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When Danish Farmhouse meets Georgian Rectory… "who doesn't want to live in a merchant ivory film?"
When the architect of India Hicks, society royal and lifestyle brand entrepreneur, and her hotelier husband David Flintwood contacted us, to make all of the doors and windows for their Oxfordshire country manse, we were delighted. Little did we think that the Barr Group would be commissioned to oversee every brick, roof tile, fixture and fitting - right down to the custom-made kitchen table (a scaled up replica of the one in the BarrKitchens showroom).
"It was a fantastic project to be involved in from start to finish" says StuartBarrCDR site manager Ben Chapman, who managed the build from ground level. "It was great to work for a client with such a clear vision of the finished project and an appreciation of great workmanship."
The BarrJoinery workshop found themselves with an array of challenging architectural detail design drawings. "Every window, door set, frame and piece of internal joinery was designed and built for the exact space it was to reside" says BARRJOINERY Director Josh Hudson "Made to measure external joinery is a luxury not every build budget can accommodate, yet when the opportunity does arise the results are truly spectacular".
The perfect symmetry of the property, with its circular porthole window adoring the central space above the pillared front door, could be seen as a reflection of the wonderful country manor house in which her mother, Lady Pamela Hicks, grew up. India's late father, the eminent designer David Hicks, clearly passed his famously avant-garde sense of style to his children, each setting up businesses related to the world of design from their own innovative vantage point. Permission had been given to demolish two redundant farm worker cottages and to build a family home on the site. Henley based Architects Nichols Brown Webber were briefed to design the house and surrounding landscape according to their clients leanings towards traditional symmetry and the feel of the West Indies where they reside for most of the year. "Part of the post design challenge for us was in that every time a change was made it had to be considered and mirrored at the other side of the house" says architect Ian Brown.
In the June edition of Architectural Digest India and David recall the drivers behind each of their individual style preferences and their joint inspiration for their English country home. The property and the striking Hick's family are featured in the international publication in all their elegant, eclectic glory. India recently signed the Barr Group copy of her "Island Living" lifestyle book with the words "To all at the Barr Group Companies, thank you for making our lives bliss (not hell!) for 2 years"… "The first night the seven of us stayed in the House it felt like a home" says David (as quoted in the AD article). To read more click to http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/india-hicks-and-david-flint-woods-english-country-house
At the Barr Group we aspire to 'construct excellence', with projects that are as exciting in design as they are challenging to deliver. We design, build and manufacture for like-minded clients, who share our vision for quality and excellence. This wonderful project epitomises our mission statement and was a joy for every member of the Barr Group team to work on.