REMAKING HISTORY

Removing the orange wood and worn carpets left over from its 1980s conversion has transformed this barn and put the focus back on its glorious original features

- KAREN

Bachelor pad meets weekend family home? It might not be the most conventional-sounding barn conversion, but then its owner Simon Lue-Fong would never wish to be described as conventional. He was looking for a country escape for himself and his two young daughters who spend most weekends with him. So when best friend Vic spotted this Beaconsfield barn for sale, Simon's dreams of moving out of London quickly became a reality. Almost as soon as I walked in I knew this was where I wanted to live. I put an offer in that same day, Simon recalls.

Although the barn was in excellent structural condition it had not been changed since its conversion in the 1980s. But I could see how updating it by fusing a modern twist with the vintage structure could create the dream home I was looking for,' he says. Simon turned to interior designer Pia Pelkonen of Pia Design to come up with a plan, explaining that he wanted the interiors to be inspired by Annabel's nightclub. It was to push her not to make the house too conservative in its styling,' he explains. The barn also had to be a fun place for Simon's daughters, and he wanted them to have an input in their rooms.