1960s Scandinavian-style house in Saffron Walden, Essex
Unusual for the UK and all better for it. This 1960s Scandinavian-style house in Saffron Walden, Essex is just up for sale.
Unusual in a good way. This is the kind of house design that you might encounter doing a house search in Norway or Sweden. There’s a good reason for that. It was designed by a Norwegian architect, A M Bredesen, back in 1963.
In fact, it does look like your very own piece of Norway. The house sits on an undulating south-westerly plot, surrounded by landscaped private gardens (and set back from the road) in the historic village of Arkesden. So privacy and isolation, but you are only six miles from the market town of Saffron Walden.
The architecture is the focal point and at first glance, you might expect me to say this is something of a time capsule too. Not so, but in a good way.
According to the agent, the house has been ‘lovingly restored’ by the current owners, keeping and maintaining the key architectural details while updating and modernising for 21st-century living. Not just cosmetically, the house also now has a new air source heat pump and water system installed in recent years, while the roof of both the house and garage have been refurbished, and the house completely rewired and replumbed’. All the jobs you probably don’t want to tackle as a new owner.
The end result is very appealing to the eye. The house itself (known as Christiania) is a picture from the outside and doesn’t disappoint from the inside. From the internal timber cladding, the windows, the high ceilings and the beams through to the fixtures and fittings that complement it perfectly. That fireplace is rather special too.
A good amount of space too, both inside and out. I’ll save the plot for later. First up, let’s talk about the space inside the house.
That covers something like 2,170 sq. ft. and is arranged across a ‘predominantly lateral layout’ and over multiple levels. There are two main access points, one of which is at the front at the upper ground level with another at the rear of the house, taking you in from the rear terrace.
The focus of the house is the drawing-room, complete with its tall vaulted ceiling. Throw in some picture windows and you have a room that’s all about light and space, with some lovely framed views of the garden. It’s also the place to find that cool white Scandinavian fireplace.
That wood finish continues into the adjoining dining area, which in turn flows through into the modern kitchen area with large utility space to the side.
The reception hall ‘forms a bridge’ to the opposite wing of the upper ground floor, which is taken up by four ‘generously proportioned’ double bedrooms, each one finished with bespoke cabinetry and with views across the gardens. A bathroom in this area too, complete with original fixtures.
Moving down to the lower level, the garden room offers up some flexible living space. As it stands, it is used as a home office, but if you need more bedroom space then it should work well for that too. Also on this level are two storerooms, connected to the garage.
That actually takes up neatly into the outside space. As you can see from the images, the landscaped gardens are a huge selling point here, with huge lawns, well-maintained borders and a mix of native trees and Scandinavian spruce and firs.
Note also the long, gated driveway, with two double garages and a turning circle offering plenty of space for parking and storage.
Yes, I do like this one. If you do too, the asking price is £985,000.
Images and details courtesy of The Modern House. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
