When businessman John Potter went house-hunting in Knutsford he wanted three things: a wine cellar, a pool and an American fridge. WORDS BY JANET REEDER MAIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN COCKS

Businessman John Potter loves to play as hard as he works and it shows in the stunning Voysey-style house which he made his home eight years ago.

The London-based managing director bought the six-bed house in Knutsford off-plan from Cheshire developer PH Property Holdings Ltd and was able to create a dream space designed to entertain.

‘It was a bit like building your own house but without the hassle of employing architects, builders and getting planning permission,’ says John, who worked closely with PH Property Holdings to achieve the perfect mix of formal and informal modern spaces.

‘I was able to choose everything, from the doors and door handles which I brought back from Morocco, to the flooring. For example the downstairs floors are travertine in the kitchen and the rest is parquet.’

Morocco is a major influence in the interior of the 8,000 sq ft property, especially in John’s favourite area, a leisure complex complete with bar and swimming pool.

‘While it is a fantastic family house, there were three things I wanted when I bought it,’ he says.

‘One was a wine cellar, another was a bar, because I like entertaining and I had always wanted an indoor swimming pool. ‘And the third was an American fridge, so there’s always plenty of ice. I’d always wanted one.

‘So that was the rationale behind buying the house. It is the perfect place for entertaining not least because all the ground floor rooms open up into one huge space.’

As this isn’t a conventional family home. John has converted one of the six bedrooms into an office and another into a dressing room but that still leaves four en-suites, which is perfect for guests who want to stay over.

The bar and pool area is one of his favourite spaces and he admits it is where he spends most of his time.

‘I had the tiles brought over from Marrakesh, there’s Moroccan style seating and I had some people came up from London to do the murals on the walls to capture the essence of the Middle East.

‘The wine cellar in the basement has 750 bottles of wine, and it’s not even fully stocked. There’s a library in the house too.’

With the dining room furniture flown over from Florida and the four-poster bed in the master bedroom custom-made in Somerset, John reveals that there have been few things locally sourced in the house.

‘I suppose it reflects my globetrotting spirit,’ he admits.

‘I have spent some time in the Middle East and I love the decor and culture out there but I also wanted some classic elements in the house, so there are four-poster beds and a more traditional kitchen – Smallbone, rather than something ultra-modern like Mark Wilson.

‘Curtains were by Catherine Moon who works out of Wilmslow and there’s what looks like wall hanging in the kitchen which is actually a Hermes scarf which I thought looked Middle Eastern so I had it framed.’

The result is a unique and exciting house that was originally bought for £2.9million and now, following a £200,000 investment in the internal decoration and £100,000 on the beautifully landscaped gardens is worth £3.75 million.

‘Having spent most of my life living in smaller spaces in London, the opportunity to own such a large property, with the space to house a permanent pool, spa and bar, was irresistible,’ says John.

The house, called Roxburgh, was the first in the area to adopt the Voysey arts and crafts style and it has spawned many imitators from developers who want to achieve the same look and feel. However, as John points out, few come close to what PH Property Holdings Ltd achieved with his house.

‘As an engineer myself, I am very aware of standards in construction, and working alongside PH Property Holdings Ltd throughout the build of my property, demonstrated their commitment to delivering the highest levels of materials, workmanship and service,’ he says.

‘Their attention to detail, from the subcontractors they use, to their aftercare service, is second to none. Indeed, even two years after I moved into Roxburgh, they were still happy to assist me with any issues I had.’

PH Property Holdings: 0161 300 3800