Luxury lifestyle members club, Woolfox, approached B3 Designers to develop the design narrative of their estate as part of their design overhaul.
The site is near to the town Stamford in Lincolnshire, set amongst hills and with vast space in all directions. Formerly known as The Woolfox Golf and Country Club, the membership now offers existing guests and new, so much more under the new ownership. Restaurant group Fika, has opened a site within the grounds and there are property development opportunities too for buyers to build their own holiday homes.
This luxurious retreat had a number of farm buildings that could be re-purposed to make large spaces with lots of character. The Nordic minimalistic approach to the architecture allowed the design internally space to breathe. It is light, textured, sleek and timeless throughout. The large-scale windows provide a lot of natural light, bringing the colours and textures of the surrounding nature to flood within the spaces. B3 started applying their design expertise to the Old Barn which now is home to a pool, sauna, gym, yoga and changing facilities. Each of these health and wellness zones were sympathetic to the architecture and location and therefore the number of finishes were kept minimal, with smart lighting being key to layering the experience for guests. Simple and organic; the calmness of the outdoors spreads throughout the interior.
Upon entering the Nordic-style timber clad Reception, guests check-in and get ready for their wellness or fitness experience with Woolfox. The desk is upholstered in a sage linen, adding softness and texture in the open barn entrance. The changing facilities are light with deep tones in the colour palette, timber for comfort and warmth on the locker front. The soft green ceiling draws guests in, the layout is simple and easy, the red shimmering tiles adding more warmth. The wall lanterns are brass and classic in style, a slight contrast to the modern tapware. Additionally, further lighting throughout is soft ceiling spotlights, dimmable in every area of the space.
Guests proceed to the gym, pool, studio, sauna and relaxation room or can simply relax on the outdoor seating. The pool has a deep red ceiling with neutral walls and floor making the blue look serene and ever tempting. The spotlights that shine upwards showcase depth, exaggerating the tall ceiling heights in the space. The modern arch windows draw guests through to the different spaces from the pool. A pale pink, white, black and grey palette is applied in these spa facilities with the red gloss tile continuing throughout the space. The sauna features some of the best views from the wellness area; the views stretch for miles across the rolling hills while being warm in a timber clad cocoon.
The gym is industrial, raw and masculine; the near ceiling barn doors have become a feature to show the double-height voluted ceiling. The femininity detail of the glowing mirrors provide a welcome contrast, and the neutral warmth timber floor continues the use of natural materials throughout.
Mark Bithrey from B3 says “It’s been a great pleasure working with the client at Woolfox. Incredible vision and we’ve been really proud to be a part of the journey. Transitioning this old barn into a luxurious destination has been really exciting. Designing a swimming pool, sauna and relaxation space, that looks out onto an uninterrupted landscape at Woolfox, has been really special opportunity to design and epitomizes what a spa experience destination should be.”
Holly Withers from Woolfox says “Working with Mark and his team at B3 has been brilliant. From the beginning, they realized our vision and pushed our boundaries, leading us to what Woolfox has become today. The old barns were beautiful yet somehow uninspiring, so to see how they’ve been brought to life in such a sleek and cosy way is truly impressive. B3 supported and inspired us to create, and make our own design decisions too which makes this project even more rewarding.”