Coast and countryside at a contemporary home in Suffolk
Given the particularly idyllic location, it will come as no surprise to learn the surroundings inspired this contemporary home. Mole Architects – a firm specialising in low-energy projects, which has won a roster of prizes (including a RIBA East award for this house) – received a brief was to build a home that sang in tune with the site. The practice drew inspiration from the nearby hillock to inform the sloping structure that cleverly graduates from one storey to two, while the grey-and-white exterior takes its colouring from the wings of a herring gull – a bird native to the area.
Naturally, the interiors have been designed to make the most of the majestic views beyond – of glistening long grasses, coastal marshes and the River Alde estuary. The main living room, for instance – a stately space with soaring ceilings that lies at the heart of the home – has wall-to-wall picture windows that frame the outdoors. This might be the best viewing spot in the house, particularly at night at the sky is filled with stars. But we also love the three ground-floor bedrooms with glazed doors that open to the garden, as well as the main suite upstairs, which has its own east-facing balcony – a lovely spot to watch the rising sun with a coffee.
But the real star of the show is the location. From the house, there are mown pathways that weave towards the Rive Alde, an Area of Outstanding Beauty rich with history and wildlife. Keen bird watchers will revel in the opportunity to spot marsh harriers, avocets and bitterns swoop and soar overhead. If walking is more your thing, then follow one of the routes along the winding banks – our favourite might be the one leading to Aldeburgh’s pretty pebble beach. From Maggi Hambling’s The Scallop sculpture to The Suffolk, a beachfront restaurant with rooms, there are plenty of delights along the coast. You’ll find us taking a cooling dip in the sea and devouring fresh fish after a long walk. How’s that for the best of both?
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