Escape to the country

These homeowners have traded city amenities for a rural way of life, self-building, renovating and extending to create homes to suit their needs

From a distance

After years of living in Kuala Lumpur, the homeowners of this contemporary home contacted Complete Oak Home with a brief to build a new home in the Somerset countryside. As they were building the house while still living in Malaysia, full turnkey service was required for the design-and-build process. The fixed cost was also reassuring for the homeowners, as they weren't able to be on-site to project manage the day-to-day finances.

A rural surprise

Starting a new life in the countryside was a long-held ambition of Rebecca and Jamie Lovatt, who viewed over 40 properties before they settled on 'the one'. “A listed thatch was certainly not what we set out to buy, but when you fall in love with something, you just take it on don't you?" says Rebecca. Despite being empty for a year, the cottage retained period features that are the crown jewels to any rural escapee, including beams, original floorboards and a brick inglenook fireplace. Rebecca and Jamie worked hard to recapture the character of the cottage and the result is an idyllic country home.

Country charm