Six appeal

A PASSION for sustainable living and a desire to recreate the calming ambience of a luxury spa were the founding principles behind an exceptional self-build home which is now on the market.

“I used to be a member of the Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall Hotel and felt really aware of how my mood altered as I walked in,” says owner Sally Marshall. “The environment there is light, airy and calm and it makes you lift your head and breathe deeply. I asked myself what would a house be like if it was designed along the same principles.”

Both music teacher/developer Sally and her husband Dr Kevin Robertson, an associate dean at Northumbria University, had discussed turning their hand to an ambitious selfbuild project, and just weeks later a plot of land in Great Lumley came up for sale.

The couple worked closely with planners and architects to get the design and aesthetic just right. The light and spacious detached executive- style home took a year to build, resulting in 6,000 square feet of accommodation and eight double bedrooms.

These and the other three houses Sally built on the edge of the former pit village were the first Level Six houses to be built in County Durham and probably anywhere in the country.

Soon all new homes will have to be built with maximum regard for the environment.

But, while respecting the environment, Sally was determined not to skimp on looks or comfort. “Ecobuilds have got an image that alienates 80 per cent of people. The question with this project was could you live a sustainable lifestyle without compromising modern comforts,” she says.

The answer was plainly “yes”.

This stylish contemporary property is designed with eco-living in mind. It incorporates technologies designed to minimise energy consumption. Green features include rain water harvesting, solar panels and insulated construction.

For the past three years, Maynesforth House has been a family home to Sally, Kevin and their son. During this time, the family have reaped the benefit of the green technology.

The household utility bills are minimal and the house produces zero carbon emissions, which means it produces the same energy as the occupants are likely to use.

With building being completed just in time for Christmas, Sally barely had time to adjust to the new way of living before relatives were knocking on the impressively high solid wood front door. “We moved in one day and had all the relations staying the next. It took a while to get used to the house and it was a bit of a learning curve,” recalls Sally.

“My mum and dad thought the house was outstanding, but my aunt just went very quiet.

She felt it was a waste of space, that we could get another floor in here and a room in there.

It was only by living in the house that she understood and appreciated the principles of the space.”

With an open-plan living area extending to 44 feet, the grand design certainly challenges the traditional mentality of having strictly defined areas with separate rooms for specific functions.

One of the house’s most impressive features, and Sally’s favourite, is the atrium. Its impressive height extends from the ground floor up to 25 feet and its huge glass panels fill the entrance hall with natural light.

Choosing timeless neutral decor and lection of artwork as part of the interior design scheme. She favours abstract contemporary paintings – Chinese art, in particular. – which complement the space perfectly.

Sally and Kevin’s son works as a chef, so one of the most important areas in their house had to be the kitchen. “It’s a real focal point and integral to open-plan living,” says Sally. “It’s sourced from Fabrika, in Sunderland, who were superb for quality, design and service.”

Made from walnut and white high-gloss units, the bespoke units are every bit as sleek as you would expect. A striking feature is the bio-mass boiler, cleverly set in to a feature slate wall, which heats water in an eco-friendly way. “It’s really stunning and looks like a piece of art,” says Sally.

Outside, just as much attention to detail has been paid to the external space and landscaped gardens. Two timber-decked terraces, one of them a roof terrace set-up with sun loungers, make the most of the south-facing aspect and panoramic views. Looking out over beautiful open countryside as far as the eye can see, in the distance you can just make out the spires of Durham Cathedral.

With the help of local landscape gardener Shelly Horn, from Murton, Sally and Kevin planted 3,000 bulbs. Among them are a variety of daffodils and tulips, laid out in an artistic formation. It was one day in the spring when the build was nearing completion that Sally realised they had achieved their dream home.

“The sky was bright blue, the sun was shining, the flowers were out and looked unbelievable. That was one of the best days on site, when we realised we had arrived at our destination.”

The only downside for Sally to life at Maynesforth House is that a trip to the local spa has lost its appeal. “I love the calm and quietness here,” she says. “I don’t need the spa anymore. I feel as though I’m living in one.” 

• Maynesforth House, Great Lumley, is on
  the market with Urban Base for £1.25m. For
  more information, call 0845-6431186

The greening of Maynesforth

BECAUSE our homes account for 27 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions, the Government introduced the Code for Sustainable Homes in 2007. All new-builds are rated against the code: most struggle to reach Level Three; few reach Level Six, but the Government stipulates that by 2016 all new homes will have to be built with maximum regard for the environment.

The code measures things such as the house’s pollution output, its water usage, its efficiency. Maynesforth House costs £50 a year to heat.

Level Six dictates that the home must generate more power than it can use – the surplus can be sold to the National Grid.

The design of a Level Six house is also taken into account by the code. Maynesforth House faces south and has coated argon-filled double glazing that allows the heat in, but not out – harvesting the warmth of the sun at any time of year. The atrium allows the heat to rise from downstairs – a process assisted by a ventilation system that moves air from a hot room into a cooler one – so there is no need for heating in the bedrooms.

The code also measures the greenness of the construction of a building. The builders at Maynesforth House – GYM Construction, of Meadowfield – arrived each morning in a shared van rather than by individual car and the materials they used either came from as close to home as possible – stone from Staindrop, for example – or were as green as possible.

The house is constructed from structural integrated panels (Sips). Sips are made of woodshavings compressed with glue under heat to create a panel strong enough to support a roof.

Any offcuts were returned to the factory to be recycled.