A View Like No Other

When you live on an island with over 50 miles of coastline, 12 main beaches and countless hidden bays and coastal nooks you’d think that a house with a sea view would be, if not commonplace, then at least a possibility. But such is the way with all truly breathtaking beauty spots- they are rare, and that allure is surely half the appeal.

Furze Cottage sits squarely within such a beauty spot- a location so spectacular it’s a wonder the property is on the market at all. Situated in the rural parish of St John, and yet still only a five minute drive to amenities at St. John’s Village, this glorious granite farm house was built in 1904 and despite its modern extension, still carries the charm of a simpler time. With unrelenting views across the north coast sea, the four bedroom, four bathroom property has been beautifully and sympathetically renovated - with an enormous glass atrium making for a sprawling 34ft living room where you can enjoy the wild and wonderful ocean views. The only interruption to your watery panoramic is the gentle sloping garden which has been beautifully planted and landscaped with patio and terraced areas to enjoy your view down onto Bonne Nuit Bay.

As well as an extraordinarily well portioned living room, the modern extension lends the house an additional two ensuite bedrooms, a utility room and cloakroom. Also on the ground floor is a formal sitting room with spectacular traditional features including a large, working fireplace, wooden beams, exposed granite, and a large window enabling you to enjoy the sea views from the comfort of the sofa. From almost every room in the house you can glimpse a shimmer of sea making it hard to not stop and gawk as you make your way through several reception rooms, including a TV room with a living flame fireplace, a study and a dining room large enough to fit an 8-seater table.

The kitchen has a partially vaulted beamed ceiling, and has been fitted out in a country style to include an AGA as well as conventional ovens for ease of family life. There is a cosy breakfast bar overlooking - you guessed it, the sea, with the adjacent windows facing the private driveway with electric gates and garage. The garage is fitted with a manual turntable, can accommodate 4 cars, has a cloakroom and storage room and access to a lift taking you to ground floor level of the house. It’s all very Bond like, in a very good way. It’s easy to imagine entertaining friends in this family house (and showing off your Bond garage), enjoying a summer evening sundowner on the sheltered patio or the tiered decked area. Soaking up the view as friends clink glasses and the sausages sizzle away.

Upstairs, there are the two main bedrooms, both of which have walk-in dressing rooms and ensuite bathrooms. The main bedroom suite is generous and features a shower and double hand basins but the star of the show is the free-standing bath. It is perfectly placed for a weekend afternoon soak, armed with a book, a brew and that brilliant ocean view.

If you can rip yourself from the comfort of this house to head outdoors, you can enjoy a short stroll down to the picturesque Bonne Nuit Bay. Or if you’re feeling a little more adventurous you can explore the rambling and wild cliff path walks which are just a stone's throw from your front door. But you’d be forgiven for never wanting to leave Les Nouvelles Charrieres. It truly is a house like no other.

Furze

£4,950,000 Freehold

BEDROOMS 4

BATHROOMS 6,722

SQUARE FEET

Questions: Viewing? Call Hunt Estates on 01534 860650

Jean-luc Egglishaw Director / Chartered Architect, MSPlanning

Jean-luc’s journey in Architecture began after he gained a BA (hons) in Architecture from the University of Portsmouth and he started his first job at Design Plus Architects. He worked under Mark Dennis, who Jean-luc describes as “a great Architect and mentor allowing me to dive into the world of high-end residential architecture which really was the catalyst for the work I do today.”

In 2011 Jean-Luc moved to Geneva to work for J.Schar Architects on a range of projects from apartment blocks, schools and even a new freeport in Abu Dhabi, “ I learnt that my GCSE French skills weren’t going to carry me long term so after two years, I moved back to Jersey to work for Page Architects before moving to MSPlanning in 2014.” MSPlanning provided him with great opportunities to grow and develop, as well as supporting him to become a qualified Architect and allowing Jeanluc to rise through the ranks all the way to Director.

Jean-luc, tell us about your typical day....

I am a ridiculous early riser. I struggle to shut off, my brain is always working on a design in the background, working up ideas and details; some good, some bad. Apart from working a typical office da,y I spend much of my time with clients or with the team developing ideas and working out new ways to meet the new island plan policies, alongside our in-house planning consultants.

Have you had a career highlight, so far?

This is a tough one for me; the list is long. I think my most high-profile projects are the obvious ones such as the Wayside development, Seaside Café at Greve De Lecq or more recently Petit Cotil. For me though, it was a small house at Homefields, next to the farm shop, where we replaced two barns with a new SIP panel and glulam framed dwelling hidden behind a traditional façade of granite / timber cladding with a contemporary glazed link wrapped around a secluded courtyard. It still takes my breath away every time I go through the front door and see this ground floor living space open to the hidden courtyard hidden from the public realm.

What do you get up to outside the office?

My wife and I recently bought a listed town house, so when we are not working on that or trying out a new restaurant our time is spent with our two British bulldogs, Bentley and Frank.

What do you love about your job?

That’s an easy one. I love what I do and I have a great team around me. Coming up with new ideas and helping them grow from lines on a piece of paper to finished buildings on site is so satisfying. When clients truly believe in the design intent and allow it to develop and are over the moon with the end product, that is so rewarding.

What’s hard about your job

Managing the balance between the client’s expectations, Jersey’s strict planning policies and the architectural design journey. It is similar to walking a tight rope, any one of these elements can make the project slip off and end in disaster if they aren’t all aligned. Therefore, clients use MSPlanning due to our multidisciplinary team that consists of planners, architects, technicians and heritage consultants. Having this broad base of skills in-house allows us to successfully navigate the correct path on even the most difficult projects, providing planning approval at the first attempt.

Talk us through a recent project?

Recently we gained planning approval for the Seaside Café in Greve De Lecq, set to replace the existing café and apartments with a new café and dwelling. This was an extremely difficult and complex planning application, balancing the Coastal National Park planning policies with ecology, sustainability, public transport enhancements all whilst creating a sympathetic design that blends into the landscape and works in harmony with the heritage structures on and around the site. It was also great to win a design award for this scheme.