An effortlessly contemporary home in Surrey for quiet contemplation
Graylings in the Surrey Hills was designed by Baufritz and is a delight of modern design.


It’s important when looking at homes for sale, especially modern ones, to keep Kevin McCloud in your thoughts at all times. What would he say, while walking wistfully around your sustainable larch clad home? What would he think, while looking at the zinc?
I think he would like Graylings in the Surrey Hills. Built by Baufritz and completed in 2022, it’s a delightfully contemporary four-bedroom family home, situated on the ‘leafy fringes’ of Woldingham, with gardens by Matthew Wilson. It’s for sale with The Modern House for £2.95 million.
Graylings plays a lot of the hits. Pitched black timber clad on the outside, open-plan and light-filled living spaces on the inside. Light is a key theme throughout, and the property is clearly enhanced by the plethora of large windows that allows the outside to flow in. When you’ve got views of the Surrey Hills, it’s important to make the most of them.
The living spaces are, unsurprisingly, achingly modern. As is often the case with contemporary homes, the balance between inside and outside is blended, so spaces such as the central sitting room, with sliding doors on both sides, can be seen as more of a garden room on more pleasant summer days.






The gardens are also something of a highlight. Biodiversity was a ‘driving principle’, according to the agents, and the property benefits from a green roof by Bridgman and Bridgman, lending further evidence to the blend between outdoor and indoor living spaces.
The Mediterranean style gardens are by Matthew Wilson Gardens and Gardenlink, and feature well planted terraces, grasses and shrubs and places to sit and enjoy the sun at any time of day. There is also a water feature, and a pocket garden with edible plants.
It would be easy to get lost wandering the spacious hallways, rooms and gardens of Graylings and simply admire the simplicity of its design and decoration. It feels like a place of quiet contemplation — no doubt helped by the garden office, tea house and sauna.
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Can you hear Kevin coo? I can.

James Fisher is the Deputy Digital Editor of Country Life. He writes about property, travel, motoring and things that upset him. He lives in London.
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