< Previous10 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HOMES I n the village of Osgodby, near Market Rasen, tucked away down a long farm track, stands a marvellously converted barn surrounded by countryside views. Once completely derelict, the property has been transformed into a modern family home, thanks to the painstaking work of Charlotte and Oliver and their background with timber framing business, Top Barn Timber Frames. Having taken around eight years to get the home to official completion, property is an impressive barn conversion and true labour of love. the couple laughed that they “still haven’t truly finished it!” Charlotte shared: “We converted it in phases, so we could save as we went, doing each step once we had the finance in place. We started by converting a small section of the barn for a kitchen/lounge and bedroom, which we lived in whilst we moved on to the next section. Due to this decision, we have ended up with quite a strange layout. We like it, though, as it’s quirky and tells the story of our journey.” The couple purchased the barn from Charlotte’s dad, who farms the land around it. Prior to buying, the buildings were dilapidated and falling down, with the courtyard simply being used for cattle during winter. The main two-storey part of the barn was half collapsed in, the long section had many years ago been used for housing pigs, the roof was stuffed with straw which had to be pulled out, and beautiful brick pillars down the LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 11 HOMES length of the barn all had to be rebuilt. Despite the challenge presented, Charlotte noted: “We loved it!” She added: “Before deciding to go ahead with the project we used to clamber over all the old farm stuff and look around, dreaming about what it could all be. We adore the spot as it is really quiet and has beautiful rural views. You wouldn’t know it’s there from the road.” Cheekily described as “the third wheel in our relationship,” the project was far from easy. However, Charlotte highlighted the main 12 Á The property before the conversion12 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HOMES complexity as agreeing on the finishes across the build: “Over the eight years we have got better at knowing each other’s roles in the process, but the first phase especially was quite hard with a lot of arguing over tiles and guttering! Oliver has project managed everything and had a hand in most of the building work too. He did all the timber frame and joinery himself, insulating, plasterboarding, laying floors, and more!” In converting the barn, the majority of the build has been timber framed. The two-storey section of the barn had large cracks down the walls, and whilst the couple were told they were still structurally fine, they didn’t want to take any risks, and thus built an entire Oak timber frame to take the weight of the roof and relieve strain from the brick walls. The longer section of the barn, meanwhile, now consists of brick walls with a mixture of Oak and Douglas Fir King Post Trusses holding the roof. Timber windows have been installed, internal Oak doors, carpet and hardwood to the floors, and the two-storey section is tiled to enjoy underfloor heating. Further, an old barn doorway has been converted into a large single pane glass window for un-broken garden views, and a two-storey atrium window offers a flood of light. Charlotte detailed: “The timber frame has enabled us to keep most of the original character in all the single-storey section of the barn. In the two-storey section we deviated away from the original roof to incorporate a full timber frame. We opted for sling brace frames with a hammer beam truss on the mezzanine. We chose these purely to be a bit different from the rest of the build. The benefits of the timber frame here was to preserve the longevity in the original brickwork. We have done some patch work and re-pointed, but due to the frame becoming the main structure it has taken the stress out of the original structure. Timber framing also goes up really quick. The entire frame went up in a day. We also like the use of natural materials, which is why we coupled it with hempcrete insulation and lime plaster.” With structural work and the interior complete, Charlotte and Oliver, their daughter, and dogs, are enjoying life in the light and bright home, which is heated by a biomass boiler, fed off from the offcuts from the business, reducing the family’s carbon footprint. The double vaulted kitchen with overlooking mezzanine lounge has become a favourite room, an outstanding, open plan space which you wouldn’t guess has mainly been sourced through Facebook marketplace! “The majority of the kitchen is second hand including the Siemens appliances and Quooker tap,” Charlotte said. “It’s nice to know we’ve managed to create such a wonderful space on a budget. I 14 Á14 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HOMES Handcrafted Traditional Timber Frames Call 01673 260105 or visit www.topbarntimberframes.co.uk TOP BARN, LOW ROAD, OSGODBY, LINCOLNSHIRE LN8 3SZ PORCHES CAR PORTS GARDEN ROOMS ROOF TRUSSES OUTDOOR LIVING particularly love the hob integrated into the island, which is part of a second-hand kitchen. With the hob originally positioned in the main units, it was a very nervous moment when we cut into the granite ourselves to fit it to the island.” The kitchen, the majority of which is Hacker, with the addition of some navy-blue tower units from Howdens, also features a pull- out larder unit, for easy food organisation. “The kitchen’s Oak frame is also just amazing,” Charlotte added. “We take it for granted a bit due to the day job, but sometimes you step back and say, ‘yeah this is pretty nice’!” The property has further become perfect for entertaining, with the open plan nature of the kitchen into the dining room ideal for dinner parties. Charlotte said: “For my birthday/housewarming we had a private chef and it was lovely sat in the dining room watching her cooking. The mezzanine lounge here is also nice, and it has good views, but is once again LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 15 HOMES Visit Grimsby’s Premier Fireplace Showroom. Over 75 beautiful displays. Bespoke made to measure & in-house Gas Safe & HETAS installation services available. Burning Sensation Fireplaces Armstrong Street – Grimsby – DN31 1XD www.burningsensation.co.uk Call: 01472 351651 Email: sales@burningsensation.co.uk open to the kitchen, making it very sociable. We have also had movie nights on the large patio with a big fire pit in the middle and film projected onto the wall. It’s a great space for getting everyone together.” It may have been a long journey, but it is clear how special the home is, holding a place in many key milestones. Charlotte noted: “Before we moved into the two-storey section