A four-bedroom home inspired by the work of acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright has come up for sale along the River Waveney in Flixton, near Bungay, for £1.5m.
The current owners, who purchased Riverside Lodge in 2009, redesigned it to feel like an exotic resort, taking inspiration from Fallingwater, which is arguably known as one of the most famous holiday homes in the world.
Fallingwater was designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the Laurel Highlands of southwest Pennsylvania in 1935.
It was a commission for the Kaufmann family, owner of Pittsburgh’s largest department store at the time, who used it as a holiday home, and was designed to rise above the waterfall over which it was built.
It’s since appeared on the UNESCO World Heritage List, along with seven other buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright, and has welcomed over six million visitors from across the world since it opened to the public in the 1960s.
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Fallingwater has in fact become one of the esteemed architect’s greatest masterpieces, well-known for its use of natural surroundings to reflect the harmony between man and nature, all of which the owners of Riverside Lodge have tried to incorporate – albeit on a much smaller, more modest scale.
“Although our house is nothing like Fallingwater, it was an inspiration,” says the current owner, who does not want to be named.
“I remember at the time we did mood boards and we had all these clippings everywhere. There were several of that on the board.”
The current owners spent years searching for a property in the area. They wanted somewhere rural, they say, but which could also provide an easy commute to London. Riverside Lodge ticked many boxes.
When they bought it, however, it looked very different. “It wasn’t derelict then but it was on its way to becoming derelict,” says one of the current owners. “It hadn’t been looked after at all.”
The couple spent around five years renovating the property, staying in a cabin on the grounds while they renovated the main house. That, alone, took around two years to complete, and in 2012 they moved on to the garden, which they had to start from scratch.
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From the front, Riverside Lodge looks every bit like the Victorian lodge it was designed as, but once inside, there’s a much more laid-back feel.
“We had a vision that we wanted to do it like a Thai retreat, a Thai spa,” says its owner, emphasising its unique location in the middle of nature, with water flowing and big windows from which to see out.
The ground-floor centres around a large “broken plan” living area, which enjoys a picturesque view over the River Waveney, with the valley behind, and full-height doors that slide open to give immediate access to the large decked terrace.
The living room includes a designated cinema area as well as a more formal, conversational living space, which is based around a raised fireplace in the centre.
Off to the side there is a more formal dining room and, to the rear, a fitted kitchen/breakfast room with an adjoining utility space.
The three bedrooms all feature en suite facilities – including one on the ground floor, which doubles as a steam room.
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But it’s the facilities to the principal bedroom that really excel, with a dressing room area and hydrotherapy bath and TV.
The whole property is the definition of a ‘smart home’ as it includes integrated and remote control of the lighting, heating, pool, irrigation and gates to the driveway, as well as advance security systems – and then there’s the setting.
Riverside Lodge has no near neighbours – just 0.75 acres of carefully curated gardens, enviable views and its own stretch of river.
The river runs along the rear of the gardens and allows occupiers to take to the water by canoe or kayak, to fish, or to simply be at one with nature.
The ever-changing views are a defining feature of Riverside Lodge.
“There’s a massive 20m long glass wall that looks out into the treetops – we’re 10 metres above the bottom of the valley there, [so you just] look out to the treetops,” the current owner explains. "And that view is constantly changing.
“In the summer, when the trees are in leaf, it is very private because you don’t really see beyond the valley, you just get glimpses of it, [and] in the winter when the trees are bare, you can see through to the valley.
"That area is used for managed flooding, so it’s often covered in swans and effectively we get this free lake that appears in the winter. That view never grows old.”
The large wraparound gardens feature lawns as well as a number of exotic plants, with several palms surrounding the heated outdoor pool. All of it is private and secluded, enjoying exceptional privacy, and there’s also an outdoor shower.
A decked walkway leads down towards the river, weaving beneath a canopy of trees and towards a home office, which could double as guest accommodation, if needed, right by the river.
Tom Clayton, handling the sale, says Riverside Lodge is “one of the most impressive and individual homes” he has ever seen.
“Offering a specification and style so rarely found in this part of the country, [it] is a truly memorable property.”
Contact Savills on 01603 229229.
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