5 minute read
A hands-on approach
A hands-on self build
Four years in the making, Rob Kybird’s timberframe home has aesthetics at its core, achieved with patience and attention to detail.
Ro b Kybird had dreamed of building his own home for many years and so when, in 2014, he found a half-acre plot in a leafy Nottingham suburb, he knew the time had come to take on the challenge. “Self build appealed to me for many reasons,” explains Rob, who worked in banking until leaving his job to carry out the project. “The freedom of design choice, value for money, and also achieving a better build quality were all important aspects in my decision.”
The L-shaped site has a generous garden with treelined fields beyond, and so maximising the view from the back of the house was a priority. Rob, who has two grown-up children, had been aware of timber-frame housebuilder Potton for 20 years, having come across the show centre by chance. He was immediately drawn to the Gransden, one of Potton’s show homes that is rooted
EX TERIOR
Clad in render and brick with exposed timbers, the house is rooted in tradition with an aesthetic that extends into the classic garden.
in tradition and characterised by exposed timber posts and beams, low-hanging eaves and dormer windows.
“The team at Potton proved a good choice, from original design consultations right through to the final completed build SAP calculations,” says Rob. “Their individual, personalised service demonstrates a wealth of construction design expertise, technical knowledge and customer-focused support.”
Rob had his own ideas of what he needed from his five-bedroom home, and so a number of changes were made to the floorplan, redesigning the interior to provide a series of rooms, each space distinct yet connected, with its own character while being part of a harmonious whole. Uniform finishes, such as white limestone tiles and one type of carpet, achieve consistency.
A sunroom extends from the rear facade, with roof lights dropping in daylight which bounces off the white tiled floors and into the inner spaces of the house. The multifaceted sunroom also allows views of the garden and countryside to be visible from the kitchen, where there is a drop ceiling housing a glass extractor above the hob.
Aesthetics were high on Rob’s agenda, which saw illuminating touches such as LED strip lights beneath the 30mm Silestone worktop, providing a sense of drama. German kitchen company Beckermann produced the high-quality handleless kitchen, 3D glass-effect
acrylic doors and textured concrete-effect doors on the wall cupboards that house the ovens.
Tall, thin, open alcoves provide a connection between the living and dining rooms, exposing a view to the next room on both sides of the feature fireplace.
Exposed timbers are on display both internally and externally, featuring throughout the interior of the house in varying degrees and most celebrated in the master bedroom, which has a number of horizontal and vertical posts and beams. Soaring ceiling heights are twinned with panelled doors, heavy linen curtains and an ornate mirror to add opulence and charm. A sense of space is created in the en suite bathroom by a large inset mirror, which reflects light onto the shower screen and up into the partially vaulted ceiling above.
The large bathrooms are fitted with top-of-therange sanitaryware and tiled in warm yet pale tones punctuated by the richness of the wooden beams, creating a light and relaxing space.
Exposed brickwork in places adds to the rustic appearance of the substantial timbers which have a strong woodgrain. Extra-wide doors further contribute to the sense of opulence of the interiors, leading out from the generous double-height hallway.
Rob managed the project from the outset, breaking ground in the winter, with heavy rain causing
KITCHEN
A German kitchen company supplied the units, island and wall cupboards.
GARDEN ROOM
Views to the garden can be enjoyed from the sunroom, which has windows on every face and roof lights above.
delays to the excavation work. The build was to take four years, with Rob taking on many of the bigger jobs himself. “The frame went up in two weeks, which was really exciting to watch,” he recalls.
“Once that was all erected and the block-and-beam floor was laid I took over, installing the plasterboard, insulation, the roof covering, building the garage, laying underfloor heating, doing the second-fix electrics, tiling the bathroom, building the stairs and fitting the kitchen.”
A formal classic garden to the rear includes a path lined with columns supporting a pergola, a raised bed surrounding a fire pit and comprehensive tree planting, much of which Rob did himself.
“I resigned from my job to focus on the build but what I hadn't expected, or intended, was to become quite as comprehensively involved. It surprised me just how much a little bit of confidence and a lot of YouTube tutorials allowed me to become so hands-on and achieve a quality result, if a little slower than a professional.”
INTERIORS
The country home has a warm, cosy feel, with lavish finishes and small touches of detail creating an opulent look.
