If you hear that the name of a rural home has the word 'cottage' in it, what would you then be thinking? Quaint stone property with stone walls and at least one inglenook fireplace, and maybe even a thatch roof?
Not at Hendre Cottage - this dream home in the country is all about size, space and stylish contemporary interiors mixed with classic statement pieces and a warm, welcoming atmosphere bathed in light and views of the mature garden.
And forget about a sweet cottage garden with plants rambling all over the place, this outside space is a slice of a Mediterranean holiday, with loungers lined up alongside the water's edge of the enticing outdoor heated swimming pool.
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And if you can ever bear to tear yourself away from the lounger by the pool, the house occupies a plum spot in the Vale of Glamorgan to explore all that this popular country can offer, a tantalising combination of countryside, coast and city.
The property nestles in a private and tranquil spot on the edge of the Cwm George woods in the exclusive and tiny hamlet of Michaelstone-Le-Pit.
From the doorstep there's a network of rural rambling paths, Woodland Trust trails, and river banks to tempt you to sit with a picnic and watch the salmon swim and sometimes even leap past.
With Dinas Powys and Cardiff both just a few miles away, an abundance of facilities and amenities are within easy reach, plus the Glamorgan Heritage Coast is a constant and easily accessed draw for spending a day by the water.
With the Med right here in your garden, it's not essential to be leaving the gated property for a foreign holiday, but if the need to leave the country occurs, Cardiff Airport is only about 23 miles away.
But Hendre Cottage hasn't always looked like a spectacular dream home worthy of the £1.5m price tag, it was once rundown and in need of a serious renovation project.
The present owners, Rob and Gudrun, explain that 21 years ago, they stumbled on the house by accident. At that time the property was empty, neglected and the grass in the garden was knee high, but Gudrun says they saw its great potential to become a spacious family home in a lovely setting.
It took a number of years to completely remodel the house both inside and out, but the end result is a light-filled home, providing an elegant and comfortable living experience that the couple says has provided a wonderful home to bring up children and entertain family and friends.
And when you step inside the entrance hall, the first impression is that Rob and Gudrun have done a grand job creating that family nest from a rundown period property.
The stunning oak staircase partnered with oak wall panels is a winning visual combination that shows the couple's attention to detail that flows throughout the home.
And the wide doorway into the piano room at the rear provides an uninterrupted view of the garden that is a fabulous architecturally based detail to entice you to wander further into this family-friendly home.
To see the back of the property and the garden from the front gives you an engaging welcome every time you step through the front door.
But before getting to the piano and attempting to bang out a decent tune, there's the spacious lounge on the left of the hall to explore.
The thought of maximising the views and access to the garden is central in this living room too, with two sets of glass doors on either side of the space offering dual aspects of the garden and the changing seasons directly from the sofas.
In the winter, with the log burner roaring in the stone carved fireplace, the generous room takes on an ambience of cosy comfort and is the place that draws the family to gather in the evening.
Next room is a space that can also boast a special connection to the garden as well, with a curved end wall housing multiple windows.
This curved bay of windows is a very attractive feature, offering an expanded vista of the garden from almost every seat at the formal dining table - very handy as a distraction if you've accidently burnt the dinner.
Through the piano room at the end of the hall and more views of the garden play out in harmony to the tune from the piano, before you wander off, passing a shower room, and into the vast kitchen diner which is surely the heart of this home.
The space runs the depth of the house with the glossy white, contemporary units hugging two walls and incorporating a range of Miele appliances including oven, microwave and even an integrated morning welcoming coffee machine.
There's ample space for a substantial island unit, a dining area, and for hosting a party for a hefty number of family and friends, who can then seamlessly spill out of the glass doors onto the pool patio area.
The core to the design of this room is socialising and in here many amazing memories have been made, and many are to come for the new owner.
In the corner of the kitchen is a separate pantry that makes this kitchen diner work seamlessly as a place for entertaining, visually free of all the cooking paraphernalia and with plenty of storage for all the party food and drink.
Leading from the kitchen is a spacious snug playroom that the current owners used as home gym during lockdown. They chose this room as it offered the perfect hard flooring for heavy gym equipment but was also within easy reach of the downstairs shower room.
But it's a versatile space, and has had a past life as a home office, a playroom and a media room, with its central position next to the kitchen certainly a bonus for all of those functions.
Next door to the gym is a practical utility room for all the less exciting household stuff, from washing to ironing, plus extra storage.
Up the bespoke staircase and there's a space up here that all members of a new family will surely be arguing about wanting to use for their own private den.
It could be a bedroom of course, but what a space it is to use for quiet relaxation, with a whole wall of glass stretching up into the apex of the roof.
Through the French doors encased in this glass gets you onto a spacious, curved balcony which constantly beckons you outside to view the pool, garden, village church spire and treetops beyond.
The master suite occupies the far end of this dream home and it too has a charming glass encased gable window at the end of the double-height ceiling.
The views from the bed are worth waking up for, and the en suite walk-in shower with rainfall head is worth spending more time than usual washing your hair.
In total the home has six bedrooms and five bathrooms, with versatile spaces for multiple functions to suit the lifestyle of the new owners, spacious rooms for maximum socialising, plus separate, quieter spaces to escape to and relax, surrounded by this tranquil location.
Hendre cottage is on the market for offers over £1.5m with dual agents Fine & Country Park on 07972 023777 and Burnett Davies with Easton in Dinas Powys on 029 2051 2222 call either for further information. And if you never want to miss the best dream homes, renovations and interiors articles, join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter for a twice weekly update.
