A Place in the Country / Studio Ben Allen
In the entrance hall, visitors are met with a view of the stairs. The original setting out of the stairs was retained, but it was rebuilt in solid oak with the addition of sweeping, wider steps at the bottom to give a more generous approach. A small internal opening provides a snapshot view through the living room to the conservatory. Crossing the entrance hall, visitors are presented with an axial view through the library to the dining hall and kitchen. As they move along this axis, they pass into the cocktail library, a new space formed by the reconfigured circulation and at the new heart of the house. Shelves and seating areas are carved from an oblong or pill-shaped form. The materials are solid and veneer oak, naturally finished or washed with a blue stain on the inner curved surfaces. In one corner, a cocktail cabinet, concealed within the curved walls, gives the space the function of an entertainment space for the sociable owners. From this centre point is an axial view of the conservatory through the living room with the landscape beyond, framed by the library doors.