Light floods into every room of The Cyphers, the idiosyncratic mid-century house Dr Deborah Wallis and her husband, Simon Wallis, share with their two children. Sensitively extended and restored within the spirit of the original 1960 design, Deborah and Simon have realised a bright, airy and contemporary family home that preserves all the playful Modernism of the house’s distinctive roofline.

As the house comes onto the market, Deborah and Simon talk us through creating a home that is as much a productive workspace as a hub for the family; a place to come together to experience art, life and the stunning Yorkshire landscape.

Simon: “For us, modern living is defined by a close connection between urban environments and the countryside. There has to be a sense of the inside and outside spaces having a dialogue, for design and nature to not lose touch with one another.

“In London we lived in a Victorian terraced house near Highgate that was dark and often felt claustrophobic. There was only a small garden and its 19th-century layout wasn’t compatible with the life we wanted to lead. We always seemed to be trudging up or down stairs.

“We spent a year renting in Leeds, researching the location that would suit our needs and inspire us. We saw many amazing homes but we didn’t want to live in a period house again, and we didn’t want to be so far out into the countryside that using the city became difficult.”

Deborah: “Then we came across this house, which looks like a pleasing hybrid of a ranch house and a ski-lodge, with its distinctive roof and the beautiful 1960s staircase in the dramatic double-height central space. It’s a bold statement and unique in Leeds. It must have looked so radical at the time, set against the attractive 19th-century houses that are its immediate neighbours.

“There was also land around the house and the gardens had huge potential. It was inspiring to feel like we had the space to breathe while not being isolated.

“We bought the house in 2009, lived in it for a year to get to know it, and then moved out for a year in order to undertake all the major work. We wanted to restore it back to the integrity of its 1960’s design which had been covered up and lost.”

Simon: “Fortunately, it has only ever had two owners before us, so most changes to the original design were just superficial. We stripped everything back, fully rewired, replumbed, clad the inside walls, put in triple A windows, a wood burner, a Bulthaup kitchen and new wood cladding in cedar, to match what was originally there. And we were concerned to improve the environmental efficiency, so we installed solar panels that generate income from the feed-in tariff, as well as making our energy bills low and charging our electric car.

“We also extended the house to make a large kitchen/diner and create more space for the upstairs room. We raised the roof so our guest room could benefit from a lovely pitched roof, built a large study room above our son’s bedroom, and put in new bathrooms.”

Deborah: “Now we live largely in the kitchen/diner, which has enough space to cook, eat and watch TV as a family. The ‘play’ room is mostly used for table tennis and piano practice, and the living room we use when we have family and friends over, for board games, movie nights or relaxing with the papers.

“A home needs to be flexible and malleable: it’s a sanctuary, a work place, a functional living space, and somewhere where we nurture and share our interests. During lockdown this year, the house was large enough for us all to work quietly and separately, but then to come together for meals, walks, or eating in the garden.”

Simon: “A good interior should put you at ease. It should provide a natural extension of your interests, and easily enable the way you want to live your life. We love the optimism and energy of the 1960s in art and music and we found that reflected in the house.

“Downstairs we fitted solid oak floors with underfloor heating. We wanted as much neutrality as possible to best display all our art and ceramics. We’re both passionate modernists; we like simple white walls that offer a sense of calm and neutral backdrop to our collection that we’ve acquired over many years.

“Since this house is so much bigger than our previous home we have been able to buy more generous furniture, like the Fritz Hansen table that comfortably seats 10 people and our large bedroom storage cabinet and Vitsoe shelving. There’s a large amount of storage, because we like clean lines and not too much clutter, but we like our spaces to feel informal, cosy and very liveable.”

Deborah: “A house should also nurture and protect you while offering a close connection to the outside environment. Every room in this house has huge windows. It is bright at all times of the day and the light changes constantly. There is always this joyful sense of spaciousness inside and out.

“We have lovely views over a wide expanse of the gardens and the open countryside, and you can always fully experience the daily pleasures of the changing seasons, weather and cloudscapes. On a clear day, we can see the white horse etched into the hillside at Kilburn, in the North York Moors, 40 miles away.

“The position of the house between Leeds, Harrogate and York is ideal. Shops and restaurants in the city are very close to hand but with the amazing countryside on our doorstep too – you can have an urban and totally rural experience so easily in one day. And we are very near some stunning local landscapes such as Ilkley Moor, Brimham Rocks, Malham Cove, Bolton and Fountains Abbey.”

Simon: “We have made a few changes as we have gone along, mainly with the landscaping outside. We’ve laid new paths, installed a fountain, replaced the driveway and put in new patios. And, each year we refine the garden.

“Our son wanted frogs this summer, so he and I built a pond. We’ve added thousands of perennials and bulbs, and have reached the point where the garden is engaging but low maintenance. We also have raised beds for our kitchen garden, and apple, pear and cherry trees. This year we have grown green beans, tomatoes, sweet peas, cucumbers, and all the herbs we need.”

Deborah: “We are moving because Simon’s art world contacts are predominately in London, and he has to be there usually a couple of nights a week for work. I’m also close to my family and need to be nearer my mum since she lost my dad. Plus, with the kids leaving home soon, we’ll have far more time to spend with our long-standing friends who still live in London.

“We definitely want a modern house, and ideally something as similar to this as we can afford. We couldn’t ever return to having a small garden, noisy neighbours and a dark house. We will miss the light and the peacefulness here, waking up and seeing rabbits or deer in the field, watching the sun rise from the bedroom.

“We’ve loved living here: it’s been a privilege and we’re proud of the home we’ve created. It’s a great home for enjoying the best experiences in life and making amazing memories – it’s seen our children from buggy stage to university. We hope whoever buys it will feel as safe, secure, inspired and nurtured as we have.”