Old farmhouse’ bricks add rural style to Norfolk home

The attractive waterside village of Upwell in rural West Norfolk is the picture-perfect location for a refreshingly modern take on the classic English farmhouse, developed by self-builder Andrew Yeoman, and authentically created with the help of Old Farmhouse bricks from Vandersanden.

Located in Orchard Gardens, this impressive, detached family home is fitted out to a high standard with a contemporary interior, sitting behind an evocative, farmhouse-style facade that resides easily within its village setting as well as the broader rural context of the surrounding area.

Self-builder Andrew: “I wanted the house to have a traditional farmhouse look despite being a new build. Based on my experience, I knew this particular Vandersanden brick had all the aesthetic ingredients I was looking for, and more. The Old Farmhouse bricks are ‘tumbled’ as part of the production process - which not only gives them an ‘aged’ look - but also makes them very forgiving on the joints when laying."

"In fact, I was very impressed with how little waste there was from the brick. The sales and technical support from Vandersanden has been excellent throughout the project, helping to make sure everything went smoothly from the initial brick selection to delivery and construction.”

Old Farmhouse is a multi-coloured brick with a strong base colour of red, which is muted by tones of brown, white, yellow and black and the brick’s naturally creased structure. The result is a warm, textured and natural-looking finish to the facade.  The bricks have been used in the construction of this two-storey, four bedroomed home as well as the garage which runs alongside part of the rear garden. The reclaimed look of the bricks complements the vintage clay pantiles on the roof, as well as ‘setting off’ the oak porch at the front, and feature windows to the rear of the property.

• Project: Family home
• Location: Upwell, West Norfolk
• Developer: self-builder Andrew Yeoman
• Year of construction: 2019

Vandersanden Old Farmhouse bricks are tumbled in a drum before final firing to achieve their appearance. The bricks collide with one another, resulting in broken corners and edges. By being simultaneously sprayed in mortar pulp, the surfaces of the bricks take on an additional weathered appearance.