FOR many people living in the country, the opportunity to work from home requires a radical re-think of the way they use space. The result is that many country houses are evolving rapidly; outbuildings, in particular, provide flexible additional space for offices, accommodation and gyms. With broadband creating the possibility of living in remote areas, there is also a greater focus on guest accommodation and space for large-scale entertaining. For many, this new-found freedom is providing exciting chances to create the perfect rural idyll.
The architect Ross Sharpe, Yiangou
Work There are two emerging schools of thought on how home offices are best achieved. Some people are happy to remain in the main house and feel part of the action. Other clients want to detach themselves from domestic life and set up an office elsewhere. Although a converted outbuilding can fit the bill, there’s a growing band of clients who want their workspace to be in an environment that is more architecturally striking. Several are used to working in contemporary offices and want to bring a flavour of that to the countryside; some argue that anything too traditional isn’t appropriate or conducive to a professional working environment.
Play For some people moving to the country, the dream is to be able to house a collection of classic cars in a glass-fronted barn visible from their study window. The alternative is to go underground, a concept with which many Londoners are comfortable. Off this room will be further spaces, such as a temperature-controlled wine room with tasting facilities and somewhere to host after-dinner drinks.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Tales as old as time
By appointing writers-in-residence to landscape locations, the National Trust is hoping to spark in us a new engagement with our ancient surroundings, finds Richard Smyth
Do the active farmer test
Farming is a profession, not a lifestyle choice’ and, therefore, the Budget is unfair
Night Thoughts by Howard Hodgkin
Charlotte Mullins comments on Moght Thoughts
SOS: save our wild salmon
Jane Wheatley examines the dire situation facing the king of fish
Into the deep
Beneath the crystal-clear, alien world of water lie the great piscean survivors of the Ice Age. The Lake District is a fish-spotter's paradise, reports John Lewis-Stempel
It's alive!
Living, burping and bubbling fermented masses of flour, yeast and water that spawn countless loaves—Emma Hughes charts the rise and rise) of sourdough starters
There's orange gold in them thar fields
A kitchen staple that is easily taken for granted, the carrot is actually an incredibly tricky customer to cultivate that could reduce a grown man to tears, says Sarah Todd
True blues
I HAVE been planting English bluebells. They grow in their millions in the beechwoods that surround us—but not in our own garden. They are, however, a protected species. The law is clear and uncompromising: ‘It is illegal to dig up bluebells or their bulbs from the wild, or to trade or sell wild bluebell bulbs and seeds.’ I have, therefore, had to buy them from a respectable bulb-merchant.
Oh so hip
Stay the hand that itches to deadhead spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead, writes John Hoyland
A best kept secret
Oft-forgotten Rutland, England's smallest county, is a 'Notswold' haven deserving of more attention, finds Nicola Venning
