Fine & Country Feature Property - Georgian Elegance
June 2007
With its stunning Georgian appearance, this house in West Yorkshire has the luxury of an elegant period property. Once inside, the sheer quality of every detail of this property equidistant between Leeds, Harrogate and York really makes it a cut above the rest.
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And that’s exactly what the family has done. “I have an interest in architecture,” says Jayne, “so I wanted to be sure that our property fitted in with the beautiful Georgian properties in the area. So we made sure the limestone was exactly the same as that used in the surrounding houses. But at the same time we wanted to make the most of contemporary design - so although from the outside the house looks very traditional, inside has been designed with modern qualities in mind.”
It is these qualities which make High Carlton so unique. “All the fittings are bespoke,” says Jayne. “From the kitchen with its curved island unit, to the sycamore staircase which matches it, we’ve made sure every detail adds to the overall feel of the house. Upstairs in the main suite, the bathroom extends over the whole of the garage below and includes a steam room, Philippe Starck fittings and Travertine limestone on the floor and walls.”
Adding to these qualities is the use of light throughout the house. “We love to make the most of light in our designs,” says Jayne. “So along the side and the back we’ve used lots and lots of glass to let daylight flood in wherever possible. You can’t see this from the front as that would have damaged the traditional appearance, but the effect inside is stunning.”
The traditional appearance also hides some other surprises. “The house is, in fact, on three floors,” says Jayne, “although this is disguised from the front. Each of the five bedrooms has its own bathroom and the landing areas all have room for seating. This is particularly useful on the second floor which we designed for our children to have their own rooms, plus their own sitting area in which to relax and listen to music. One of my favourite parts of the house is its tower – which again, you can’t see from the front. It’s the stairwell that goes up to the second floor, but once you reach the top it is a semi-circle of glass that feels like an observatory and has a great view across the village.”
Bramham village is a very traditional West Yorkshire community in which many families have lived for generations. The nearby stately home of Bramham Park hosts the annual Leeds Festival. Bramham is only 25 minutes drive from Leeds, Harrogate or York which has a train service to London taking just an hour and three quarters.
Outside, the main grounds are to the front and side of the house, to make the most of the sun. “We have what we call the morning garden outside the kitchen,” explains Jayne, “and that’s ideal for having breakfast on the decking. To the other side we have a courtyard outside the garden room with a six feet wide waterfall and it’s a beautiful area for entertaining. All the gardens are planted in blue, purple and white to complement the inside of the house.”
At High Carlton, Jayne and Norman and their family have really lived the dream. “This is such an easy house to live in,” says Jayne. “You can open it all up and it flows from room to room so comfortably – it’s great for entertaining. We have loved it so much we’ve used this experience to start our own exclusive building and design company and this year we were delighted to win the “Best Small Builder 2006” and “Best Luxury Home and Best Townhouse” at the North East property awards on the 4th May 2007. Whatever we do next will always reflect the space and quality of this house.”
To view the full sales particulars for the property please click here.
