A traditional former farmouse from the exterior, approached by a quarter mile driveway behind powered gates, and surrounded by nine acres of parkland.

It’s hardly the location you’d expect to find a contemporary interior such as the one inside Bilsby Hall. Nestled in one of several villages in the Lincolnshire Wolds just a few miles from Alford, one would probably anticipate a traditional interior with deep Victorian colours and austere, monochrome bathrooms.

In fact, this property for sale in Lincolnshire is young, fashionable, and brilliantly finished, deceptively modern in terms of its furnishings but well-thought out and well-implemented.

It’s the home of Thurlby Motors’s owner and Dealer Principal  Richard Walsh and wife Wendy. “Wendy has taken care of the decoration of the house.” says Richard. “It’s vibrant, which suits us because we have six children aged between 14 and 25, but it’s also really practical.”

With seven bedrooms, one en-suite, and two family bathrooms, plus nine acres of parkland the house certainly affords the family plenty of space as well as a beautifully finished family home.

Richard and the family come from the Peak District originally, and moved to the area 30 years ago in order to purchase Thurlby Motors — the Vauxhall car dealership with showrooms in Alford, Louth and Boston — moving to the area at the same time. The family then moved to Bilsby Hall in 2000 and added an extension to link the house to the adjacent coachhouse in matching red brick.

“When we moved in the property required a degree of modernisation.” says Richard, who wanted a traditional property with the reliability and quality of new facilities. “We’ve rewired and replumbed the property, installed new kitchens & bathrooms, and have completely replaced the sash windows and shutters.”

The Lincolnshire property’s ground floor comprises a family sitting room with classic Victorian proportions, huge south facing windows and a modern twist — a ceramic firebowl in a marble fireplace and bright red leather sofas from Pratts of Huddersfield — and matching bright red paintwork above the picture rail. The room also features contemporary artwork and Pergo engineered flooring. The same theme is continued into a second reception room which lacks a TV and is designed for quieter evenings.

The kitchen — keen chef Wendy’s domain —  is nothing short of magnificent, installed by local craftsman Peter Watts and featuring solid pine units topped with solid granite work surface, and with two sinks, American style fridge/freezer, and not one but two Agas, a black electric example and cream gas fired six oven unit. The kitchen also features a dishwasher with separate drawers for increased flexibility, as well as a separate utility and adjacent dining room for hassle-free entertaining.

The family room, which links the kitchen to the former coach house, features underfloor heating and a glass balcony to the master bedroom suite.

Between the family room and the master suite, though, is a large dressing room, lobby and substantial en-suite, all on the ground floor. The large master bedroom itself is accessed by a spiral staircase and features wooden beams and skylights to create a large, light and contemporary space. “It’s a great way of ensuring we have our own space away from the teenagers!” says Richard.

Elsewhere, the property for sale in Lincolnshire has six further bedrooms and two family bathrooms, and a total of five reception rooms for the family; Andrea, Alex, Alison, Alasdair, Andrew and Abigail... who can all enjoy their own space around the property, too, thanks to nine acres of parkland, set mainly to lawn.

In addition to the property’s orchard, an interesting feature of the grounds is the wild flower nature walk, created by Richard. The property originally comprised around five acres, with a further four acres purchased by Richard to ensure land around Bilsby Hall would not be built on.

“After consultation with the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, it was suggested we created a wildflower walk with planted meadow grass.” says Richard. “It’s really low maintenance, requiring just one cut a year, and attracts a wealth of bees and butterflies to create a really nice walk.” Elsewhere, there is also a tennis court installed five years ago, two garages and numerous outbuildings for storage.

The farmhouse, situated in the middle of the plot and originally built in the early 1900s, is an impressive home both in terms of its space and the luxury it affords its family. However, with the family’s older children moving out, Richard and Wendy are seeking to downsize to a smaller property nearby and have put the property on the market for £795,000.

“It’s a really safe house and it’s really private, too.” says Richard. “And the village is lovely too; the post office, shop and garage are near, all of the amenities you need. We’re going to miss it greatly and really hope that its next custodians will enjoy the house as much as we have.”