Friday, April 5th 1946. For the first time after a six years' interruption, the Grand National horse race is taking place in Great Britain. The reason for the long previous break was the Second World War. The race horse “Lovely Cottage” wins the race. The horse belongs to the, at that time famous, Manor House Stables.

Once the home of a champion, the Manor House Stable decayed rapidly. Only when the manor was in the process of a large-scale restoration, the architect hired for this purpose, Andy Rasmus by AR Design Studio, discovered the listed stable. He immediately saw its potential, and started planning the conversion of the old building into a modern one-family house.

Stylistically confidently combined

The conversion was supposed to take place based on a careful refurbishment. It was decided to supplement and change the existing building as little as possible. The original character of the building should be preserved, and the existing building almost entirely maintained. Thus, the already existing wooden partition walls are an essential part of the new dwelling house, and display, after the renovation, their underlying craftsmanship. The old doors are also used as they were before. Smaller parts of the building have been relocated due to conversion. A former manger serves today as a sink, and the ring of an old bridle is used as a towel rail.

The Heart: The Kitchen

The single-storied building has been divided into a living- and a sleeping area. A long corridor connects the premises. The kitchen has been designed as an open area. It is situated at the centre of the house, and separates the living- and sleeping area from each other. An eating area and a large-scale living room with an adjacent terrace are located to the left of the cooking area. To the right, three bedrooms, two of them with a separate bathroom, have been placed.

The entire manor has an excellent thermal insulation. The concrete floors with integrated underfloor heating give the interior a functional unity, and remind of the agricultural past of the house. To provide the entire building with sufficient brightness, spacious windows have been installed at the east façade. Skylights provide additional daylight.

Extraordinary

The conversion of the stable into a dwelling house created an unique atmosphere. The newly created dwelling house does not deny its origin. On the contrary. The original use as a stable can still clearly be recognized, even after the conversion.