WowHaus

The WowHaus site was inspired by this 1970s Derek Bottomley modern house in Sherburn, Elmet, North Yorkshire. It’s now up for sale.

Why? Well, here’s the story. Some years ago, whilst casually browsing interesting houses on the usual search engines. I thought it might be an idea to bring some of the more interesting designs to wider attention. So, after a bit of researching and coding (and buying a domain name), I set up the WowHaus site.

This modern house was the first house I spotted and one of the first featured on the site all those years ago. I’ve had a soft spot for it ever since, and I am so pleased to see that the current owner has taken such good care of it in the intervening 13 years.

I second-guessed this to be a 1960s design, but it’s actually a 1970s house, the work of noted local architect Derek Bottomley for his own use. As designs go, it was cutting-edge back then.

It was interesting in 2011 because it was still owned by the family and had barely changed since construction. The agent at the time suggested that ‘some refurbishment and modernisation’ was required, and that was a fair comment.

But when it comes to houses like this, there is a right and a wrong way of carrying out that work. I would say the current owner has gone about it in the right way.

By that, I mean they have maintained the look and feel of the house, updating where necessary but keeping the key details of the original house. To my eye, the glazing and balconies have been updated, and the bathroom, too, as have the gardens that surround it. There’s likely to be much more than the eye can see. You can pick that up with a viewing or a chat with the agent and/or seller.

The only significant change is, as you would expect, in terms of the fixtures, fittings and furnishings. Very few people leave those in place, so look beyond that and see this house for what it is. A fine example of midcentury modern architecture packed with original touches. There’s a reason why this house has been used on several occasions for the filming of TV shows and films.

So many things catch the eye here. The architecture itself looks rather austere from the outside, no doubt to protect privacy. But it bursts to life from the rear as an angular design with walls of glass, dark panels, and a balcony overlooking the substantial garden—a selling point in itself. It’s pretty much picture-postcard modernism.

And that’s before you get inside. Many buyers might have thought about a big update of the interior, which was quite understated with its mix of wood and brick. Not so here, which again is a credit to the owners.

As I said, a new bathroom and perhaps some updating of the kitchen area too. But the key architectural features of this house are still in place. It’s only really the decor and furniture that has changed. And much of that is very much in keeping with the original era.

The large, open reception space is a joy, especially with the large windows, the exposed brick, and the timber-clad ceilings. Of course, you can’t miss that spiral staircase to the upper floors, too. It’s not for everyone, but I love a spiral staircase.

The bedrooms follow a similar theme, with more timber cladding and those lovely floors. Remember those panels from the outside? They look altogether more colourful on the inside and work well as feature walls. It’s very midcentury USA.

There is also a good amount of living space. Access is via porch, leading to the hallway, but also to the garage (which you can see just off the main entrance), a ground-floor shower room, and the formal reception/dining room.

The lounge is the centrepiece and star of the show here. As I mentioned earlier, the wood panelling on the ceiling and the exposed brick catch the eye, but it’s a big space—and bright, too, with the bi-fold doors bringing in natural light and showing off the garden. A small snug is just off it.

The kitchen is a decent size and appears to have been updated in the not-too-distant past. It has all the appliances you would expect and want. A traditional-style pantry is also present off it.

The spiral staircase is also in the lounge, and if you ascend it, you will get access to the upper floor and the bedrooms. There are four bedrooms here, along with a family bathroom.

The principal bedroom is described as a ‘generous double’ with a walk-in wardrobe, and as you might have noticed, one of the other bedrooms has access to a balcony overlooking the garden. When I first wrote about this, there was a clever feature that allowed you to adjust the sizes of the rooms on the upper floor. I have no idea if that’s still the case, but something to chat to the owner about.

Oh yes, the garden, too. The large rear garden is mostly laid to lawn and is ‘cleverly designed’ so that it can be enjoyed all year long. It has mature plants, shrub hedges, and trees. Again, the garden looks so much better and has obviously been invested in.

A large stone patio adjoins the bi-fold doors to the reception room, extending the living space to the outside and creating a feeling of indoor-outdoor living. Note also the paved and gravelled driveway that will accommodate plenty of vehicles.

The double attached garage has been rebuilt by the current owner and can easily be converted to an annexe, subject to a planning application.

That’s pretty much it. This Derek Bottomley modern house in Sherburn in Elmet is a gem, and it has also just been discounted in price. The original asking price was £895,000, but it has now been reduced to offers over £800,000. So perhaps there is room for a deal to be made.

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