The “wavy house” in the woods from Grand Designs goes on the market for 10 TIMES the cost of construction
A ‘wavy timber house’ that appeared on TV’s Grand Designs has hit the market for £1.65 million, seven years after they spent £160,000 refurbishing it.
Tom and Danielle Raffield wanted to create a unique family home in Trevarno, Cornwall, around their dilapidated gamekeeper’s cabin using their unusual steam bending technique in an episode of the Channel 4 show that aired in 2016.
The couple bought a piece of forest with the small monumental building in 2011, but had outgrown the cramped house in 2014 and had to expand it.
Appearing on the show expecting their third child, presenter Kevin McCloud doubted they would be able to realize their dream home on their limited budget, saying “this kind of daring craftsmanship is something for multi-million pound homes”.
Despite going over their £100,000 budget by 60%, Tom and Danielle, now separated, have managed to build a house of paradise in the woods.
A ‘wavy timber house’ in Trevarno, Cornwall, which appeared in a 2016 episode of Channel 4’s Grand Designs, has been put on the market for £1.65 million
The pair told Kevin they needed to do something to expand the small gamekeeper’s cabin they’d called home for three years as they had outgrown the 1882 listed building.
The living space of 44 square meters was ‘cramped and mouldy’ with few mod cons. The toilet and bathroom were across a courtyard from the main house, which Danielle said was particularly hard to live with in the winter with two small children.
hey said they felt confident they could keep the cost of their Grand Design down by taking on as much as possible themselves rather than hiring other people.
Danielle would relinquish her role in running their business to become a project manager, and they would get some of the wood they needed from the woods around their house, for example collecting branches felled by storms.
Tom said of their dream home, “We want something that fits the contours of the land and fits into it. We’ll hire a company to build the timber frame and then we’ll get the fun stuff.
“It’s going to be a lot of late nights and a lot of weekends.”
Seven years after the episode, Danielle has now found a new project and decided to sell the Trevarno, Cornwall property with Lillicrap Chilcott.
The Raffields did much of the work themselves, using wood from the forest around their house to keep costs down, as well as Cornish artisans who complimented their work.
It took a lot of late nights and weekends and they said on the show it “almost killed us.”
Steam bending is an ancient skill that uses heat and moisture to create curves in wood for things like the hull of a boat or the waist of a violin.
The house, which contains six bedrooms, was built by husband and wife team Tom and Danielle Raffield who completed the project despite Kevin McCloud’s fears
The kitchen, equipped with a breakfast bar, is located in the wooden extension of the building and has a sleek design, including an electric hob
The on-site terrace, which measures 3,400 m², is equipped with wooden decking and a pergola, plus chic garden furniture, including a hammock
Outside the property, which still retains features of the traditional stone cottage originally set in the land, there is a hot tub
The couple took over the original stone property (pictured) and added the extension that quadrupled the property’s living space
The bedrooms, which are located in the wooden extension on the property, are decorated with light, summery colors and accessories
When the project, which went slightly over budget, was completed, Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud described it as “gloriously beautifully done”
Inside the expansion, there are plenty of twist style design elements, which are made with the wood that has been manipulated
It is an energy efficient and ecological method of manipulating wood that does not require glue or waste and the Raffields had a company making lighting and furniture using the technique.
Once finished, McCloud described the build as “gloriously beautifully done” and particularly loved the “alien” staircase.
Construction more than quadrupled their living space and the old Victorian lodge is connected to the new extension by a wood and glass corridor, with the original house now a cozy lounge and dining room.
Inside the home, there are many curvy design elements created by their company, such as light fixtures, plant pots, and armchairs.
The house is described as environmentally friendly with low running costs and uses a sustainable system to heat itself
Before Tom and Danielle Rafford converted the house into their six-bedroom wooden paradise, it was a gamekeeper’s cabin on a piece of land
In addition to adding an extension to the property, Danielle and Tom also renovated the existing structure of the house into the cottage
The gamekeeper is a stone building with a tiled roof and a classic outdoor veranda
In the extension there is an open plan kitchen/dining/breakfast room with a breakfast bar and low hanging lamps
It is also a very environmentally friendly house, with sustainable heating and low running costs.
The house now has 3,400 square feet of accommodation. In the new extension there is a kitchen/breakfast room, master bedroom with en suite bathroom and a smaller bedroom and shower room. Upstairs there are four further bedrooms and a family bathroom.
There is a wraparound balcony overlooking the beautiful gardens, which extend to 11 acres, with a hot tub on the deck. A stream flows through the grounds and there are several outbuildings, including a steamed wood and glass yoga studio.
Guy Morse of Lillicrap Chilcott said, ‘This property is unusual in that it is both a work of art and built to actually live in. to build.
‘They are artists and craftsmen and that artistry is definitely reflected in the entire building.
“It works so beautifully to blend the old historic cottage into something much more modern, but not stark in any way.
‘It completely blends in with its surroundings in this beautiful, light-filled clearing surrounded by forest.
‘As a company we are lucky enough to be dealing with some of the finest homes in Cornwall, but this is something you’ll never find and a property we all get excited about.’