Just last week, Country Life's architectural editor John Goodall wrote a piece about an end-of-terrace house in Swansea. It was a bit of a change of pace for John, whose work normally covers palaces, castles and cathedrals... but he was excited about this project as any of the others, given that this modest, pebble-dashed house opened up in to a riot of neo-Georgian plasterwork.
This week, we have another example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover: Bayford House, a picture-perfect Grade II*-listed home on the edge of the Hertfordshire village of Bayford, a coveted village in Hertfordshire, which is for sale with Hamptons for £6,000,000.
On the outside, it's a classic Georgian home set in 28 acres of gently rolling countryside. On the inside, it's a house that is brimming with striking decor and pizzazz, where original features and decorative plasterwork blend with Art Nouveau fireplaces, Doric columns and floods of colour and texture.
At the heart of Bayford House is a spacious reception hall, which features the original 18th century staircase, elegant columns and a toasty-looking log burner.
From here, there are a handful of reception rooms, each with their own distinctive style; as the agents note, ‘the interiors invite conversation’.
The library is a prime example: it’s a riot of colour, pattern and texture. The drawing room is another, enveloped in a smooth shade of mocha and featuring a chandelier and fireplace of real grandeur.
Not every space is so striking, but all are heavily styled and designed; the breakfast room, for example, has more of a pared-back look, with a neat collection of statement lightbulbs hanging above the table.
Other principal rooms include a kitchen (naturally) with stone work surfaces and Gaggenau appliances, study and a dining room.
Several more functional rooms are located towards the back of the house: a walk-in pantry, laundry room, and a boot room that leads out into the garden. These once-overlooked rooms make buyers these days swoon.
Bayford House has no fewer than nine bedrooms and six bathrooms on the first and second floors. And as you may already have guessed, they’re bursting with personality too.
From a light and breezy bedroom with patterned wallpaper and exposed brickwork, to a chic bathroom that combines dark painted-wood panelling, exposed timber beams and marble, no two rooms look the same.
The sprawling house includes a self-contained two-bedroom annexe, which could come in handy for family, friends, staff, or lodgers.
Outside, Bayford House has everything you'd hope to see in a modern country house: a tennis court, studio, sauna, and an indoor swimming pool set under a vaulted ceiling.
The grounds also include formal gardens, kitchen gardens, paddocks, a pond (wild swimming, anyone?), and various outbuildings.
There's more good news, too: the three years of work that's been done at Bayford House is more than skin deep: the owners have done all the re-plumbing and re-wiring as well as the interiors overhaul.
For those looking for a project, there is one part of the estate that is still ripe for renovation: the stables.
Joanna Cocking, Head of Private Office, Country at Hamptons, says: ‘The sensitive and extensive restoration of this Grade II estate – carried out by the current owners – is exquisite.
‘They have gone to great lengths to preserve and showcase architectural detail while creating wonderfully relaxed interiors for modern living.
‘It feels sophisticated – a home with heritage and artistic flair that creates an atmosphere both impressive — but utterly homely and welcoming.’
Bayford House is for sale via Hamptons for £6,000,000 — see more pictures and details
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