Issue 48 AUG 25 web - Flipbook - Page 52
Heating is provided by an underfloor system, chosen for
its energy efficiency and compatibility with renewable
technologies. Water is filtered and recycled on site. Much
of the furniture is upcycled, sourced from salvage yards or
given a second life through thoughtful restoration.
Their answer came from Stella Rooflight, a specialist
manufacturer based nearby in the West country. Stella’s
conservation rooflights are designed specifically for
heritage and sensitive rural properties. More importantly,
they could be made to measure, ensuring a perfect fit
within the barn’s irregular structure.
“We didn’t just want to fill it with new things,” says Issy.
“There’s a real pleasure in taking something old and
giving it purpose again, especially in a building that’s been
standing for generations.”
A Fitting Frame for Dartmoor Views
Three large bespoke rooflights were installed, each
carefully positioned to capture natural light at different
times of day and to frame the ever-changing Dartmoor
landscape.
“They’re one of the first things people notice when they walk
into the living area,” Issy says. “You get this immediate
connection with the outside. The light, the view, even the
weather, it all becomes part of the experience.”
The Challenge of Light
While the solid stone walls and deep-set openings gave
the barn its characteristic charm, they also posed a
challenge. With limited windows and few existing
openings, natural light was at a premium. To counter this,
the design centred around the careful introduction of
rooflights, a decision that would ultimately transform the
space.
From inside, the effect is subtle but transformative.
Sunlight floods the central space, highlighting the texture
of the exposed stone and timber. At dusk, the sky becomes
a dramatic ceiling. On clear nights, guests can lie back
and watch the stars.
“It was obvious quite early on that rooflights would make a
huge difference,”says Murray. “But the shape of the barn made
things complicated. The gable ends were at different heights,
the walls ran out in places,nothing was square or standard.
We needed something bespoke.”
Outside, the rooflights are barely visible, designed to sit
flush with the slate, in keeping with the barn’s original
appearance. The frames are made from marine-grade
stainless steel, a material chosen not just for its durability
in Dartmoor’s wet and wild climate, but also for its
resistance to corrosion and its minimal maintenance
needs.
Standard rooflight solutions wouldn’t fit, and many
off-the-shelf conservation-style products used plastic
fittings or overly bulky frames that would have clashed
with the barn’s slate roof and understated form.
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