Farmhouse, Devon

Double height family room provides a remarkable focal point

The heart of the home sits in the oak framed, double height family room with gallery, upon which the boat roof sits. Internally, the steelwork is visible, its purpose is to secure the roof to the building, adhering to the engineer’s requirements while simultaneously providing interest and intrigue.

Five different floor levels occur through the house, a feature that can be appreciated in the family room via the glazed balconies of the upper hallways. Other exciting features include oak ‘slarch’ brace trusses (a combination of a sling brace and an arch brace truss) that span the upper hall. There is a sizeable oak curved floor beam on the ground floor that supports the curved bathroom above, as well as more subtle detailing such as the chamfered lambs tongue detailing on the hearth.

Modern take on traditional tithe barn

Oak was chosen for its strong aesthetic qualities and organic texture. It complements the stonework and as a renewable material fits with the environmentally modern features of the home. One of Carpenter Oak’s more challenging jobs, the frame raising took three and a half weeks with, at times, a team of up to eight carpenters involved.

A later addition to the site was the ample oak framed storage barn which looks fabulous alongside the house. Large enough to store several boats and vehicles, the modern take of a tithe barn uses steel truss rods in the main arcade and bracing in the outer isles and principal rafters. Glazing along one side and in the gable end provides natural light. The overall look is akin to a portal frame.