Life in the country

Settling on a new home proved a challenge for Julie and Alick Kitchin, until they saw this converted granary barn in an stunning rural location

- HOLLY REANEY

Julie and Alick Kitchin nearly didn't see the converted granary barn they now call home. Running late and halfway through a busy day of viewings, they were the last to see the house. They had decided to move back to the south from Edinburgh when Alick retired, and after looking everywhere from Somerset to the Cotswolds and the New Forest, they thought the barn could be what they were looking for. Built in the early 19th century, it had stood derelict for many years until a developer converted it and when the Kitchins arrived in 2017, it was functional but soulless.

The couple had grand plans, moving the walls upstairs, installing a new window and French doors downstairs, and removing a large metal flue pipe that ran from the sitting room stove right through the middle of the upstairs bedroom. The house is listed and so there were compromises. The French doors had to be paired with oak shutters to keep the barn's agricultural character and as the flue was not allowed to run externally, the couple decided to remove it altogether.