Not Your Average Cottage

Not Your Average Cottage: Suffolk

Very rarely do you see a home with such different sides as this. From the front, the well-kempt garden and quaint cottage exterior are completely befitting of this rural Suffolk location. Around the back, however, it's a completely different story – glass-fronted balconies and inviting terraces reveal that quite a bit of work has been done to this property since it was built.

The interior is more in keeping with the home's modern rear, with strikingly contemporary design fully embraced. In the double-height living room, several features vie for your attention, from the circular sofa pit and hanging egg chairs to the Banksy-inspired wall art and rustic wood burner. The deliciously sleek kitchen and neighbouring dining table overlooked by chic hanging lighting both belong in the pages of a glossy magazine, as do the spa-standard bathrooms.

However, it's not just what lies within the home's walls that wows. Out on the peaceful grounds, there's a swimming pool and hot tub for when the weather's on your side, while you'll also find a sunken trampoline, a snug bar area and plenty of equipment for lawn games.

When it comes to filling up your itinerary, the host can help arrange golf coaches and yoga trainers to pay a visit to the home, or they can point you in the direction of the most picturesque cycling routes – plus the best pubs en route for a slap-up lunch. Of course, you're more than welcome to explore this corner of England by yourself and the nearby Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB has a huge range of nature reserves, historic attractions and windswept beaches.

Home truths:
*Four of the bedrooms are in the main house, while the remaining one is in a converted cart lodge that also has a kitchenette and ensuite bathroom
*There are ground-floor bedrooms and bathrooms available
*The 16m-long heated swimming pool is only available for use between June and October, and the hot tub is heated to 40 degrees Celcius
*There's parking available for up to fifteen cars
*Charcoal and fire-lighters are provided for the barbecue, and logs and kindling are provided for the wood burner