Hunts Green Barn, Henley-On-Thames, Oxfordshire

A miraculous marriage of old and new, this multi-award-winning house, composed of two Grade II-listed agricultural buildings, was designed by esteemed practice McLaren.Excell and has been featured in multiple titles, including the Financial Times. Inside, its exposed timber frame speaks to its storied past, while beautiful material interventions lend a distinctly contemporary edge. Nestled in the Oxfordshire countryside outside Henley-on-Thames, the house sits amid landscaped gardens that are arguably as carefully considered as the home itself.

The Architects

Founded in 2011, McLaren.Excell is an award-winning architecture and interior design studio based in central London. Led by Luke McLaren and Robert Excell, the practice works across private residential and commercial projects and is known for creating thoughtful, finely crafted buildings with a calm and distinctive sense of place.

The Building

Built in the 16th century, the building was extended in the mid-18th century; in 2021, a revelatory addition housing the bedrooms was completed. Of Hunts Green Barn, McLaren.Excell has written: “Hunts Green Barn represented a significant opportunity to expose the historic fabric of a Tithe Barn and restore the impressive spaces that had been neglected through recent interventions.” Their work has “allowed the set of barns to breathe” while updating the buildings with impressive eco credentials, achieved in part through a ground-source heat pump and triple-glazed windows.

The house has been featured in The Financial Times, The Times, Architecture Today, and AD-Magazine. It won the British Homes Awards ‘Home Transformation of the Year’ and The Telegraph’s ‘Homebuilding and Renovation Awards’ in 2022. It was also shortlisted for the Architects’ Journal Retrofit Awards and the Architect of the Year Awards, and longlisted for a Dezeen Award in 2022.

The Tour

The house occupies a private, secluded position surrounded by open countryside. From the quiet road, a gated entrance opens onto a gravel driveway with ample parking. The home’s silhouette is at once traditional and assertively contemporary; its timber-clad exterior is punctuated by expansive glazing that hints at the brightness within.

Entry is via a steel door into a quietly beautiful hall with poured-concrete floors and timber-lined walls and ceilings. Integrated storage has been added here, and there is a separate boot room designed for after countryside walks.

A door on the right opens into the arresting heart of the home: a magnificent open-plan living space that rises towards the soaring roofline above. The integration of old and new is seamless. Steel with blued accents feel unobtrusive yet distinctly contemporary, providing a smooth textural contrast to the exposed timbers that frame the room.

This is the oldest part of the house, but also where the architects’ vision feels most palpable. No detail has been overlooked, from the steel and concrete-framed fireplace and adjoining storage at one end to the well-equipped kitchen at the other. Materials and appliances are to an exceptionally high specification and include a Reito Grigio worktop, a Miele hob and a Gaggenau fridge. Additional utility space is provided in the back kitchen, which has a Belfast sink alongside a freezer and dishwasher. Atmospheric modular lighting by XAL is used throughout the house, automated with a Rako control system. The house is fully automated with Control4 technology deployed throughout.

To the left of the entrance hall is the sitting room, set within the mid-19th-century section of the barn. It is a wonderfully composed space, with a log burner island unit, steel shelving and a large picture window. Elegantly modern, it also feels deeply comfortable and intimate.

Steps descend into the newest part of the building, where a repeated V-shaped structure creates a strong sense of rhythm. The four bedrooms are arranged here, each with immersive views over the gardens. The principal suite occupies the lower level and is accessed via a gym area. Japanese-inspired in feel, it has a framed bed platform, integrated wall lights and a double-ended freestanding bath. An en suite shower room adjoins, while a walk-in wardrobe has bespoke fitted storage.

Stairs rise to the upper level, where the remaining bedrooms are positioned. A generous bathroom also lies here, finished with terrazzo tiles, a luxurious bath with a shower fitting and Vola taps. Both this bathroom and the en suite are wrapped in sublime tadelakt walls.

Outdoor Space

Great care was given to the gardens surrounding the house and, as a result, they provide visual interest and layered texture throughout the seasons. They were landscaped by Sean Walter, who introduced a variety of specimen plants and trees, including elegant silver birches, tulips and alliums. A traditional gabion wall built from local flint runs along the perimeter.

Over 2 acres of pasture extend beyond the landscaped garden.

The Area

Harpsden Bottom is a tiny hamlet extending from the Oxfordshire village of Harpsden, known locally for an area of open-access woodland known as Harpsden Woods and part of the Chilterns National Landscapes.

Harpsden Bottom is about a 10-minute drive from Henley-on-Thames, a town set among some of the loveliest reaches of the River Thames, filled with independent boutiques, galleries and bookshops. The much-loved Bell Bookshop sits alongside a thoughtful collection of antiques dealers, interior stores and cafés, while the independent Picturehouse cinema and nearby Everyman show arthouse films and blockbusters alike.

Closer to home, Imma Bakery, McQueen’s Deli, Luscombes and Arbequina are popular fixtures for coffee, lunch and relaxed suppers. During the Henley Royal Regatta and the Henley Festival, the riverbanks fill with rowing boats and music.

Beyond the town, the surrounding Chiltern Hills countryside offers wooded walks, rolling hills and several notable landmarks, including the National Trust’s Grey's Court, with its Tudor manor house and beautifully kept gardens.

Henley and the neighbouring villages are particularly well regarded for their culinary scene. There are several excellent pubs and restaurants within a short drive, among them The Hand & Flowers and The Coach, both by Tom Kerridge, as well as The Dew Drop Inn, Hurley House Hotel, The Dog & Badger and Orwells.

The area is also highly regarded for its excellent schools, including Shiplake College, Queen Anne’s School, Gillotts School and The Henley College. Henley is equally well served by respected preparatory schools, including Rupert House School, St Mary’s Preparatory School and Moulsford Prep.

Henley station is around a 10-minute drive from the house and provides direct services to London Paddington in approximately 45 minutes. Alternatively, Reading Station can be reached in under 20 minutes by car for faster links into Paddington. The M4 motorway is readily accessible for connections to Heathrow Airport, central London and the West Country.