We feel as though we are on holiday every day!

View all 11 photos

Tucked away in a beautiful Kent valley sits Pat and Sue Brennan’s smart new log home.

With stunning views across fields and woodland, the brand new contemporary-design building makes the most of its magical location. Four sets of bifold doors and a decked terrace allow the couple to make the most of the rural spot from their large open-plan kitchen and living room. Chairs are carefully positioned so they can sit and chill out, taking in the scenery.

“It’s as though we are on holiday every day,” laughs Pat. “We don’t need to go away anywhere and don’t want to leave. It’s just so relaxing.”

The log home has been designed bespoke to the couple’s exact needs. It boasts two double bedrooms with open plan en-suite bathrooms, a utility/boot room, hallway, and large kitchen and sitting room. The couple downsized from a traditional period property and their belongings have been carefully positioned to make the cabin feel homely and stylish, whilst Sue’s enviable houseplant collection gives an on-trend vibe to the living spaces.

With a background in the construction business, Pat and his family have built and restored properties over the years, and when a large smallholding, farmhouse and outbuildings in a Kent AONB came up for sale, they realised it would make the ideal location for a multi-generational family base. The Brennan’s son and family moved into the farmhouse, and Pat and Sue rented a nearby converted barn whilst they progressed their plan to live on the land too.

“We went to see Norwegian Log’s show home and thought that’s exactly what we want. We could pick the finish and choose the layout, and it gave us the space we needed,” Sue explains. “I wanted something modern, very different from the traditional barn we’d been renting, so we opted for the contemporary design.”

As the cabin was to be located within the curtilage, all that was required was a Lawful Development Certificate despite the property being in an ANOB. The Norwegian Log team started build in early February and by the end of April, the Brennans had moved into their new home. “They are a really good team of workers,” explains Pat, who helped with the fit out. “I enjoyed working with them. No matter the weather, they were working. The finish and structure of the building is very high quality, and as I spent so much time with them, I know what’s exactly there, which makes me like it even more.”

Although sited just across the yard from the existing farmhouse, the solid log building has been carefully designed so it doesn’t overlook its more traditional neighbour. “We can blend together as a large family and eat as a group, but also have our own time too,” says Pat. With a subtle grey exterior hue “it’s definitely got the wow factor outside,” he adds.

“It’s so comfortable and it’ll be great in the winter as we are quite remote,” says Sue. “It’s just perfect.”