Our Accidental Dream Home: We Fell in Love with the Cabin Built for Family

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Stylishly decorated in the elegant hues of Farrow & Ball, Martin and Tracey’s contemporary log home looks like it belongs on the pages of a high-end interiors magazine.

The couple have poured their creativity into furnishing and decorating their new Surrey home, transforming it into a luxurious bolthole. Walls are painted in the latest on-trend shades, their stunning kitchen boasts a coveted walk-in pantry, a spacious roll-top bath takes pride of place in their bathroom, elegant chandeliers illuminate each room, and a grand feature fireplace creates a breathtaking focal point in their open-plan living area.

Remarkably, Martin and Tracey never actually intended to live in this beautiful cabin, which is nestled in the expansive garden of a substantial neighboring house they’ve owned and loved for over a decade. This impressive 20m x 6.8m Norwegian Log cabin was originally envisioned as a comfortable haven for two of their elderly parents during the challenging times of lockdown. However, as restrictions eased, they realized it would be even more perfectly suited to their daughter and two young grandsons.

But as the couple became more deeply involved in planning and designing the cabin for their daughter, “we became incredibly attached to it,” Tracey explains with a warm smile. “We’d invested so much time and effort into creating this space that we ultimately decided we wanted to experience living in it ourselves.”

“We weren’t really using some of the rooms in our existing house to their full potential, so it simply made more sense for our daughter to live there with her children and for us to move into this wonderful new space,” Martin adds.

They haven’t looked back since. “This cabin has such a lovely feel to it, and we far prefer it to the other house. It truly feels like a delightful holiday home, and it’s so incredibly easy to keep warm. There’s half the amount of housework to do, and everything is so easily accessible. We just genuinely enjoy living here,” Tracey shares with contentment.

The log building has been thoughtfully placed at the edge of their land, in a previously underutilized section of the garden. Martin has even built a charming stable block opposite for their daughter’s small pony, and through clever positioning, both the main house and the annex enjoy a high degree of privacy.

They placed the order for the building in the spring of 2020, just as the pandemic began. “We initially thought about a building half the size, but then we thought, well, if we’re going to do this, let’s do it properly and go for the largest one that fits,” Martin laughs.

Because the building was solely for family use and within the legal curtilage of their existing property, they didn’t require full planning permission. Instead, the efficient Norwegian Log planning team secured a Lawful Development Certificate, streamlining the process.

Norwegian Log began work on-site in the autumn of 2020, and by the following spring, Martin and Tracey were happily moved into their new home. “The Norwegian Log team was excellent; we couldn’t fault them at all,” Martin says with genuine appreciation. “If there was ever a minor issue, which there really wasn’t, they were on it immediately. The aftercare has been really good too.”

“I’d especially like to thank project manager Paul and carpenter Rob, who were absolutely fantastic,” Tracey adds warmly.

Stepping through their front door, you’re welcomed into a spacious hallway that leads to three comfortable bedrooms, a dedicated study, a family bathroom, and a practical utility room. The heart of the home is a large, open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area, which seamlessly flows out onto a decked terrace and a charming outdoor kitchen.

“It’s simply changed everything for us. We feel like we’ve had a fresh start, as though we’ve moved completely, but of course, we haven’t. We have the wonderful benefit of still living on our land but in a completely new and beautiful home,” Martin reflects. “We probably would never have obtained planning permission for a brick building in this location, but we’ve built a lovely new home and added significant value to the whole property.”