This superb four-bedroom house, designed by the architect Andrew Hughes in 2017 and known as Butterfly Barn, can be found in rural Essex, close to the village of Bradfield.

The property sits on a wonderful plot of just under an acre, surrounded by open farmland. Hughes’s striking design echoes the butterfly-wing form and takes the footprint of the original agricultural barn that sat on the site. Clad in larch timber and featuring ample glazing, the building sits comfortably within the gentle hills of the surrounding landscape.

Internally, it offers impressive open-plan living spaces with high ceilings, finished with a polished concrete tiled floor.

The front door leads into the open-plan kitchen / living / dining room. The elegant kitchen provides generous storage units complete with honed natural Carrara marble worktops and a Smeg range cooker and induction hob. The living room includes an energy-efficient, wall-mounted wood-burning fire. Large picture windows give far-reaching view over the gardens and surrounding countryside.

Off the main space is a utility room and WC and corridor leading into the bedroom area. This incorporates four bedrooms, two with en suite shower rooms and a family bathroom. The bathrooms have been fitted with particular care, aiming for a high standard of finish throughout.

There is a galleried study on a mezzanine above the main space. There is also an integral garage and storage area. The property has underfloor heating powered by an air-source heat pump, providing economical and environmentally responsible heating. The house comes with a ten year structural warranty.

The level gardens are extensive and mostly lawned, providing one of the real attractions of this amazing property. There is space for parking numerous vehicles outside the house.

The Butterfly Barn sits at the end of a private lane surrounded by rolling arable fields, just outside the charming village of Bradfield in Essex, less than a mile’s walk across fields to the banks of the River Stour. Despite its rural location it is only a ten-minute drive to Manningtree station for services to London Liverpool Street in under an hour.

Nearby Mistley and Manningtree provide excellent local shopping facilities as well as cafes, restaurants and pubs. Colchester and Ipswich are both easily accessible by car for more serious shopping.

The surrounding area offers some beautiful locations to explore such as Dedham Vale AONB,‘Constable Country’, Pin Mill, Wrabness, Harwich, Frinton-on-Sea, Mersea Island and Walton-on-the-Naze. The Guardian recently described the Harwich peninsula as a ‘revelation’ and ‘like Lymington or Rye, without the price tags’.

Notable highlights of the area include the delightful Electric Palace Cinema in Harwich, Grayson Perry and FAT’s ‘House for Essex’ in nearby Wrabness and The Company Shed seafood cafe on Mersea Island.

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.