The House Built In A Former Raiload Station
Steve Sokalsky and his family live in a former railroad station in England called Lenwade. It’s hard to say what made Sokalsky make this choice, but maybe it’s just a love for trains. The area once used as a ticket window now serves as a children’s bedroom, the former platform has become a sun terrace, and the men’s waiting room has been changed into a contemporary living area.
The New York Times quotes Sokalsky on his home.
“I bought the property in 2000 when it was in a very dilapidated state, Mr. Sokalsky said. “It had been used as a storage depot for a haulage yard. But I viewed it on a warm summer’s day and loved it; it was surrounded by trees, there was enough space here for me to run my new business, and I could tell the building could eventually become a wonderful home.”
“It took about three years to do all the work,” he said, explaining that he bought the station for 100,000 pounds (about $160,000 at the time) and ended up spending about three times my original budget renovating it.”
The site has also been used as a building to house Mr. Sokalsky’s business, but as it grew and required more space, he eventually moved it to an industrial site.
Today the station combines integrated high technology with the comfort and style required by Mr. Sokalsky and his wife, Louise, and their children, Thomas, 5, and Eva, 18 months. The house has its own computer server so the family can use an online system to access the heating, lighting, TV, broadband and closed-circuit television service. Even the bathroom has a built-in screen that can be used as a TV, DVD player or computer monitor, all controlled through a wireless keyboard that can even float in the bathtub.
The family plans to extend the house while also preserving its old style by making it look like a station — at least from outside.
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