six-bedroom property was created to their exact design and today offers a sumptuous lifestyle in an ideal situation.
"Where can you live, that is on the side of a lake, only three minutes from the station and only 35 minutes to London by train?" asked the owner. "We are in the centre of Milton Keynes here, yet it is so quiet that it feels like you are in the middle of the countryside."
|
Dream Home
After attempting to buy a plot of land in the unique location for some time, the couple eventually succeeded and started to design their house immediately. Desiring a Tudor-style manor with a modern interior, they instructed an architect and set about creating their dream home.
"The house is now six years old and we know everything about it," she said. "We picked everything, from the doors, windows, bricks and beams to the handles and hinges. We spared no expense."
|
Grand Dining Hall
The interior of the house was carefully planned right down to the last detail. The splendid ruby red dining hall, for example, is accessed via a pair of solid oak doors. This area features a beautiful imported Italian cream and black checker-board floor and a Victorian black cast-iron straight staircase, which was originally housed in Netley Hall, Shropshire.
The breathtaking hall also features internal glass doors inspired by the Art Nouveau designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
"The inspiration for the choice of these doors came from my childhood. I lived with my mother and step-father in a house in Northampton with a room that was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh," said the owner. "When we formally entertain or have our own 'dress for dinner' nights we use the dining hall."
|
Inviting Rooms
The drawing room is also used for entertaining. Here the Elgin & Hall marble fireplace is warm and inviting, and creates a natural centre piece to the room. The ceiling is plaster, decorated with a suspended cornicing, which provides indirect illumination, creating an inviting glow on dark evenings.
"We love the whole house so much that it is hard to say which room is our favourite. In the evenings, the television room is the perfect place to relax but on Sunday mornings there is nothing we enjoy more than having breakfast in the conservatory," she said.
|
Stylish Kitchen
The kitchen is fitted with solid cherry cabinets and a black marble worktop, with specs of blue pearl. From the kitchen, there is access to a very light and airy breakfast room and a convenient and practical utility room.
"The natural light in the breakfast room makes it a delightful location for meals," said the owner. "The floor is travertine marble. Two sets of double doors lead onto the rear terrace and low-maintenance landscaped rear garden."
|
Fabulous Views
Upstairs, the house is no less impressive. There are six bedrooms, three of which have en suite bathrooms. Also on this level is a minimalist steel and glass balcony.
"The peaceful backdrop offers a panoramic view of Furzton Lake and the brook, which is a heaven for natural wildlife," she said.
The master suite is roomy and features ceiling speakers, a large L-shaped dressing room and the en-suite bathroom, with its walk-in shower and whirlpool bath.
"Louvered shutters above the bath open to allow the most fabulous views out over the lake," she added.
|
Home for Entertaining
The house has been the perfect place to entertain friends and family. With French windows leading into the garden from the dining hall, the drawing room and the conservatory, guests wander in and out to the sound of the music coming through the external Bose speakers.
The couple, who now plan to move to the Caribbean, have so many special memories of their home to take with them when they leave. "We had our wedding photographs taken in the house and we had a huge party the following day. There were 80 guests and we had champagne, food, fireworks - it was excellent," she said.
"We will look back on our time here both sadly and happily. We put so much into this house but we also believe now that we can do it again, abroad. We both learned so much and grew in confidence, through the creation of this beautiful home."
|
Setting the Scene
Sitting out on the sun deck looking out towards the lake, which is part of a nature reserve, it is hard to believe the Bilbrook Lane house is in the heart of Milton Keynes.
From both the house and the garden, the owners and their guests can watch the wildlife out on the lake, where the two islands are home to various birds, including mallards, heron, moorhens, swans, Canadian geese and grebes.
"It is wonderful to be able to sit and watch them," said the owner. "Whenever we want to relax, have a beer and chill out on a warm summer's day, we head out into the garden.
"It is lovely out there. We often invite friends over and we always insist that they bring their children. They love the garden and the water feature as much as the house."
|
QUIET
"We are in the centre of Milton Keynes here, yet it is so quiet that it feels like you are in the middle of the countryside."
|
ART NOUVEAU
"The inspiration for the choice of the internal glass doors came from my childhood. I lived in a house with a room that was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh."
|
CONSERVATORY
"On Sunday mornings there is nothing we enjoy more than having breakfast in the conservatory."
|
LAKE
"The peaceful backdrop offers a panoramic view of Furzton Lake and the brook, which is a heaven for natural wildlife."
|