PRETTY PERFECT

Sarah Vanrenen has repurposed a flint barn on the family farm to create a charming escape in the Wiltshire countryside

- AMELIA THORPE

Dining area to kitchen

Dining area to kitchen

The kitchen cabinets are painted in punchy green and finished with brass flower handles bought in India. Kitchen cabinets made by a local joiner and painted in Green S5040-G10Y eggshell, Leyland SDM Trade. For similar curtain fabric, try Tinsmiths

Exterior

The barn was converted into a farm office with a guest flat above

AT HOME WITH

Owners Sarah Vanrenen, an interior designer, lives here with her husband, Grant Barker, who raises money for small companies.

House A one-bedroom flat in a converted 300-year-old barn on a farm in Wiltshire.

When Sarah Vanrenen and Grant Barker were married, seven years ago, they settled in a 17th-century farmhouse that had belonged to Grant’s family for generations. Part of a busy working arable farm, the house is surrounded by a series of outbuildings, including an old flint and brick barn. ‘It was almost derelict and hadn’t been used for years,’ says Sarah.

As an interior designer and co-founder of Vanrenen GW Designs, Sarah saw the opportunity to convert the barn into a farm office on the ground floor, with a flat for guests above. ‘We liked the option of extra accommodation – for overflow from our house, perhaps for a nanny one day, or to rent out if we wanted,’ explains Sarah. The couple have three children between them – Fred, 21, Arthur, 16, and Alfie, 18 months – so life is busy with friends and family visiting regularly.