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Stunning modern home has hidden assets (From Dorset Society)
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Stunning modern home has hidden assets
6:00am Tuesday 1st December 2009
SATURN, AVON CASTLE, RINGWOOD, £2.25 MILLION
WHEN Kevin Frowd constructed this extraordinary property he wasn’t going to be penned in by the limitations of traditional designs or materials.
He had a vision and nothing, not convention, practicality or cost, was going to stop him. The result is this extraordinary property near Avon Castle, Ringwood, which looks more like a bold concept building than a family home.
Christened Saturn, the gregarious property does have a whiff of outer space about it and, in a nod to its name, the property is constructed in the shape of an S – as anyone flying over it will notice.
Showy? Undoubtedly, but it’s not all style over substance as Saturn offers all the practicalities of your archetypal house, if not more.
From the front, it looks like an oversized piece of contemporary art, an impression given off by the curvaceous styling, smooth white walls and distinct lack of windows.
“The best views are from the rear of the house,” says Sam Frowd, who owns the property with husband Kevin.
“That’s why we don’t have many windows at the front, there’s not as much to see.”
Having said that, the front door and the walls immediately surrounding it are made of glass and, as you walk up the drive, you can see straight into the house.
The feature staircase – a wood and chrome affair – should steal your attention at this point, but the first thing you notice is that you can see right through the airy property to the countryside beyond.
That’s because a large proportion of Saturn is made of glass – including the rear walls and the sloping roof – which affords the property great views throughout and creates a greenhouse effect, thus keeping the house warm naturally.
As I step through the front door, the chilly November air is quickly chased out by a blast of warm air from inside.
“The heating isn’t on,” says Sam. “We don’t use the heating, even when we had all that snow it was off.”
Split over three floors, you enter Saturn in the middle layer, which technically is the ground floor.
Due to the way the plot is landscaped, the floor below is underground at the front and ground level at the rear.
Confusing? Slightly, but that’s the beauty of Saturn, it keeps you thinking.
It can also make you feel giddy as both landing floors are made out of glass. Novel? Yes. Suitable for people with vertigo? Perhaps not.
See-through floors and walls aside, the biggest novelty in the property is the heated swimming pool, which sits pretty much in the middle of the house on the lower ground floor.
Overlooked by interior balconies on the ground floor, the pool makes Saturn feel like a cross between the baddies’ lair in a Bond film and a luxury leisure facility. There is even a huge widescreen TV mounted on the wall next to the pool.
“The kids are always in it,” says Sam. “They say: ‘Can we watch Jaws while we swim?’”
The lower ground floor is also home to a sauna, changing rooms, showers, two bedrooms and a cinema – for when a 32’’ widescreen just doesn’t cut it.
The underground garage can also be accessed from this floor and this could quite comfortably house a Formula One team, with room for about eight vehicles.
While the lower floor has a multitude of uses, the middle layer of the Saturn sandwich is reserved solely for cooking and relaxing.
A cavernous kitchen provides acres of space to rustle up dinner, which can either be enjoyed on the breakfast bar or on the dinner table that fits comfortably into the kitchen.
Opposite the kitchen (over the glass floored landing) is an equally spacious lounge, which Sam has had problems furnishing.
“We just don’t have enough furniture,” she laughs. “It’s just absorbed by the size of the place.”
Upstairs, Saturn is home to three bedrooms all with their own en suite and walk-in wardrobes. The benefits of the S shape reveal themselves here because all rooms enjoy the same superb views of the surrounding countryside and the meandering River Avon.
Perhaps the least impressive feature of the property is the garden, which is a simple mixture of lawn and decking. That said, it is pretty much a blank canvas for those who want to personalise it.
Naturally you couldn’t have a property that looks like something out of a 007 flick but doesn’t act like one, so happily “this is a gadget house,” assures Sam.
True enough because Saturn boasts a highly impressive entertainment, lighting and security system.
“You can set it so that your phone controls the lighting,” says Sam.
The specialised system, by Lutron, has a team of engineers who adjust the settings to suit your preference, ideal for those who like all the gear but have no idea. Love it or hate it, it’s impossible not to be impressed by this outlandish property.
“Kevin is looking for a new project, so it’s time to move on,” says Sam, who admits she will miss the place.
“Kevin wanted to build the ultimate property and this is it. It’s a party house and it’s also great for the kids.”
• Savills: 01202 255552
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Stunning modern home has hidden assets
