A guesthouse in Somerset with a contemporary take on rural style

Replacing an existing outbuilding, this self-contained annexe created by De Rosee Sa has some key aesthetic differences that set it apart from the main house.

Located on the edge of the Mendip Hills, with views over Glastonbury Tor, London-based architects De Rosee Sa were tasked with not only extensively refurbishing and extending the main house, a converted barn, on this site, but also a series of outbuildings, with a brief to capture the local, rural vernacular. 

Outside of the main house, a pool was renovated, as well as an existing outbuilding to act as a pool house, while on the other side of the property, the architects constructed a new outhouse in place of an existing garage to serve as a guesthouse. 

‘The Pottery’ as the guesthouse came to be called, is a one-storey self-build, using the rural architectural language of the area with a pitched roof and black ship-lap timber boarding, but with a contemporary edge. The overall design is a more streamlined version of the traditional countryside outbuilding, but retaining plenty of rustic charm in the materials used. 

‘We wanted to achieve a sensitive renovation of the former farm buildings, using natural, organic materials with polished finishes, all of which take inspiration from the property’s agricultural surroundings,’ explains lead architect Max de Rosee. 

The kitchen, for example, features exposed beams and pitched roof, but with a kitchen style that is a more modern take on rural style. The terracotta tiles contrast with the contemporary, slim-framed steel window and sleek reconstituted stone worktops to create a dichotomy between the two styles which is less pronounced in the main house. 

This relationship can also be felt in the bathroom, where a hexagonal terracotta tile with a rustic finish contrasts against a glossy metro tile, modern freestanding bath and large picture window, which brings the rural setting to the forefront.