Mayfly Cottage by Stiff + Trevillion, UK

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Large cottage with wooden cladding on walls
Designed for a couple of London-based fly-fishing enthusiasts seeking a weekend retreat in the English countryside, Mayfly Cottage is a new residential project by London-based architects Stiff + Trevillion
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Side angled view of two-level building

The two-level, 310sq m house, created with traditional construction methods from the area, is the architects' reinterpretation of a rural barn on the River Test in Hampshire

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Building near to an old manor house

The new building sits on the grounds of a listed manor house, on a plot where an old cottage once served as ancillary accommodation

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Close up view of open glass doors into the living space

'A sustainable approach was key,' explains lead architect Chris Eaton. 'This was led by using a combination of local materials and tradesman and traditional construction methods in a contemporary fashion.'

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Interior view of living room with chairs in front of a fire place

Living areas flow out onto a stone terrace

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Corner sofa in living room and large wooden coffee table

An abundance of glass brings in plenty of natural light into the interior

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Interior view of dining room looking out onto garden

The spacious ground floor unites the kitchen, dining, living and TV areas in a bright, open space

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Dining room table and chairs and wooden staircase to the right

The dining room

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View through door way of arm chair and fire place

Wooden beams are used throughout the house, echoing local architecture

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Bright kitchen with island and breakfast stools

The bright and airy kitchen

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Living room view and wooden railed balcony on second floor

The double-height core of the house

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View through dark wooden door of sink and mirror

The downstairs bathroom

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View through wooden door of a brick wall

Bricks and wood bring contrasting pattern into the house

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Hall view of wall unit and blue painted wall

The spacious entrance hall

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View of wooden stairs

A wooden staircase leads to the top level with its master bedroom, en suite bathroom and dressing area, plus three additional bedrooms and bathrooms

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Four poster bed with view of nature from balcony

This double bedroom looks out onto the pool below

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Bathroom view of double sink on white cupboard

The sink area in the master bathroom

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Sink area and view through to bath

Sloped ceilings give the building a distinctly barn-like feel

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Bath with a view out into the garden

A bath with a view

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Corridor view of house

A picture window enlivens a corridor on the first floor

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White wooden sink unit with large wall mirror behind

One of the ensuite bathrooms

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Exterior view of cottage

Though the architects designed all internal details, down to the joinery, the owners were heavily involved in every stage. Having worked with Stiff + Trevillion on two previous properties in Putney and Kensington, they had a solid relationship with the architects and remained a key part of the process

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Side view of property and drive

Sticking to local techniques, environmentally friendly features and natural materials like handmade bricks and roof tiles, charred timber cladding and green oak for the frame, Stiff + Trevillion cleverly translated the barn's vernacular typology to a space fit for 21st-century living

(Image credit: TBC)
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Ellie Stathaki
Ellie Stathaki

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).