“THIS is a home that would sit comfortably within the pages of any of the glossy home magazines…”

So reads the brochure details for The Stables, an elegant property in Villa Court, Upper Poppleton.

We wouldn’t disagree – and we definitely think it sits well as our choice for property of the week. It’s a super home in a good location, tucked away in a quiet out of the way spot yet extremely handy for commuting routes into and out of York.

We arrived for a viewing on a morning of sunshine and showers but were warmed by the greeting of Gill Singleton.

Gill and her husband Raymond – who together ran successful pubs before retirement – bought the building more than four years ago.

This was originally a stable to the local farm, one of a number of outbuildings which had already been converted to residential use.

“We just about rebuilt it,” Gill says. “We took all the walls out and built again from the inside, completely rewired… we did an awful lot of work.”

That included an extension which was to create the space for a stunning orangery – which is where we begin the tour.

It is a stunning room, bright, light and beautifully finished. It has a run of French doors opening to the garden, a large stone-flagged area, skilfully leavened with raised beds and given an exotic touch with a series of palm trees at the edges. But that is only one of a number of garden spaces – the house is wrapped up gently on virtually all sides by a series of lawns, gravelled and flagged runs and a decked seating area.

Certainly, as we continue our tour, you get the impression that from virtually every window there is a view of a garden aspect.“THIS is a home that would sit comfortably within the pages of any of the glossy home magazines…”

So reads the brochure details for The Stables, an elegant property in Villa Court, Upper Poppleton.

We wouldn’t disagree – and we definitely think it sits well as our choice for property of the week. It’s a super home in a good location, tucked away in a quiet out of the way spot yet extremely handy for commuting routes into and out of York.

We arrived for a viewing on a morning of sunshine and showers but were warmed by the greeting of Gill Singleton.

Gill and her husband Raymond – who together ran successful pubs before retirement – bought the building more than four years ago.

This was originally a stable to the local farm, one of a number of outbuildings which had already been converted to residential use.

“We just about rebuilt it,” Gill says. “We took all the walls out and built again from the inside, completely rewired… we did an awful lot of work.”

That included an extension which was to create the space for a stunning orangery – which is where we begin the tour.

It is a stunning room, bright, light and beautifully finished. It has a run of French doors opening to the garden, a large stone-flagged area, skilfully leavened with raised beds and given an exotic touch with a series of palm trees at the edges. But that is only one of a number of garden spaces – the house is wrapped up gently on virtually all sides by a series of lawns, gravelled and flagged runs and a decked seating area.

Certainly, as we continue our tour, you get the impression that from virtually every window there is a view of a garden aspect.“THIS is a home that would sit comfortably within the pages of any of the glossy home magazines…”

So reads the brochure details for The Stables, an elegant property in Villa Court, Upper Poppleton.

We wouldn’t disagree – and we definitely think it sits well as our choice for property of the week. It’s a super home in a good location, tucked away in a quiet out of the way spot yet extremely handy for commuting routes into and out of York.

We arrived for a viewing on a morning of sunshine and showers but were warmed by the greeting of Gill Singleton.

Gill and her husband Raymond – who together ran successful pubs before retirement – bought the building more than four years ago.

This was originally a stable to the local farm, one of a number of outbuildings which had already been converted to residential use.

“We just about rebuilt it,” Gill says. “We took all the walls out and built again from the inside, completely rewired… we did an awful lot of work.”

That included an extension which was to create the space for a stunning orangery – which is where we begin the tour.

It is a stunning room, bright, light and beautifully finished. It has a run of French doors opening to the garden, a large stone-flagged area, skilfully leavened with raised beds and given an exotic touch with a series of palm trees at the edges. But that is only one of a number of garden spaces – the house is wrapped up gently on virtually all sides by a series of lawns, gravelled and flagged runs and a decked seating area.

Certainly, as we continue our tour, you get the impression that from virtually every window there is a view of a garden aspect.

But then this is a brilliantly individual home, created not just with an eye for detail not just outside but inside too, too.

Every one of the rooms here carries an elegant and stylish presentation – due, it transpires, to Gill’s eye for colour and design.

“I am lucky, I have always had an eye for decoration. When we had pubs, I would always to do them up and I enjoyed doing it.”

She has enjoyed this house, too, creating it, room by room, space by space, into a superb home.

The orangery is just one example. If you follow the oak flooring you slip into the living area, a beautiful pastiche with huge amounts of charm and character – partly provided by the eye-catching logburning stove sitting snugly at the centre of the room.

An orangery for the sun-warmed summer days and a cheering, cosy, firewarmed spot for when winter comes and the nights draw in.

A winning combination.

Then we come to another of this home’s wow-factor spots – the quite wonderful, large, open-plan kitchen/ dining area.

This is another room which has much benefited from Gill’s guiding hand.

The kitchen has a beautiful range of cream coloured wall and base units complemented with contrasting granite work surfaces – and heated granite flooring.

A breakfast bar separates the kitchen from the dining area, which is another spacious area, again with under-floor heating.

There are a range of windows running along this pair of rooms making it alive with light.

Light fantastic, in fact.

“I always wanted a big kitchen,” says Gill, “so I made sure I got one when when we came here!

“Originally, the kitchen was three smaller rooms, which were opened up so I could have lots of space.”

That is added to by a utility room off the kitchen and a cleverly created small office space.

Next to have a look at the bedrooms, all of which are off the hallway, in what is almost a separate wing… This must be the master bedroom, I suggested, as we stepped into the first.

That being a reasonable assumption, I thought, based on the fact that it was a big double, with built-in ‘slide robes’ and an excellent en-suite.

Wrong, as it transpires… this was merely the second bedroom.

The master bedroom was even bigger, also had full-length ‘slide robes’ and en-suite facilities.

And it also had patio doors opening on to one of those charming garden areas.

The sleeping spaces are rounded off by a third good-sized bedroom – and there is a stylish house bathroom as well.

A surprising amount of space, then – but then this, as we have pointed out, is a house full of surprises.

And all so beautifully presented that all you need to do is open the door, move in and instantly feel at home.

It is with more than a touch of reluctances that Gill is leaving the home she has so beautifully created but, sadly, husband Raymond died recently and she feels now is the time to move on.

“There are lots of things I have enjoyed about the house,” she says.

“The fact that it is so light, that there is so much lovely outside space.

“It’s also very peaceful and quiet here.

It’s a lovely home.”

Neither myself nor the copy writers from estate agents RM English could have put it any better.

Gill, a lovely lady, has created a lovely home...

AT A GLANCE...

The Old Stable, Villa Court, Upper Poppleton

Reception rooms: 3.

Bedrooms: 3.

Bathrooms: 3.

Gardens: Nicely laid out series of gardens to three sides of the home and with a double garage.