“There are around 70 panes of glass in this house,” says Julie Smith. “So, even when you’re inside, you feel a part of the total environment.” Overlooking the towering trees of Preston’s Wood in Somerset, the bucolic setting was part of the appeal when she and her husband, Rob, first saw this listing on The Modern House in 2016. Now, having lived here for seven years, the couple can attest to the romance of its ruralness: “The lovely thing is you feel like you’re a million miles from everywhere, but actually you’re not.” (It’s around a 30-minute drive to both Bruton and Frome.) The main draw, however, was the home itself: part mid-century marvel, part stone cottage, it’s a gem the pair have had the pleasure of polishing. “We’ve done extensive renovations,” Julie continues, as it comes on the market. “Virtually the whole place from top to toe.”

The modernist structure was originally conceived by Ray Moxley (a local architect who went on to work with Chamberlin, Powell and Bon) in the early 1960s. His clients were two Bristol University academics and fans of modernist design, who wanted the architect to bring their 17th-century cottage up to date. And so Moxley designed them a glass box to sit on a cantilevered concrete deck. Later, at the end of the decade, the couple commissioned Robert and Tim Organ to create another extension, this time in timber. The most significant – and striking – part of the second project was the tetradecagon-shaped space at the end of the house, which is currently in use as a glorious garden room.

Since Rob and Julie became custodians of the house, they’ve renovated nearly every inch of it. Inspired by trips to Japan, the Kiwi couple have decorated the living spaces with things they’ve collected, from traditional art and a kimono that hangs on their dining room wall, which they’ve painted black for “drama”, to lovingly restored wood panels throughout. The courtyard is also a love letter to their travels and features a goldfish pond and a Japanese acer tree. “In the autumn it turns the most wonderful shade of red,” says Rob, now standing in the garden. In fact, this outdoor sliver is one of the couple’s favourite spaces. “At the end of the day, the sun slopes down through the tree and you get this lovely golden light here,” Rob continues. Julie adds, “We have barn owls in the area and, in the evening, it’s just magical listening to them.”

“We absolutely love the house,” Rob concludes. “We’ve had such a wonderful time here but it’s time to move on.” If you also love the look the couple’s tour and would like to view the home, get in touch with our team today. And, if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss a new film.