La Croute, St. John

COMPLETED 2020 // REFURBISHMENT

In rural St John, an unbalanced 20th-century granite house has been sensitively refurbished and extended to form a traditional Jersey cod house suited to modern family life. The five-bay frontage now stands symmetrically with flanking chimneys and granite wings, giving the home a sense of permanence while keeping a relaxed feel through its connection to the pool and the well-planned outdoor spaces. Inside, a triple-height vaulted hallway brings in natural light by day and glows under pendant lighting at night, and every room benefits from views across the surrounding landscape. Much of the original fabric has been retained and thermally upgraded, forming the central part of the house and the kitchen and dining areas, where the old granite fireplace has been carefully conserved. More formal rooms feature grand open fireplaces. The house is full of thoughtful details, from rough-cut granite quoining above the south orangerie that hints at pre-Norman forms, to shallow window reveals that recall pre-18th-century buildings. A key feature is the staircase, designed to appear almost weightless, echoing the elegance of a cantilevered Georgian stair in a contemporary way.