At first glance, this Arts & Crafts style home, with its traditional lines and stone mullioned windows, seems a throwback to a different age of design, yet in fact it was only completed in 2023, the culmination of a three-year project by local resident Peter Hagan.
‘I’ve been developing properties in this area for 15 years,’ he says. ‘I’m a traditionalist when it comes to architecture
‘There was an old bungalow on the site, which I demolished. I only do properties where I can demolish and start again, so I can create a one-off luxury home. And this one I was building for my family, so every aspect of it is wholly personal. I set out to build the home we wanted to live in, not one to sell on immediately.’
The house was intended to be Peter’s own, where he would live with his wife and also have room for his daughter and her family, during the periods of time she returned from overseas working to live in Manchester. In 2023 however, she accepted a permanent role in Jersey and has now settled there.
‘Circumstances have changed,’ he says. ‘We’ve now decided that rather than live here, we’re going to share our time in between here and Jersey, so don’t need a home of this size, hence putting it up for sale.’
The house is quite stunning as you might expect of a property built for such personal reasons, Peter has gone all in on every aspect of the build and interior design, from the natural slate roofing to the hardwood framing and natural stone detailing to the Ted Todd wooden flooring, the Stuart Frazer kitchens and the bespoke designed doors and staircase.
‘I work with the same builders on every project, and only use local trades and craftspeople,’ he says. ‘I always have a Stuart Frazer kitchen in all my builds. In this home, I have the main family kitchen and a second chef’s kitchen, or spice kitchen as it’s sometimes known. The design and finish Stuart Frazer delivers meets my own exacting standards, and I have chosen Gaggenau appliances to complete the fit.’
On entering the property, breathtaking tiled flooring leads the eye and draws you to the spacious kitchen diner, where the floor tiles create flow, uniting the ground floor in elegant style. The staircase is a timeless classic in style and build, created in stone by Artorius Faber of Somerset, and finished with a balustrade and handrail from Handrail Creations, in Bolton. The smooth, bespoke wooden handrail attracts the eye and then the hand – a seemingly antique piece of craftsmanship that makes you glad developers such as Peter, with their love of traditional design, are here to keep the craft alive. That passion shows itself in his choice of book-matched burr walnut, for the doors.
‘These, and all the panelling and cabinetry throughout were created by Infinitus, in Burnley. They are very high-end, top quality bespoke cabinetry.’
The doors are wonderful examples of the artistry of cabinetry, finished with ironmongery from Wilmslow-based House Proud.
It is also Infinitus that can take a bow for the jaw-dropping design of the dressing room in the master suite.
‘I saw this design when I was travelling the world, for the role I held before I retired and began property development,’ Peter explains. ‘My wife and I like Chinese decor and furnishings, and I wanted it recreated. It’s done with stained Birdseye Maple, in three colours, with the sunburst starting behind the door handles and then from the top of the drawers. It was just something I had seen, loved and wanted, so made it happen here.’
Peter’s flair for design is apparent in every room, with the use of porcelain tiles, or polished plaster with its fine, tactile, texture throughout the home. He has even built in chimneys, with working flues, to allow for the fitting of open fireplaces or woodburning stoves, should the current gas fires not suit the new occupants.
These chimneys, when seen from the outside, are just one more thing to embed this property into its surroundings, giving the house a feel of age and timelessness and setting it apart from many of the new-build designs of the 21st century. The carefully landscaped gardens, with specimen trees and shrubs already in place and established trees to the front and rear, support this sense of belonging. This is a house just waiting for the family who will make it their forever home.
‘It really needs to be seen to be fully appreciated,’ Peter says. ‘It takes luxury living to the next level, from the state-of-the-art security system to the smart lighting and heating to the air-conditioned gym and the carefully considered layout. Because we were building for my daughter and her family to spend time here too, I have even ensured the top floor is designed to work as a self-contained space.’
It’s fair to say this property achieves the pinnacle of elegant, high-end family living, for a family ready to enjoy every conceivable luxury.
For sale for £8.995m at Gascoigne Halman, Hale
gascoignehalman.co.uk
