Musical Barn Conversion

A creative oasis concealed in the middle of the Essex countryside, an enchanting barn conversion with a secret recording studio.
Traditionally the barn for ‘Haslers Farm’, a local agricultural holding, the property was tied to the region’s local heritage of the ‘Haslers’, who were prominent corn and seed merchants based in Great Dunmow.
Now converted to a marvellous lateral family home and equipped with a full recording studio set-up, this is a wonderful opportunity to continue your creative passion or work from home, without compromising your lifestyle.
Approaching the barn, there is a distinct ranch feel to the facade, with featheredge cladding all over the lean-to porch. Closing the paddock gate, the front garden sits on a wide plot and offers a plentiful driveway.
Entering into the atrium, a hugely bright and warm space offers a lovely view over the rear garden, with Velux windows overhead and engineered oak flooring throughout. Natural light is thrown down, making the space bright in every season.
To one end, a former storeroom is now a comfortable double bedroom with an ensuite shower room finished in cobalt blue tiling. Flowing through, a utility room doubles as a huge hallway storage cupboard, perfect for large or bulky items.
The reception room showcases the original authenticity of the barn with exposed oak beams and large polished granite slabs. This really is the showpiece space, offering almost 675 sq ft of flexible open entertaining, relaxation, and dining area, with big aluminium doors leading out onto the wide front garden. It also doubles as an effective recording space, featuring acoustic dampeners in the ceiling and a special link to the recording studio.
The kitchen retains a part-brick feature wall centralised around a wonderful island. Every appliance is integrated and is finished in a neutral palette.
A separate wing of the barn contains the remaining bedrooms, sharing a family bathroom. The second bedroom is a wonderful size with a big built-in wardrobe and garden doors opening onto the rear garden terrace, offering a beautiful view.
The family bathroom has a bath with an overhead shower, w/c, and wash basin. It features a fading border transitioning smoothly into the grey walls a really clever design tactic.
The final part of the barn is the real headline act. The principal bedroom has been converted into a full studio set-up, designed and constructed by Miloco Studios, a world-class company, and is featured on their studio website.
The studio is acoustically treated and meticulously tuned to provide a remarkably flat and detailed response, and is equipped with air conditioning and a fresh-air ventilation system. In addition, there are audio and digital tie-lines connecting the studio to the living room, allowing for seamless recording between the two spaces.
However, the studio doesn’t just need to be kept as a recording facility; it is also perfect as a creation area for content or podcasting, a private audio listening hub, or a home cinema.
The grounds sit on a brilliant plot, separated from the original farmhouse but not overlooked from any angle. The rear terrace leading onto the lawn has a great Hollywood Hills ranch feel, with curated planted areas surrounding a fabulous seating area shaded by a Sevillian ‘toldo’. The lawn looks out over beautiful fields and woods, leading to a quiet decked area away from the home, a great space to read looking out over fields and an ancient woodland, doubling as a protected wildlife site. Wrapping around the rear of the studio and accessible from the kitchen is another quaint outside escape, surrounded by greenery.
The barn has underfloor heating managed by a ‘Daikin’ air-source heat pump system situated just outside in the rear garden, perfect for keeping your bills down and in line with wider green credentials. There is an electric car charging port to the front and a hidden bin storage area to the right of the front gate.
Haslers Farm Barn is in the picturesque village of Little Waltham, only around 3 miles north of Chelmsford city centre. The River Chelmer is the local waterway and spans 12 miles, perfect for nature walks and escapes.
The White Hart is your local pub in the village, serving up a seasonal menu and featuring a lovely pub garden. Little Waltham C of E Primary School is your local school, catering up to Year 6 and holding a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating.
For wider secondary education, Chelmsford has some of the best state education in Essex. King Edward VI Grammar School (KEGS) and Chelmsford County High School for Girls are both ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted-rated institutions, and only a 10-minute drive away.
The village is well-served by a regular local bus route into Chelmsford. Chelmsford train station provides a direct link into London Liverpool Street in less than 35 minutes and is served by a park-and-ride service as well as numerous long-term car parks. Beaulieu Park train station has also recently opened and is closer (8 minute drive) and under 40 minutes into Liverpool Street as well.