Somerset-based architecture studio Bindloss Dawes has completed Redlynch, the restoration and extension of a Grade II listed 18th-century farmhouse in Bruton, Somerset, for a local gallerist.

Working with a team of Bruton-based designers and makers, the studio has reordered the farmhouse and added a contemporary family room, bringing together historic fabric, local craftsmanship, and contemporary art within a rural garden setting.

Restoring and reordering the farmhouse

When the family acquired the property, the farmhouse had fallen into disrepair and its fragmented internal layout offered little connection to the surrounding garden. The project required careful restoration and reordering, while the client’s brief also called for something contemporary and unexpected.

A key part of the brief was to create a generous family room connected to the garden, with space for the display of a contemporary art collection.

A contrasting contemporary extension

Bindloss Dawes’ initial designs were contextual, with pitched roofs and contemporary interpretations of local materials and construction methods. As the design developed, the studio chose a more deliberately contrasting approach, which was supported by the Somerset conservation team.

The result is a carefully detailed, charred-timber extension that sits alongside the farmhouse. Its dark exterior creates a clear counterpoint to the traditional brick and stone of the original building, while allowing the historic structure to retain its presence within the site.

Inside, the 50-square-metre extension is defined by a calm, pared-back palette of natural materials. High oak-beamed ceilings, plastered walls, and polished concrete floors create a restrained backdrop for the family’s contemporary artworks. Large sliding glass doors and carefully positioned windows connect the room to the newly landscaped garden and draw natural light into the home.

The extension was deliberately designed as a contrasting addition to the farmhouse, augmenting the original building while allowing the historic structure to remain visually dominant and the existing fabric to retain its significance. Through this contemporary intervention, the historic rural building is adapted for modern living while enhancing, rather than overpowering, its original character.

A Bruton-based collaboration

For the client, it was important that the project was shaped by the local community. Each key contributor to the project is Bruton-based, allowing for a collaborative and responsive design process.

The garden was designed by Viriditas Studio and includes a farmyard-inspired courtyard, a boulder garden, and a wildflower meadow. The farmhouse interiors were informed by colour consultancy Etté, construction was carried out by a local builder, and the kitchen was made by the client’s brother.

George Dawes, Director at Bindloss Dawes, said: “Our aim was for the extension to be restrained, tactile and contemporary, and to sit unapologetically alongside the farmhouse. The interior spaces are intentionally understated, allowing light, proportion, and texture to take precedence while setting up strong visual connections to the garden and the countryside beyond.”