A beautiful modern new build in Hampshire made from Kebony timber

An artist's bold vision results in a family home with a lasting profile

This collaboration between owner, acclaimed artist and illustrator Jennie Maizels, and award-winning firm Snug Architects combines bold interior design with an elegant facade made of Kebony wood, the world's leading producer of sustainable modified wood.

With a modern look, Kebony wood was selected to dress the building so that it skillfully blends into the green countryside that surrounds it, thus creating a splendid family home worthy of its exceptional setting.

Snug Architects designed two structures topped with a gable roof and connected by a single-storey glass passage, which clearly refer to the vernacular forms of housing observed in a larger rural context. Kebony wood dresses the upper part of the facade and the roofs: the beautiful gray patina that it acquires over time will echo the silvery shades of the surrounding birch trees, contributing to the clean and elegant look of the exterior of the property.

Paul Bulkeley of Snug Architects explains: “It is a project in osmosis with its framework, which must be in harmony with it. The strength and durability of Kebony wood make it the perfect choice for exterior siding, and its gnarled look couldn't better evoke the venerable trees that surround the home. "

For illustrator and artist Jennie Maizels, it was essential that the interior of the house reflected her taste for bold design and her sense of creativity. The bright and colorful interior breathes life and energy into this new building. To realize the vision she had for her new home, Jennie worked with pioneering companies, who dared to be different by offering their products in bright colors, whether they were the fabulous washbasins from Villeroy & Boch or coral pink bathroom furniture by Duravite.

For the exterior, the wood siding was chosen not only to reinforce the unique aesthetic of the house thanks to its textured and tactile appearance, but also for its durable profile and its robustness, similar to that of hardwood.

Developed in Norway, Kebony's revolutionary technology consists of an environmentally friendly process that modifies soft woods produced in a sustainable way by heating them with furfuryl alcohol, a product derived from agriculture. The polymerization of their cell wall allows these softwoods to permanently acquire the same characteristics as tropical hardwoods, in particular their great durability, strength and dimensional stability. The environmental qualifications of Kebony wood and its beautiful natural patina make it the ideal material for the exterior cladding of this family home.

Jennie Maizels adds: “Working with Snug Architects to create our new home was passionate about me, and my daughters and I are absolutely thrilled with the end result! What makes our new home especially special to us is the use of fantastic products and materials, like Kebony, which gives a beautiful, timeless finish to the facade, and really complements the home's natural aesthetic. "