WowHaus

A central courtyard is always a much-loved feature, and there is one in this 1970s modern house in Tacolneston, Norwich, Norfolk.

And it’s not the only thing of appeal within this single-storey modern design, which dates back to 1972.

Size is another selling point: a lovely flow of space and, of course, plenty of glazing, which should mean plenty of natural light within.

Yes, it has been updated (with not a great deal of original detail in place), but the renovation has left a fairly neutral finish throughout. If you want to take this back to the mid-20th century, you can do that pretty easily with the aid of the right furnishings, some colourful wallpaper and a tweak of the light fittings. That’s the easy part. The hard part is finding a house where that works, and this one should do the job nicely.

Open/flowing (and versatile) space, a mono-pitched roof and, of course, a design that works around the central courtyard. The kind of design that only existed in the mid part of the 20th century. Which is more the pity, as this kind of thing is pretty much what many of us want these days.

It sits on what’s described as a ‘corner of a quiet road’, with a double-width driveway and a double garage (for the petrolheads out there) adjoining the house and gardens all around.

The front entrance leads into the ‘generous’ sunlit foyer and hall, where you get a first glance at that central courtyard via the full-height glazing sweeping around the L-shaped hall. Full-height windows are a big feature in this house, hence why there’s much natural light.

The hall has a door opening into the courtyard, with the sitting room to the right, which also has full-height glazing to the front and more access to the courtyard. Described as a ‘light and bright’ room, it’s a great entertaining space. I can well imagine a party spilling out into the courtyard. There’s also a feature Danish wood burning stove and slate hearth, which is set into a central walk-around chimney breast which separates the sitting room from the dining room.

But the dining room is effectively open plan to the dining area, with further full-height glazing to the front and side and a door into the kitchen.

The kitchen is modern and spacious, with plenty of worktops and storage and all the modern-era gadgetry you need. A side lobby takes you to the utility room with more storage, a Belfast sink and space for laundry appliances and chest freezer, shelves, boot storage and coat hanging space.

Beyond that is access to the L-shaped hallway, where the bedrooms and bathrooms can be found. First up, a shower room, then further along, the first of the bedrooms, although currently that’s used as a home office and studio.

A second bedroom beyond with a French window into a lean-to greenhouse, two more double bedrooms with full-height windows to the rear and another bedroom, which is currently used as a large family room with bags of storage. The principal bedroom is located at the front of the house, with a door into the large en-suite bathroom.

That’s not quite all, as the gardens are a selling point too. The side and rear gardens are ‘enclosed and secure’ and ‘easy to maintain’ lawns and mature borders planted with shrubs and fruit trees wrap around the property.

There’s also a shed, wood store, greenhouse, and a small poly-tunnel, plus an easily accessible oil tank. The garage offers a double up and over door, with another door accessing the utility.

It’s a lovely example of a very functional modern house for the 21st century. Scope to go more ‘retro’ if that’s your thing, but absolutely fine as it is, especially once you’ve unpacked your own furnishings and design touches.

It’s on the market now with a guide price of £500,000.

Images and details courtesy of Starkings and Watson. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.