The Story
Relaxing in the upstairs drawing room, with the balcony doors open, is a favourite summer pastime for the owners of The Barn.
As the day draws to a close and they enjoy an evening drink, they watch the light changing out on the heath and catch the last glimpses of wildlife.
"The Barn is in a fantastic spot and the drawing room, which overlooks the heath, is really quite special," said the owner. "There are lots of little pockets everywhere where you can sit and enjoy the surroundings. It is very private and very pretty."
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A Perfect Home
The owners bought The Barn three years ago and spent 12 months overseeing work to transform it into their perfect home.
"It started life as a rope factory and at one stage, a long time ago, someone decided to convert it into a home," she said. "When we saw it, we liked the layout and realised we could turn it into a great place to live with plenty of room for guests."
Indeed, with four double bedrooms, and the guest area at the opposite end of the house to the master bedroom, it was ideal for welcoming visitors.
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Light, Modern Interior
The property also embodied a flexibility that the owners found practical and attractive.
"We could see how different areas could have different uses and that The Barn could evolve as we needed it to," she said.
The work carried out on the property saw the exterior renovated with reclaimed materials. Inside, the home was given a fresh, more contemporary style.
"It still retains the look of an old barn from the outside. Inside, it is like a new house in many ways," she explained.
"It is very bright throughout. We opened it up and made windows bigger to bring the light flooding in."
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Sun Rise and Sun Set
he kitchen, which was three rooms, is now a large, contemporary room with a generous island in the middle and a coffee area at one end.
"I love this part of the kitchen - my daughter calls it Starbucks!" she said. "This is where we can sit to have a cup of coffee in the mornings.
"The kitchen is a wonderful room. The cupboards are painted oak and there are oak work surfaces."
The windows in the barn run down the length of one side of the building, she explained.
"This means that every room is sunny because the light streams in either through its windows or double doors. The sun rises at one end of The Barn and sets at the other," she added.
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Friends and Family
With doors leading out to the terrace and garden, the home has been fantastic for parties, she said.
"It has been especially good in summer. People can wander out into the garden very easily or can mill about in the kitchen and dining room," she added.
"When it is just us we tend to relax quietly in the upper drawing room and look out over the heath."
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Heath and Woodland
Set back from the rest of the properties in the area, The Barn has a leafy outlook and offers a sense of privacy and seclusion.
This, said the owner, is one of the things they will miss most when they move.
"I think I will miss the location when we leave, being close to the heath and the woods," she said.
"I had hoped to be able to stay here but we feel the time has come to move on now. Living here has been wonderful, however, a really great experience."
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Setting the Scene
As the sun sets over The Barn, the owners sit by their balcony and look out over the heath. From here, the views are wonderful and the light is simply beautiful.
"In the summer we sit outside a lot. There are all sorts of places to relax quietly, either in the sunshine or the shade," said the owner.
"We walled right around the property so there is a sense of privacy when you are outside. One of my favourite places to sit outside is by the pond."
With heath, woodland and country to explore close by, The Barn benefits from easy access to some great beauty spots, as well as to Milton Keynes and the M1.
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ENTERTAINING
"It has been especially good in summer. People can wander out into the garden very easily or can mill about in the kitchen and dining room."
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KITCHEN
"The kitchen is a wonderful room. This is where we can sit to have a cup of coffee in the mornings."
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LIGHT
"It is very bright throughout. We opened it up and made windows bigger to bring the light flooding in."
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SPECIAL
"The Barn is in a fantastic spot and the drawing room, which overlooks the heath, is really quite special."
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