Barn Conversion near Woodbridge

With parts dating back to the 16th Century, this barn was in a very sorry state when Stowe was commissioned to transform it into a modern family home. We had to clear the site and stabilize the structure before excavating approximately 1m to create headroom for the 1st-floor accommodation.

Wings were added at either end to accommodate a double bedroom, a kitchen, and a utility room.  A glazed gallery landing and two bedrooms with en-suites were supported by a discrete steel frame. Many original timbers were retained and add considerable character to what is essentially a new home built to modern environmental standards with cozy underfloor heating supplied by an air-source heat pump.

Taking the plunge to convert this traditional Suffolk barn into a modern home was a huge undertaking to us both having never ever done anything so mad before in our lives. It was important to us that we had building contractors who would fall in love with the barn and its location as much as we had and who would be passionate about creating a modern yet characterful home using their experience and dedicated expertise.

Nothing was ever too much trouble for unflappable Andrew Stowe, and Eve Fellingham (Andrew’s amazing quantity surveyor) made sure the costs didn’t run away with themselves keeping us up to date with spending on a regular basis. Once the project started it was clear that Stowe’s team of incredibly talented tradesmen were just as keen as us to see the project through to completion and we were not disappointed with the result. Despite the Covid pandemic the project finished ahead of schedule too. We would not hesitate in recommending Stowe to others and would definitely use them again.

Zoë Bellfield