An art-filled eco-barn in East Sussex updated for modern life
Words by Hannah Nixon
Transforming a mud-caked tractor shed and barn, in the 15th century village of Mayfield, into something remarkable takes a high level of creative vision and courage, qualities interior designer Amanda Snow and her husband, painter-turned-entrepreneur Sean, have in abundance.
Years earlier, the couple had attended a party in a home close by and used the agricultural site to park their car, noting the untapped potential of the plot, which is hemmed in by the beautiful ancient woodland of the High Weald.
The creative couple met decades ago while teaching at Cordwainer’s, now part of the London School of Fashion, Amanda in 3D design and Sean in painting. Over the past five years, Sean has helped in the background of Faro Creative, Amanda’s international interior design consultancy, which boasts clients from the worlds of music, film, and politics.
Their partnership extends beyond their business; it’s woven into every corner of their home and lives. Whether collaborating on a client project or casually finishing each other’s sentences, their mutual admiration is palpable:
Amanda: “Whenever I’m coming up with an idea, not only do I have the beautiful drawings my husband can do, I also have his knowledge of building work.”
Sean: “My dad was a carpenter and building contractor, so it all makes sense to me.”
Amanda: “But there’s nothing better than building –”
Sean: “– your own house.”
Their first renovation project was a shared ownership home in Stoke Newington, which coincided with career changes for both of them. “The contracts shifted around part-time teaching,” explains Sean. “So I did a bit of building, then we took on another property, and eventually I found myself in the design industry.”
As Amanda’s international client base expanded, so did the couple’s ambition for self-build projects. While visiting friends in the Caribbean with their young family, they stumbled upon their next site. “We went for a walk along the seafront and saw it,” Sean says. “I was pushing the twins in their buggy,” Amanda remembers of what would later become their brutalist-inspired home. “So we sold up in London and just did it.”
That same sense of conviction carried into their next project, Gibbs Barn. Amanda approached the home with care and a deep connection to its setting. “Under here is all sandstone,” she says, pointing to the Mandarin Stone pavers encircling the house. “Amanda’s choices around colours and furniture have a lot to do with the landscape,” Sean notes. “That palette is being brought into the building.”
As anyone who’s tried to pick the right white paint knows, it’s a time-consuming task. “It took a long time to get the right colour because of the light changing all the time,” Amanda explains. To soften the building’s sharper angles, she installed a datum line of light wood that also serves as a backdrop to Sean’s large abstract paintings.
The open-plan, harmonious interiors weren’t just an aesthetic choice. “I have a really visceral response when I walk into a space I don’t understand,” Amanda says. “If it’s chaotic, with too many colours, shapes, and things jarring, I feel uncomfortable. I want to walk into a space and immediately see what’s on offer.”
With a family of six and an eye to the future, the couple designed and built Gibbs Barn with sustainability in mind. Unusually for a barn conversion, it achieved an EPC A rating, thanks to thoughtful, eco-conscious decisions including a solar array, air-source heat pump, and single-zone underfloor heating to maintain consistent temperatures year-round.
While the interior climate remains steady, the home’s expansive sliding glass doors frame a constantly shifting natural backdrop. “The glazing allows you to fully experience the landscape as it changes,” Sean notes. “It’s always moving, but it never clashes with the calm inside.”
Inside the home, evidence of Sean’s talent for portraiture is clear to see with his collection of paintings of the couple’s children. “I’ve never been a portrait painter, actually,” Sean admits, “It was only when the kids were born that Amanda talked me into trying to paint the kids.” Larger abstract canvases in pale, creamy hues line the walls. “We met teaching at art college,” Amanda notes, “so it’s no surprise our home feels a bit like an art gallery.”
Looking ahead to their next project, Amanda reflects, “I’ve been creating homes for 30 years and I still love it. Sean still loves painting and we still love working on buildings.”
Their signature style is unmistakable. “Friends walk in and say, ‘It looks exactly like one of your houses,’” Sean laughs. It’s a compliment that travels from the Caribbean to the rolling hills of Sussex.
