In our new series ‘Open House’ we’re meeting the owners of some of our most extraordinary houses ahead of their sale.

Here, Bernat Klein’s daughter Shelley invites us into Klein House for a personal insight into a mid-century masterpiece.

“I was born here in 1963 and I’ve lived in lots of places, but this house has always been home.

“My father, Bernat Klein, was a textile designer and commissioned the house from Peter Womersley in 1956.

“One day he was out driving with my mother and he came across Peter’s first commission, Farnley Hey, completely by accident. He was so drawn to the building that he knocked on the door and asked if the same architect could build a house for him!

“Peter became a really close family friend and moved to the Scottish Borders shortly after he completed the house in 1957. He became the legal guardian for my siblings and I and he spent a lot of time with us here.

“He was a very private man but he loved parties and being one of the gang. Professionally, I don’t think he was the easiest person to get on with as he had very strong opinions about what he saw. However, my father trusted his vision completely and felt that Peter shouldn’t be interrupted in realising the design.

“Over the years my father adapted a few things but most of it is exactly as Peter designed it. All of the soft furnishings are designs that my father made for the house – the fabrics for the sofas and curtains are an extraordinary type of slub yarn with a mix of wool and mohair. They have a wonderful three-dimensional quality to them.

“My mother Margaret loved what dad did with the house, but it was really his passion. They used to have fantastic parties here and it was always being used for fashion shows. Fashion editors would fly up to Edinburgh and come to the house to watch models walking up and down the living room – my sister and I would hide in the bedroom and try on all the wigs, it was great fun.

“It was also my father’s idea that nothing should distract from the house, so the garden is an expansive green lawn bordered by huge beech and oak trees. They are stunning in the autumn.

“That said, he did have a strong love of parrot tulips and every year he’d randomly plant 150 bulbs outside the window in this beautifully wild formation.

“The house takes my breath away. Every wall has been framed beautifully and the space is very tranquil, very friendly, very open – there are no dark corners here.

“As a child you’re not really aware of what a building is, it’s just a home – but I feel differently now. I came back to look after my father for a few years before he died and it’s given me time to appreciate the house for the architecture as well as all of the memories it gave us.

“This morning I was sitting here with the sun coming through thinking about what a pleasure it has been. There’s all of this beautiful coloured glass in the house and when the sun comes out everything starts to dance. It’s a very special place.

“There is a sadness about leaving, but the house needs a new life. We have a wonderful archive of things to remember it by. My father painted here from the late 1950s and his paintings are hung all around the house so we’ll keep some of them. We’re going to have an exhibition and sale of many, but we’ll keep one or two along with his wonderful collection of ceramics. Those things were very precious to him.

“Whoever ends up here will be very lucky…it has brought me pleasure every day. It needs someone who loves it as much as we have to come along and enjoy it.”