of the barn we had our wedding reception. It makes the kitchen extra sentimental knowing its where we ate our wedding breakfast and had our first dance! I also had a home birth to our daughter, and our first dog Teddy is buried in the garden looking out at the fields. The barn was also our signature project when we stepped up from small frames to larger scaled projects at Top Barn Timber Frames. We have learnt so much from doing a self-build which means we have firsthand experience and can relate to a lot of our clients going through the same process.” The transformation of the property, however, is not yet over. “This property has really grown (literally) and evolved over the last eight years alongside our lives,” Charlotte said. “It has so much scope and we’ve only converted half of the building so far. I think that’s what we love — our ability to shape the property to meet our requirements for whatever stage of our life we are in!” To learn more about Top Barn Timber Frames visit www.topbarntimberframes.co.uk or contact Charlotte Penn, Director, at charlotte@topbarntimberframes.co.uk ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE in flight Nature This month’s art is of Carolina Arbuthnot, whose art is influenced by landscapes and animals and will bring a touch of rustic nature to any home. 16 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY B orn in Chile but spending much of her like in England, Carolina Arbuthnot studied medicine at Liverpool University, but always had, and nurtured, her passion for the creative arts. A self-taught artist, Carolina uses mixed media, including acrylic and resin, but also diamond frost, glitter and gems, to add a touch of sparkle or glamour to catch the eye. Lately Carolina has been experimenting with silver lead as well. Woodland scenes are Carolina’s favourite to paint, with images of birds singing together and wildlife grazing featuring prominently across her works. Carolina explains that this feeds into the spiritual emotion of her work, which is derived from her imagination and depicts love and friendship, often by featuring two animals – two birds singing together or a herd of deer. Seasonal colours help to add bold colours, but also to tie together the natural aspect, with bold reds and cold blues clearly showing you which month and season the wildlife is depicted from. “I enjoy painting landscapes and animals,” Carolina says. “I love working with bright and bold colours to make a statement. My art is influenced by my surroundings, the climate and seasons with ever-changing light and colour. I love painting animals and bringing them to life.” If you’d like to see Carolina’s work for yourself, head down to Lincoln’s Little Red GalleryLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 17 THE LITTLE RED GALLERY Love art? Then we’d love to meet you, please call in for a cup of tea and a chat. The Little Red Gallery are feeling ‘Love’ with a fantastic range of pieces and perfect gift ideas.18 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY Ed Fuller from Fullers Landscaping explains how you can bring nature into your home. problems or excessive maintenance. Here is some information on what plants will thrive in each room. SUNNY ROOMS As a general rule, plants with silvery leaves, succulents and cacti will all be happy in the limelight. Fleshy, waxy leaves like those of kalanchoes and aloes are perfectly suited to sunny spots. Think desert plants rather than rainforest ones. Avoid ferns and lush-looking plants with thin, soft leaves like calatheas. Ideal plants would be: • Aloe Vera • Echeverias • Kalanchoe • Hippeastrums SHADY ROOMS Houseplants bring colour and life into a home – and this is especially valuable in darker rooms, such as those that face north or have small windows. But how do you find plants that will thrive in lower H ouseplants bring colour, character, style and a valuable touch of nature into our homes. Healthy, thriving houseplants are not only a joy to look at, they can also help to boost our mental well-being and improve our indoor air quality. Whether you want a bold structural statement, a lush jungle vibe or a delicate floral display, there are lots of beautiful houseplants to suit. Our warm homes give us the perfect chance to grow an exciting array of exotic plants that wouldn’t survive outdoors. But conditions vary in different parts of our home. Not all our rooms offer consistent temperatures, and light levels will differ, depending on the size and direction of the windows. The air tends be more humid in bathrooms, but drier in living rooms, especially in winter when the central heating is on. So, the main priority is to select houseplants to suit your location, to ensure they will thrive and look their best without too many nature Bringing Bringing inside inside* If you have clay soil now is the best time to improve it with organic matter and/or horticultural grit * Keep deadheading annuals and perennials to extend their performance * Prune any late summer flowering shrubs such as the rock rose * Prune climbing roses and rambling roses once they have finished flowering (unless they are repeat flowerers) * Raise pots off the ground for the winter by using bricks or ‘pot feet’ to prevent waterlogging * Clear pond weeds and net your pond ready for autumn leaf fall * Divide herbaceous perennials * Pick autumn raspberries * Dig up remaining potatoes before slugs damage them * Install water butts and keep up with watering of new plants LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 19 FULLERS Call 01522 868717 or 07867 510544 landscapinglincolnshire@gmail.com www.landscapinglincolnshire.com GARDEN ADVICE Specialised Service in Garden Design and Landscaping Backed by a highly-skilled and experienced team, we’ve built our reputation on an ability to provide our clients with professional, tailored garden design and construction services. Around the garden light levels? Luckily many popular houseplants originate in shady forest floors and can take shade in their stride. Here’s a selection of the best plants for darker spots: • Ivy • Aspidistras • Ferns (such as Boston Fern) • Begonias • Slipper Orchids • Golden pothos • Cactus BATHROOMS When choosing houseplants to bring your home to life, greening up your bathroom might not be top of your list. However, a bathroom can actually provide a unique opportunity for a range of popular houseplants to thrive. Some examples are: • Spider Plant • Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum) • Umbrella Plant (Cyperus) • Clubmosses (Selaginella) • Mind-your-own-business (Soleirolia) As we start to think about the winter and retreating into our homes, now is a good time to start to think about bringing nature inside with you! © stock.adobe.com/Michael © stock.adobe.com/deniskomarov © stock.adobe.com/photosbysabkaplNext >