Open plan living is a winner

Ann and Norman Roberts faced stiff competition when they put their barn forward for a TV talent contest.

But it triumphed over a trio of other properties in May the Best House Win, a Come Dine With Me-style of show where the contestants score each other's homes out of 10.

"One belonged to an architect, another was owned by an interior designer, while the third was a glamorous Victorian house and they were all lovely but I wasn't worried," says Ann.

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"I was the oldest person taking part and they probably thought my home would be very traditional with flouncy curtains – so they had a surprise when they came here."

Her 15th-century tithe barn is blessed with an abundance of stunning architectural features and its exposed oak beams and trusses give it instant wow factor. These are complemented by superb craftsmanship and attention to detail thanks to Norman's long career in cabinet making and furniture design.

The barn and the Roberts are a perfect match and they found each other thanks to a chance meeting in a beauty salon. "I was in there and I saw a lady whose husband renovated barns," says Ann. "I asked if he had anything for sale and he had.

"I've always wanted to live in a barn conversion and we were looking to downsize at the time. When we went to see it, it was derelict and full of mud and pigeon droppings. But we could see it could be fantastic."

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The barn, in a village near Leeds, is grade two listed. So altering or removing anything wasn't an option and the timbers had to be left on display. They agreed that the builder would construct the shell if they could change the lay-out and fit the property out from scratch.

"It did pose some problems but we worked round them and we had a fantastic builder," says Ann. "We changed the layout so it made more sense to us and we wanted a large open-plan area downstairs. We lived in a big, traditional house with lots of rooms including a dining room we used once a year at Christmas and we didn't want that here."

Most of the ground floor is given over to the double height living, dining and kitchen space, with small satellite rooms including an office, snug, utility room and cloakroom, two bedrooms and a bathroom. The first floor has a galleried area, a master bedroom with en-suite and a guest bedroom. The project took two and half years and the interior fit out alone cost 120,000.

The couple got rid of almost all the furniture from their five-bedroom detached and started afresh. "That was great. We got rid of 25 years' worth of stuff. It was liberating and it meant we could have a more modern look here," says Ann.

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Almost everything is bespoke and designed, made and fitted by Norman and their son James, who owns JS Roberts in Leeds. Norman is a cabinet maker and James is a furniture designer maker who has followed in his father's footsteps and now specialises in kitchens, fitted furniture and one-off pieces.

The oak kitchen was planned by Norman to suit Ann's list of requirements and to incorporate listed features including old iron hooks. "These old features have come in handy. I use one of the hooks to hang my ironing on," says Ann. The floors and skirtings are travertine, despite concern from conservation officers. "They didn't think skirtings were in keeping, but I insisted. It would have been impossible to keep the walls clean when mopping otherwise," says Ann. There is clever storage everywhere thanks to Norman's ingenuity. The hallway has contemporary, floor-to- ceiling cupboards with space-saving sliding doors. And Ann now has her shoe collection in little wardrobes under the eaves. The four dimensional, contemporary TV unit in the snug was designed by Norman and inspired by an Italian design. It is a mix of cupboards and drawers, which is ideal for their grandchildren's toys. "Like almost everything in the house, it is made to measure," says Norman. "We use the barn as a showroom for clients so they can see what we can do."

The walls are all painted in a neutral colour and natural light streams in from the south facing windows, which are dressed with simple plantation blinds. Ann and Norman, who moved in three years ago, are delighted they took the decision to downsize.

"Coming here has given us a new

lease of life. I think we'd got stagnant in the old house," says Ann.

"This place has allowed us to move on and given us new enthusiasm."

JS Roberts Ltd: 0113 289 2723, www.jsrobertslimited.co.uk

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