The new Villa replaces an uninspiring 1970’s house in rural Hampshire. Facing on to a quiet country lane and overlooking an open landscape, the villa is built in white brick with Portland stone dressings, and a Welsh slate roof. The design takes its inspiration from the Regency period, a time when red brick was considered to be too harsh in the landscape and there was a desire for very light interiors. In many ways this has parallels with our own time, notwithstanding the emphasis now on informal family living. There is a view from the front door right through the house which gives a sense of spaciousness and a connection to the landscape. The bedrooms are placed in the four corners upstairs and are reached by a broad landing the full width of the house, a version of a long gallery that can also be used for hanging pictures. The house does not have side elevations but rather a series of fronts, broadly symmetrical in their composition but of varying importance in the overall hierarchy of the house. The north front is seen first with its wings extending to welcome the visitor; the main garden front faces south and is more formal. The east front faces open landscape and is more picturesque in its asymmetry, whilst the west front faces a walled garden.