EST.BORDER OAK 1980

BESPOKE HANDCRAFTED OAK FRAMED BUILDINGS

- 

We specialise in making beautiful, bespoke & sustainable oak framed buildings. We offer design & planning services, a wide variety of construction packages and project management - all at a fixed price.

A sublime serenity permeates the farmhouse that Francesca Cura shares with her husband James. 'I was inspired by Italian and Moroccan villas for the decor and architecture; I wanted it to feel as peaceful as possible,' says Francesca.

The house's setting, nestled in the beautiful countryside of the Surrey Hills, provides an equal sense of calm and belonging. 'We moved here as a family from London when I was a baby and I grew up playing in the rhododendron woods building tipis and creating pots from the clay that lined the riverbeds.'

So, when a derelict farmhouse with surrounding land came up for sale, just a short walk down the lane from her childhood home, they jumped at the chance to buy it. 'My husband is an urban man and a lover of brutalist buildings but he has always known me to live on this lane so from early on he knew this was where we would probably end up,' Francesca says. The farmhouse had fallen into disrepair, so the plan was to demolish it and build new. The couple signed up Adam Casey, founder of architectural studio Watershedd (watershedd.com), for the design and build. 'I had worked with Adam previously and always thought he was amazing, so I pounced on him, hoping he would be interested in the project,' Francesca explains.