Plummers Plain, Horsham
West Sussex

SOLD

Architect: Aage & Carol Møller

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This five-bedroom house is an exceptional piece of Scandinavian design, nestled in the Sussex countryside. Built in 1968, it was designed by the Danish architect Aage Møller with his wife Carol, a renowned landscape architect, as their family home and place of work. As with all the finest Modern Scandinavian architecture, the building is distinguished by its clarity of design, quality of materials and connection with the surrounding landscape.

The property is located in an area of ancient West Sussex woodland in the hamlet of Plummers Plain, five miles south east of Horsham.

Accommodation is arranged on a single level as the architects wanted to ensure that every room has a direct relationship with the garden. The simple pitched roof has generous overhanging eaves that shade the property in summer and protect it in winter. The long, single-storey form of the house purposefully echoes that of Viking longhouses.

The entrance hall leads directly to the main living room which is open plan to the dining area. As with many Scandinavian homes, an open fireplace forms a central feature. A large sliding door gives direct access from the dining area into the garden. Beyond the dining area the main family rooms comprise of three bedrooms and a bathroom. The dining room and entrance hall have direct access into the kitchen and utility area. From here the back door leads to a small covered terrace ideal for sunny morning breakfasts.

The entrance hall in the main house also gives access to a suite of rooms originally designed for an extended family member. These comprise of a bedroom and further living area (or bedroom) with a second bathroom. Both bedrooms have sliding glass doors into the garden.

At the front of the house is a semi enclosed courtyard laid out with large slabs of York paving recovered from the Victorian property of previous generations of the family. Across this courtyard is a double car port that provides ample parking and, at the rear of the carport, a room which was the office for the Møller’s architectural practice.

Great care was taken by the architects to construct the house from quality materials. Externally the yellow bricks were hand made at 2 inches high, the Danish norm, rather than the British 3 inch bricks of the time. The timber Velfac windows are double glazed with integral venetian blinds where appropriate. Stained pine boarding completes the Scandinavian aesthetic. Internally there is Junkers Ash flooring throughout together with Douglas Fir ceilings to the living areas. Heating is via oil-fired underfloor ducted air.

The garden, of approximately 1.2 acres comprises of a main lawn interspersed with triangles of planting, was designed by Carol Møller. The surrounding woodland is punctuated with many individual plants of interest. For more information on Carol Møller see the History section.

The property is located off an unmade road in the hamlet of Plummers Plain. The village of Handcross is close by and the historic town of Horsham is five miles away. It is a short walk to The Wheatsheaf, a renowned pub, and a fifteen minute drive to Three Bridges station, which runs direct services to London (Victoria, King’s Cross and London Bridge) in under an hour. Gatwick Airport is a twenty minute drive. There are a number of good private and state schools in the area, including Farlington, Christ’s Hospital, Handcross Park, Cottesmore & Millais.

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.


History

Aage and Carol Møller worked together on a variety of projects throughout their career including collaborating with Span at New Ash Green in Kent to design not only a school but also a house for the Executive Director of the village, Robin Bilson.

Prior to starting her own practice, Carol Møller worked as an architect for Walter Segal and thereafter for both Brenda Colvin and Dame Sylvia Crowe, for whom she produced the hand drawn illustrations for her celebrated book ‘Garden Design’.


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