House in the WOODS

Nestled within the National Forest, Leicestershire, Leanne and George Chandler’s contemporary barn conversion comes with an interesting back story. Sitting at the bottom of what was once the long, secluded garden of the nearby house, the building originally functioned as a rabbit breeding shed. When the property came up for sale on Rightmove, the couple were drawn to its location and its potential. “We’d always wanted to make our own mark on a place,” says Leanne. “Even though we’d tackled extensions and minor renovations before, we’d never taken on a project of this scale.”

However, the barn was initially tied to the purchase of the main house. “We dropped a letter into the homeowner to ask if