Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 30, 2025

Every Day Feels Like a Vacation at One Family’s Breezy Waterfront Home in England

Every Day Feels Like a Vacation at One Family’s Breezy Waterfront Home in England

Clad in weathered larch and pale brick, a riverside residence in Suffolk County soaks up sun and views.

At least that’s what one Suffolk Coast couple thought when they spotted the perfect riverside property just down the street from their own drafty Georgian. Though the sun-drenched site and its decrepit, 1960s shack weren’t explicitly for sale, what could it hurt to poke a few inquiry letters under the door?



The husband, a swimmer and triathlete, pops down to the river every chance he gets, rinsing off in the outdoor shower afterwards.

The bold move paid off. A deal was struck. That little shack? Demolished. And soon, it was their perfect riverside property: a fresh start for the pair (a financial professional and a passionate gardener) and their four teenage daughters.

With the help of TAS Architects, something truly special began to shape up. "They were looking for somewhere amazing to come back to," says Christophe Spiers, the technical design director at TAS.



It’s not uncommon for the family’s friends to pitch tents out back and spend the night.



The highly insulated home is incredibly efficient, designed with low environmental impact in mind.

For inspiration, Spiers let the riverside site take the lead, focused on creating something that both sat within the landscape and made the most of it. The views to the south were already framed by trees; Spiers and team came to the property with compasses to map out the exact angles to capture unobscured sight lines. "I don’t want to say that the house designed itself," laughs Spiers, "but…"

The resulting 3,150-square-foot timber-frame structure sits a few acres from the riverbank, surrounded by a sea of sun-bleached grass. Clad in weathered larch and sandstone-colored custom brick, the house looks right at home here, its two angled wings reaching out and up, as if stretching after a nap in the sun.



The larch slats above the brick reference a history of agriculture buildings in the area.



The homeowners took charge with the interiors (running their selections by Spiers), and landed on polished concrete in the kitchen that features local aggregate mixed in.



An outdoor dining area is offered some privacy by a pergola, intended to one day support vines.

The western wing houses bedrooms for the parents and the eldest daughter; a central glazed throughway connects to the other wing, home to the rest of the kids’ rooms, which all open up to a shared balcony. Designed to grow with the family’s needs, the home also has a bedroom on the ground floor intended for aging in place ("It’s a house to grow old in," says Spiers), and the girls’ wing can be closed off when they’re away, so there’s no energy wasted heating an unused portion of the house.



Spiers wanted "to be honest about the structure" and exposed the timber frame and glulam beams throughout the house.



Since construction finished on the home, the family has added steps that go right down to the beach.



Light filters in through the stair treads.

The L-shaped layout isn’t just a stylistic choice: The form helps block the blustery southwest wind. Openings to external terraces-both on the ground level and off the second-story bedrooms-allow a more controlled breeze to flow through. Downstairs, two sliding glass doors from Finepoint Glass meet on the corner. When they’re open, "you get this big, cantilevered moment," says Spiers.



"If I lived here, I'd be on the patio with a beer every day," laughs architect Spiers.

Though the family lives here year-round, the breezy, beautiful, unpretentious design keeps the vibes laid-back every single day. Says Spiers, "It feels like a vacation home."



Though a series of manufacturing mishaps meant cycling through three orders of brick, the final product seems worth the wait: sandy and agated, it nods to the beach along the river. The custom, elongated shape of the brick stretches out the elevations.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
×