WowHaus

If you love the era, then this is likely perfection. An amazing 1930s Peter Harland modern house in Pen Selwood, Somerset.

Amazing for two reasons. The first one is obvious – the architecture on offer here, which is Grade II*-listed for good reason. You will struggle to find many better pieces of domestic architecture of this era than this one.

But the second reason is just as important. The house, which has had just three owners since construction to a Peter Harland design in 1935, is remarkably untouched.

According to the agent, the detailing, both internally and externally, has been ‘beautifully preserved’. But ‘will need some updating to accommodate a modern lifestyle’.

That’s the conundrum here. A listed house of such stature will need very careful updating. Too much, and you’ll lose much of what’s good about this particular property. But at the same time, this is a house for living in, not just for looking at. So some work might be necessary in conjunction with the listed status.

Personally, I would be loathe to change anything. But at the current price, I am unlikely ever to make that decision. Iconic pieces of architecture in huge swathes of land never come cheap.

One other thing pleases me too, which is the colour on display. All too often, 1930s architecture falls into the ‘black and white’ trap. A monochrome backdrop for whatever furniture is dropped into the place. Not here. And that’s a good thing.

Photos of 1930s houses are in black and white, but the reality was that colour was used and used to great effect. The amount of colour on display doesn’t diminish the design. Far from it. The house looks so much better as a result of it. Yes, many muted tones. But those slabs of colour really do lift the house.

I could talk about all the original fixtures and fittings too. Perhaps I should. But a look at the imagery here should give you a better idea of what’s here.

From the windows and the fireplace through to the doors, the cabinetry, and the lighting. Not everything is original, but the amount of period detail on display is remarkable and an absolute dream for fans of 1930s design.

As is the house itself, which is set in 25 acres of gardens and ancient woodland and designed as a home for the leading British composer Sir Arthur Bliss.

Its location was key. The house was ‘designed for family life, for creating and communing, and as a retreat for self-reflection’. You really are away from it all here – although you are just a five-minute drive from Bourton village in reality. So if you need to mix, you can do that easily enough.

It isn’t just the one house either – and it isn’t just the one listed building. Interestingly, the music room where Bliss created some of his most revered works is also Grade II*-listed in its own right. More on that later.

More too on the four-bedroom guest cottage and its gardens, which lie due west of the main house. So yes, it is a pricey proposition. But you do get a lot for your money.

Accessing it all is via two driveways; one for the main house and a second for the cottage.

The principal driveway winds through dense woodland and up to the elevated south-facing site and that remarkable house. White geometric forms are broken up with occasional touches of colour, such as the blue balcony edge, the yellow trim of a ladder, and the red steel grid of a window frame.

The main entrance is on the northerly side, accessing the 2,640 sq. ft. of living space within, much of it orientated to access the best natural daylight.

The northerly facade, which is kept cool in warmer months, plays host to the kitchen, pantry and ‘service areas’. The primary living rooms are on the southerly side, benefitting from views across the significant and sizeable gardens.

According to the agent, the living spaces off the arterial hallway are ‘cleverly conceived to harbour both individual and communal activity’, with timber doors providing easy division or an open flow.

The dining room benefits from a curved window, framing views to the gardens, with an expanse of steel-framed windows and doors opening onto the terrace and offering a natural transition between the interior and exterior spaces.

If that doesn’t impress you, the living room almost certainly will. High ceilings, along with full-height, full-length windows, plus an original fireplace of red brick and solid oak as a centrepiece. Like a step back in time.

The kitchen is described as ‘an exercise in function and form’, with timber-clad walls and ceilings and appliances fitted into the hand-crafted joinery. Beyond that and completed the ground floor layout are a study and a separate cloakroom plus a sunroom constructed of curved steel and glass.

An original solid oak staircase takes you up to the first floor via a double-height stairwell. More original details when you get there too. Not least the built-in furniture. Note also the colour themes of each room.

The main bedroom also has an internal wall of steel-framed glass panels and doors, forming what’s described as ‘an ingenious division from the dressing room’ whilst also adding in some light from the external windows.

Glass doors lead out from the blue bedroom to a large upper terrace, which also has an outdoor shower and a ladder leading down to the storey below. There are four bedrooms on the floor in total, along with two full bathrooms.

Adjacent to the main entrance, a self-contained studio room, finished in a pale yellow, would make a great office space, should you need it. As I hinted at earlier, more space too away from the house.

In addition to the main house, this one also comes with a four-bedroom cottage of around 2,150 sq. ft. of living space.

That house, at the western side of the grounds, has open-plan living and dining areas, a large kitchen, and a conservatory. Twin staircases lead to the upper storey, where three bedrooms span the easterly side, and a fourth bedroom and a bathroom lie on the westerly side.

Looking for another reason to buy? How about 25 acres of land, That’s what you get, with the architecture designed to make the most of the views across it and external covered terraces taking you closer to it. More details on the gardens can be found on the listing, but as you can see from the imagery, there’s so much of it, with peace and tranquillity assured.

A winding path through the woodland leads to the music room, the ‘creative cocoon’ where Bliss composed some of his most significant works, which is (quite rightly) listed in its own right.

A truly remarkable house and setting and now up for sale. You suspect there will not be a shortage of takers, even with a hefty price tag. How hefty? You will need something in the region of £2,950,000 to secure this one.

Images and details courtesy of The Modern House. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.