'It took my breath away when I first walked in': A Hertfordshire home with a kitchen to die for
Julie Harding takes a look at the wonderful old converted school, where she finds the kitchen of her dreams.
The Old School Hall at Broxbourne was, as its name suggests, once an educational establishment where, perhaps, cooking techniques were sometimes discussed. The children from those days, however, would be in awe of how the Grade II-listed building looks today, having undergone a transformation by the current owners.
The house is now on the market, at £795,000 via Savills. How they're tearing themselves away we're not quite sure, given — especially when you see the magnificent kitchen they put in as part of their renovations.
It's chic and modern, yet relaxing and pleasant in a soothing shade of teal that also helps give the place a period feel that fits with the building. Drawers and cupboards provide ample storage space and the breakfast bar is an alternative to the nearby dining table for those in a rush.
This open-plan kitchen and the adjoining reception space (once the school assembly hall) flow seamlessly into each other and, at 26ft by 23ft, there is ample room both for entertaining and everyday living.
A sitting room-slash-study completes the reception offerings on the ground floor, with bookshelves that run almost floor-to-ceiling in a room large enough to swallow up a beautiful old desk.
So what's the catch? Well, as you might expect at this price level in a village just outside London, with outstanding connections into the city, it's essentially a two-up, two down, and is probably a home for a couple rather than a family.
Upstairs, for example, there are two bedrooms, one of which is a huge room with built-in storage; the other is a bed on the mezzanine floor above the kitchen.
That said, if that's all you need then it's a place that has everything, even has some lovely outside space: gardens, vegetable patch and fruit trees outside, as well as a carport and parking for further vehicles.
All things considered, it's hard to imagine a more charming little home, and the agent's reaction says it all.
‘Since moving to this wonderful area, this is one of my absolute favourite properties,' says agent Felicity Walker. 'It took my breath away the first time I walked in.'
The Old School in Broxbourne is for sale at £795,000 — see more details.
