An oak frame family home in Warwickshire with historical roots

At the time, the Maaz’ owned a house in the same village which was a stone-built, listed building with exposed wooden beams. Dick had always dreamt of building his own oak framed property and so when the opportunity arose to do just that on the site of the original village hall, he convinced his wife Sue they should go for it.

Dick and Sue began their home building journey by researching and attending various self-build exhibitions.

“At the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show, we spoke with a few oak frame suppliers before finding Oakwrights,” explains Dick. “After spending time discussing our ideas with David Grey (Sales Director), we just knew Oakwrights were the ones we wanted to build with.”

The Maaz’ later stayed at our show home, The Woodhouse, where they explored key features of its design such as the oak frame, joinery and finishes. Dick and Sue appreciated the look and feel of the open-plan layout at The Woodhouse and were inspired to incorporate a similar design into the downstairs of their dream home.

Once inside, you’re welcomed by a traditional post and beam oak frame which carefully carves out the spacious, open-plan living areas downstairs. Dick and Sue chose to incorporate our face glazing system into their design, along with additional joinery finishes that allow natural light to flood in and bounce off the intricate angles of their frame, while enjoying the rolling countryside views looking out to the rear of their home.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms with en-suites and Juliet balconies. Each room is accentuated by intricate oak frame features, such as the exposed purlins which channel your eyes inside. If you focus on the design of the bedroom pictured above, sling braces enhance the look and feel of the space while creating Dick and Sue’s desired vaulting.

Downstairs and outside to the rear of the Maaz’ home, the north-facing elevation enables you to fully appreciate the two full-height glazed gables.

“It was important to take into consideration the local vernacular and sensitivities,” says our Architectural Technologist. “Establishing a design that maximised their extensive views from the rear of the site without overbearing the surrounding area was paramount. This was achieved by the inclusion of the two gables.”

Dick and Sue wanted to be hands-on with their build and economical with their purchases. Soon after selling their old house, they were given the opportunity to buy the cast-iron bath they had originally left there. So, they sent it away to be given a new of life before installing it into their home for a fraction of the cost of purchasing a new one.

Making the most of their on-site materials was so important to the Maaz’. Alongside the leftover timber pegs which Dick transformed into coat hooks in their cloakroom, they used the bricks that made up the original village hall to create unique features such as their fireplace, which breathes local history into their home.

The time Dick and Sue invested into their project has transformed this house into a home that’ll continue to give back to them in the future: from a personal perspective, as they make lasting memories together as a family and also financially, as they save money on their everyday household bills.