Pulling the doors open on to the courtyard garden from the kitchen dining room on a warm summer’s morning, the owner of the house on Consort Avenue settles on her sofa with a cup of coffee. Her three-storey, modern home offers bright, airy contemporary living, with an easy flow between its inside and outside spaces. “I love its open-plan design and sense of space and light.” she says. “When I first saw it I realised the layout could work really well for us as a family home. It also offered opportunities for leisure and relaxation, as well as working from home. One of its main attractions is the incredible extra space above the garage, which can have a variety of uses.”

AWARD-WINNING DEVELOPMENT

Built in 2013 as part of the award-winning Trumpington Meadows development, the four-bedroom, triple-glazed house with its own large self contained studio benefits from its proximity to 148 acres of protected meadow, park and woodland, as well as to local amenities and the prestigious university city of Cambridge. “The location was really important to me,” she recalls. “It is also well situated for schools, shops, supermarkets and the hospital, as well as the motorway for travelling into London and elsewhere in the UK.” The owner was so impressed with both the setting and the design of the house that she bought it off-plan. “I was looking for something a little bit different and this was perfect. It was spacious, well-built and I knew it would be easy to maintain. Once it was completed, I arranged for an interior designer to come in and oversee the final finish. My aim was ensure that it remained looking like a show home – and certainly people still say that when they come to visit.”

MODERN LIVING

Entered from the front via the hall, the house opens up to reveal just how deceptively spacious it is throughout. At ground-floor level, there is a large drawing room, with a bay window, to the front. To the rear, the kitchen dining room spans the back of the property, opening up on to the courtyard garden and offering a practical modern living space. Double doors between the drawing room and kitchen dining room can be opened up to enhance the flow. “The layout here is ideal for anyone who enjoys entertaining and hosting parties. In the summer, you could have barbecues out in the garden and people can wander in and out easily.”

NATURAL LIGHT

The first floor of the house comprises three bedrooms and a family bathroom. The master bedroom at this level, which has an en suite shower room, is to the front of the house. “Every bedroom has built-in storage space,” she says. “They are all nice rooms with lots of natural light.” The jewel in the crown of the Consort Avenue house, however, is the generous bedroom on the top floor. This could be the master bedroom; could suit a teenager or grown-up child or could even be used as a work or leisure space. “This is a beautiful room, which has its own en-suite shower room, bedroom space and dressing area. We also have a lovely desk up there so my daughter can study.”

FLEXIBLE SPACE

The other magnificent feature of the house, the superb studio above the double garage, is accessed via a set of external steps. This capacious area has a kitchenette within it, plus a cloakroom. “We have mainly used the studio for entertaining – this is where my daughter has her parties and is where she spends time with her friends when they visit,” she explains. “It should be possible to have a shower room added here so it could become a self-contained annexe or equally it would make a great home office, gym or leisure space. It is incredibly flexible and is a wonderful addition to the house.”

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

The owner is sad to be leaving her attractive home. She has enjoyed the ease of living it has offered, as well as its great flexibility. With a double garage, parking has never been a problem, and the convenient location of the house has made daily life very easy. “We have been very happy here – it has been perfect for us,” she admits. “I have enjoyed living somewhere with such a beautiful finish and that requires little maintenance. It could now suit someone else who is also looking for something else a little different.”

SETTING THE SCENE

To the rear of the house is a low-maintenance garden, which could be ideal for anyone looking for outdoor entertaining and relaxation space. Steps lead up to the annexe above the garage. The double garage itself offers significant parking and storage space.

“I love its open-plan design and sense of space and light.”

“When I first saw it I realised the layout could work really well for us as a family home. It also offered opportunities for leisure and relaxation, as well as working from home.”

“One of its main attractions is the incredible extra space above the garage, which can have a variety of uses.”

“The location was really important to me. It is well situated for schools, shops, supermarkets and the hospital, as well as the motorway for travelling into London.”

“I was looking for something a little bit different and this was perfect.”

“Once it was completed, I arranged for an interior designer to come in and oversee the final finish.”

“My aim was ensure that it remained looking like a showhome – and certainly people still say that when they come to visit.”

“The layout here is ideal for anyone who enjoys entertaining and hosting parties.”

“In the summer, you could have barbecues out in the garden and people can wander in and out easily.”

“Every bedroom has built-in storage space. They are all nice rooms with lots of natural light.”

“The top room is beautiful room; it has its own en-suite shower room, bedroom space and dressing area. We also have a lovely desk up there so my daughter can study.”

“We have mainly used the studio for entertaining – this is where my daughter has her parties and is where she spends time with her friends when they visit.”

“The studio is incredibly flexible and is a wonderful addition to the house.”

“We have been very happy here – it has been perfect for us.”

“It could now suit someone else who is also looking for something else a little different.”