Grand Design style home near York for sale

Finding the right plot was a major part of the process and the Tylers hit lucky with the rural, five acre site, which is hidden away on the edge of the village of Askham Bryan, just four miles from the centre of York and two miles from the A64.

“It is tucked away and quiet with views over countryside and yet you can be in York within 15 minutes and Leeds in half an hour,” says Tyler.

While York City Council’s planning authority agreed that a single dwelling could be built on the land in 2018, the challenge was persuading officers and councillors to accept a contemporary design. That took 18 months.

“Steve had dreamt of building his own home from the age of 18 and the architecture is his vision. He planned it to the last detail and he didn’t want to compromise too much, so getting permission for the house he wanted took longer than we expected but we managed in the end,” says Tyler.

The result is spectacular both inside and out. The exterior is heavily glazed and clad in Siberian larch and Corten steel. The property, which has limestone flooring throughout, has an entrance hall, which leads to a kitchen and dining room by Italian designer Giorgetti.

There is also a utility room, a sitting area, a principal bedroom with a walk-in closet and separate bathroom, two further bedrooms and a house bathroom.

The interiors feature a super cool mix of vintage and modern furniture and furnishings, which include a much-admired 1970s orange sofa from Brazil. There’s also a sunken indoor garden.

Smart home technology allows you to control the heating, security, lighting, blinds, music and the home cinema via an app and there is high speed fibre optic broadband. Outside, there are five acres of land with gardens, woodland, an orchard and a large pond.

Steve and Tyler are selling their much-loved home after bringing forward a plan to retire to South East Thailand. Toby Cockcroft of Croft Residential says: “Merewood has to be one of the most astonishing and coolest houses in the York area.”

Contact: Croft Residential, tel:01904 238222, croftresidential.co.uk