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I KNOW we are all fed up with the ‘B’ word and it’s probably the last thing you want to hear.
However, I make no apologies for using it once more.
The Old Chapel in Finchampstead Village is undoubtedly beautiful, brilliant and bespoke. Homes like this really do come along just once in a lifetime.
It’s no surprise then that David Cliff insists this incredible converted chapel really is one of the most stunning and unique homes he has ever dealt with.
“Built around 1870, the former Baptist Church was converted in 2010 by a local builder who put his heart and soul into it at every turn, and it shows as a labour of love,” explains David.
“The current owners have taken things a stage further and lifted things to another level again. The best way to appreciate what the Old Chapel has to offer is to see for yourself.”
On arrival through the gated entrance the extensive driveway provides good parking for numerous vehicles. Your eye is immediately grabbed by the beautiful elevation of the Chapel and the double door vaulted entrance is a feature in itself.
The vast double height reception space is simply impossible to describe and, to be honest, wonderful as the pictures don’t really do it justice. With huge original arched feature windows to all sides the light does pour in and allows for the beautiful darker oak floor to contrast the lighter walls which have the most stunning wood panelling giving a truly luxurious feel.
A house like this requires the insulation needed to be at its best and it is as underfloor heating combined with this high-level insulation ensures a really cosy feel even in the coldest of weathers. The huge wood burner gives the flames we all expect to see in such a building.
“The thing that really struck me in this space as I sat with the owners in the middle of this space was that it really did feel cosy with just three of us yet I could also imagine this being the most amazing party room with guests spilling out everywhere, not an easy thing to get right but this home has it,” adds David.
“Let’s be honest, the rest of the home would have to be pretty impressive to follow on from this, and it is. Walking through to the kitchen / dining / family space you can instantly appreciate that it is also almost ‘oversized’ but again the underfloor heating, insulation and light bright windows and doors give the most wonderful feel.”
The kitchen units are hand painted oak with granite work surfaces and the central Island is one that is of a size to be useful not only for storage beneath but also seating. With integrated induction hob, Siemens electric oven, combi oven, dishwasher and fridge all sensibly set out to be work friendly, you can see some thought went into this layout.
Moving upstairs, the central landing area itself is quite spectacular with the vaulted ceiling and roof lights giving so much through the stairwell but also further lower level window allowing light to pour in.
The contemporary feel continues with the most beautiful oak flooring and oak staircase with glass inserts running beneath the balustrades.
Two steps then lead you up and into the incredible vaulted master suite and the detail is hidden but here, sound-proofed flooring was a clever inclusion a sound can travel through these vast feature voids, but not in this case. The super king bed really shows off how large this room is and gives the boutique hotel feel along with the full wall of built in wardrobes, the handleless ‘push open’ style gives the sleek finish you would have come to expect. Again, you have both high and low level windows here which gives light allowing the oak flooring to look at its very best.
Adds David: “The en-suite is beautiful with brick flooring keeping things rustic but blended with the contemporary glazed screen walk-in shower, oversized wash basin and chrome taps coming directly out of the wall, all kept warm with underfloor heating.
“Bedrooms two and three are also blessed with the oak flooring and clean lines along with feature windows and are serviced by the main family bathroom which has both bath and walk in shower along with underfloor heating so all is covered here.”
The guide price for this unique home is £945,000.
For more details, or to arrange a viewing, call David Cliff’s Wokingham office on 0118 989 9770, visit the Peach Street offices, or log on to davidcliff.com