In 2005, Fred and Laura Ingrams, an artist and interior stylist respectively, purchased a farmyard in Norfolk. Once part of historic Great Ellingham Hall, the secluded site included a collection of agricultural buildings that spanned the estate’s 500-year history. A cavernous, 16th-century timber-framed barn – which Laura describes as “an extraordinary, spiritual building” – dominated the site, but it was an adjacent, more unassuming steel barn that captured the Ingrams’ imagination.

At the time, very few of these light industrial buildings had been converted. Fred and Laura worked with a local architect to gently, inventively transform the steel-framed barn into a calm, connected family home. In the garden, a 19th-century cart barn has become a shady retreat for relaxed lunches, while a former stable block provides Fred with a painting studio, which overlooks a moat that separates their garden from the neighbouring hall. The main barn, however, retains its intended purpose: “we use it as a barn!” Now, as it comes to the market, we discover what drove the couple’s decision to convert a rundown barn, how they’ve managed to maintain the essence of the site – and how it feels to be moving on from this unique rural enclave.

Fred: “I’ve always thought of Norfolk as a sort of Arcadia, so when I met Laura and discovered she came from Norfolk, that sealed the deal.”

Laura: “We moved from London 24 years ago to be near family. At the time, Fred was Art Director for House and Garden and I was Decoration Editor. We found a 16th-century thatched cottage that was both near my parents’ house and a train station, so we could continue to travel into London.”

Fred: “We built a two-storey building in the garden and we discovered that we loved doing the work. When it was finished, we realised that we’d like to do something bigger and better, so we began to search for buildings we could convert. I knew a farmer who owned the barn that we now live in, and we struck a deal.”

Laura: “Fred brought me down this very magical, wooded track. Even with all the farming equipment in the yard, we could see it was a lovely spot.”

Fred: “I’d fallen in love with the site. The track is over half a mile long, so nobody drives past the house. Plus, we are a long way from the main farmhouse – the barns sit in the middle of the land, which is pretty unusual.

“Early on, everyone assumed that we were going to convert the main barn but we quickly realised we couldn’t possibly afford to do that and in fact, we absolutely didn’t want to. We had just sold the cottage and we wanted something completely different. Luckily, there was this unassuming steel, asbestos-clad barn slapped on the side of it. Much to everybody’s surprise, we were eventually granted permission to convert it, which at the time, was very unusual.”

Laura: “It was quite tense, because we were buying a site that potentially we weren’t going to be able to do anything with, but Historic England helped us get the proposal through planning. They were thrilled when the application was accepted because they felt very strongly that converting the big barn, which is Grade II-listed, would be a very sad thing to do.

“A friend recommended architect, Jeremy Walker, who collaborated on this project with David Buckingham. Although they’re London based, they have close connections to Norfolk. We met with them once and they completely got what we wanted to do. We didn’t even talk to anybody else – we just had this instant rapport.”

Fred: “It was a very exciting project for all of us because it was a house that had to be built on a very tight budget, using industrial materials. The planners were also really strict about the outline of the building and the final aesthetic: it had to look industrial too. In hindsight, I think these restrictions worked to its advantage. We’ve created something that feels really honest.

“We made the decision not to convert the entire barn. We kept the original steel purlins, but created a 20ft gap between the old barn and the new, which lets light in from the south.”

Laura: “This place is all about the connection between these two buildings. By removing the end section of our building, you feel completely connected to the timber barn because you can see it.”

Fred: “The decision was budget driven as well: another 20ft would have added a third to our materials budget. What we’ve ended up with is a 40ft square house, which personally I love because it has Palladian proportions.”

Laura: “The build itself took just six months. It was amazingly quick and efficient. Once we agreed final costs and drawings, it came in on budget and on time.”

Fred: “It would have been the dullest Grand Designs programme you’ve ever seen! Aside from the existing steel structure, the entire house is made of wood and glass. We built on the original concrete base, adding a layer of self-levelling concrete before laying underfloor heating and slate tiles. We knocked out the breezeblock walls between the steel and replaced the sheeting material on the roof. Incredibly, we only ordered one skip for the entire build – there was hardly any wastage at all.”

Laura: “The only stressful part was negotiating the planning – and possibly the cold winter we spent on site in a static caravan, but that was something I insisted we do. It was important we were part of the entire design process. Our son, Blake, was seven at the time, and Fred’s two older children were 12 and 16. We became quite feral, but luckily the cold winter was followed by a beautiful summer: we cooked and ate in the cart sheds and built a swimming pool out of straw bales and tarpaulin: it was a joy.”

Fred: “It was a great family experience, living with no stuff…”

Laura: “The architects understood how we wanted to live here and they made that a reality. Once we had the drawings, I became involved in every design decision. I was an interior stylist for years, so detail and interiors are my thing. I suggested we change some of the window shapes, and we removed the balconies, which weren’t necessary as you’re already so embedded in the landscape here. I also suggested we move the kitchen so that we now see the sunrise over the cart sheds.

“There was a big edit of our belongings before we moved in, but what we own has been slowly collected over the years. It’s all quite calm, understated and low key, but it has all been carefully thought-through.”

Fred: “In the morning, we sit at the kitchen table, then we move into the big room and sit in the armchairs. In the evening, we move into the sitting room. We follow the sun like sunflowers.”

Laura: “This is a great house for entertaining. We have a large table in the kitchen, but when the numbers get too large, we turn the table and extend it the entire length of the house. The big barn is also great for parties.”

Fred: “We are able to do the William Morris thing – “have nothing in your house that is not useful or beautiful” – because we have the barn. I also have my own studio, which is quite separate from the house, but still not too far to commute. It was a couple of stables that have now become my sanctuary overlooking the moat.“

Laura: “Fred paints the Fens and the far north of Scotland. His work is intrinsic to our family life. We have painted all our walls white and made this a fluid and flexible space so we can rotate the work. The house is the perfect backdrop for Fred’s work and we’re very aware that our next home will need to function in a similar way.”

Fred: “We’re moving because we’ve decided we have one more residential project in us. We’re looking in north Norfolk, where our son will be going to school.”

Laura: “Ideally, we’ll find an old building that we can gently adapt, but I’m going to find it extremely hard to leave here. I doubt it will be possible to replicate the feeling of light in this place. I think that’s probably what I’ll miss the most.”

Fred: “I will miss the timber-framed barn and the wildflower patch I’ve created outside. I wish we’d been able to fully restore the barn because I feel this real sense that we owe it to the building. Hopefully, somebody will be able to finish the job off without fundamentally changing the spirit of the place.”

Laura: “We hope that whoever moves here will love it for all the reasons we love it – and that they will want to keep that slight rawness or realness it has. That’s what this place is all about.”