Swapping a rural lifestyle for suburbia, Janet and Richard Deacon have achieved this glorious oak frame forever home

WORDS ANAMIKA TALWARIA

Kerb appeal was crucial to the Deacons’ scheme – and this wowfactor oak frame has bags of it

PHOTOS SIMON KENNEDY/OAKWRIGHTS

Janet and Richard Deacon had been living in the house where they’d raised their children, Helen and James, for 40-odd years when they decided it was time for a change. “We loved our home,” says Janet. “It was in a rural area of Guildford and was a lovely place to bring up our children, but you had to get in the car to go anywhere. Having easy access to shops and a doctor was key.”

The couple had been looking for a self build opportunity but struggled to find land. “We started to look at houses because we’d realised that we weren’t likely to be able to buy just a plot to build on,” adds Richard. As luck would have it, Janet came across a tired 1950s house on Rightmove that hadn’t been touched since the original owners moved in. Upon viewing the property, the couple realised it was the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. “It’s an expensive part of the country, but it was in a friendly village, close to our daughter, and is within walking-distance of a great high street,” says Janet. So, the Deacons sold their house with an extended completion date and purchased the 1950s property in Surrey.

Oak frame dreams

Janet had done her research – poring over magazines like Build It and attending exhibitions – and had come across Oakwrights 15 years ago. So, revisiting the company for the couple’s new house was a no-brainer. “We knew we wanted an oak frame house,” says Janet. “It was just a case of finding the right one. We wanted to design it for our lifestyle, without compromise.” The Deacons went along to some open days – including a visit to one of Oakwrights’ show homes – and fell in love with the character and space that comes with this kind of build. This is also where they discovered the sling trusses that would underpin the design. “The bulk of the oak frame was cut by machines in the workshop, but these particular trusses are done by hand and create a really unique feature,” says Richard.

They engaged Darren Blackwell from Oakland Vale – an independent architectural designer – to draw up their scheme. “I didn’t want to be tied to a particular style or supplier at this stage of the project,” says Janet. The Deacons worked with Darren to come up with an open-plan design, with the oak beams helping to zone off various areas – like the kitchen from the lounge. “Darren was very good,” says Richard. “He would listen to our ideas and then apply his knowledge of oak framed structures and creative flair to make the design interesting and buildable at the same time. Overall, the attention to detail was important to us.”