WELCOME HOME An incredible

“WHYARE WE MOVING? I’VENOIDEA!” says Simon Smith, sitting in the kitchen of his beautiful contemporary home, Holwell, in the centre of Stamford. “Well, I do... but...” He looks around and I find myself in complete agreement; it’ll be a real hardship to leave the house they’ve spent over two years creating. The couple say they’ve fallen in love with a plot upon which they can begin a new project, but it’ll have to be a spectacular plot to beat the location of Holwell, and a phenomenal build to match the look and feel of the house the couple will be leaving behind. Happily, Simon and Gemma have form when it comes to creating beautiful homes. Gemma, Simon and their business partner,

David McDonald have a combined 35 years experience in the industry and have already developed eight houses in Stamford and several more in North Norfolk under the name of Forest Homes.

Simon is meticulous with the design and construction of his homes, but as this was to be their forever home he’s pulled out all the stops and it’s a completely unique, very well-thought out home that will suit modern family life beautifully.

The house is arranged over three floors and its unique layout does warrant scrutiny. On the lower ground floor there’s the 50ft kitchen, family room and living area, as well as a generous utility room for family clobber and a separate larder to keep appliances and collateral away from the sleek kitchen surfaces.

“The master bedroom and upper ground floor lobby lead out onto a very generous outdoor terrace, with its outdoor fireplace...”

Also on the lower ground floor is a bedroom or playroom, and a shower room, so for those seeking multigenerational living, it’s a nice accessible area.

On the upper ground floor, meanwhile, and beyond the timber and glass staircase is an entrance lobby which leads to a huge master suite with dressing room and en suite, as well as a guest suite with adjacent family bathroom. Here’s where things get really interesting: the master bedroom and lobby also lead out onto a very generous outdoor terrace, with outdoor fireplace, living/dining area and stunning views from its elevated position over towards the Burghley Estate. This terrace sits on top of the living/dining kitchen and the grounds are planted with sufficient trees and shrubs to afford complete privacy as well as providing gorgeous views of the area from the master bedroom.

Venture up another floor and you’ll find bedrooms four and five which share a family bathroom and there’s also a couple of large garages outdoors that provide plenty of storage for vehicles, bikes and clutter.

The property’s kitchen has been created by Stamford’s Bakehouse Kitchens and incorporates handleless matte cabinetry, white veined Dekton surfaces and appliances by Wolf and Sub Zero; a fridge, freezer, wine cooler and eye-level ovens. >>

>> The living kitchen also incorporates a TV lounge with a contemporary double-sided glass fireplace operated by remote control. And speaking of control, the house also incorporates a Control4 system installed by Stamford’s OrangehouseAV which neatly incorporates heating and ventilation, media, security cameras and other functions. The house also features heat-recovery tech which not only provides environmentally friendly heating but also ensures air entering the house is filtered to remove allergens. Leading out from the living kitchen is a large terrace with a contemporary outdoor kitchen and beautifully manicured stepped borders. You’ll notice that both the outdoor areas and

Above: Built with contemporary style living in mind, Holwell features light and open spaces with a superb connection to the outside.

its indoor spaces make especially effective use of light, and that’s no accident. Simon and Gemma enlisted Oakham-based Lumison Lighting to manage the property’s lighting design, which has led to practical and beautiful architectural lighting effects which highlight the property’s design both day and night. The house utilises smooth local limestone, incorporating an ashlar string course outside and it has beautiful dark grey timber veneers indoors. As the whole property nestles into its hillside location, the result really is greater than the sum of its parts. Holwell is a completely unique and absolutely beautiful property, right in the centre of Stamford. “We saw the estate agent’s photos and were heartbroken,” the couple say. “They just remind us of how beautiful the place is and how much we love it. We really have got every detail right and done the whole home justice. We’d be lying if we said it didn’t make us think twice about leaving, but at least someone else will get to enjoy the place as much as we have !” n

HOLWELL NEAR STAMFORD

Location: Stamford 0.5 miles. Style: Individual architect designed property with open plan kitchen/living/dining area, terrace and four/five bedrooms.

Guide Price: POA. Find Out More:

Fine & Country, Seaton Grange Barn Offices Grange Lane Uppingham, LE15 9HT. Call 01780 750 200 or see www.fineandcountry.com. n