A pair of houses by Stolon Studio play with tradition in the Herefordshire countryside

Stolon Studio took inspiration from the Herefordshire countryside when turning a pair of dilapidated agricultural buildings into two modern homes.

Known individually as The Linhay and The Dairy, the properties are for sale via The Modern House for £550,000 and £625,000, respectively and are located on a former dairy farm outside Canon Pyon, near Hereford. As their names suggest, the buildings were previously a milking shed and hay barn surrounded by rolling countryside – the spark for Stolon’s interventions. Principals Robert and Jessica Barker retrofitted the historic buildings, stripping them back to their brick skeletons to straighten and reset them while preserving their oak and elm beams.

The pair sourced local bricks for new additions to fit within the Hereford properties’ existing vernacular material palette. Similarly, new energy-efficient oak-framed windows take their cues from the old roof beams.

Sustainability and wellness are recurrent themes in Stolon’s projects. The Parks farm takes this to new levels: the twin properties are energy-efficient, with air source heating pumps, underfloor heating, double-glazed windows and glass doors, and souped-up insulation that results in low running costs for the buildings. New plumbing and electricity have also been installed, including car-charging points for electric vehicles.

Their lateral floorplans also lend them to generational living, with large living rooms at the centre of each plan and horseshoe kitchens decorated in a modern ‘country’ aesthetic. Think earthy reds and greens, with Corian stone worktops and French doors that open onto the houses’ private gardens, planted with various plant life plus sunny and shaded patios.

Residents of the development also have access to a shared two-acre pasture at the back of the properties, earmarked as a large kitchen garden – a shared social project between the neighbours.