The house features both a living room (left) and TV room (below)
asked the owner whether they’d be interested in selling. As luck would have it, a previous sale had fallen through, so as Amber explains, they “negotiated on the front porch, and bought it within two weeks, in cash.”
ROUND TWO
Howard drew up plans for the site which were something of a contrast to the modest house they would be demolishing. The couple like to challenge themselves with each project they take on, and this would be no exception. The three-storey, 10,000 ft2
house includes a semi-
basement level – the sloping site means at the back this leads out to the garden – and a “staggered” design. “It was really technically challenging to do,” Howard explains. Despite the substantial nature of the design and the fact no previous planning applications had ever been submitted for the site, they were pleasantly surprised to encounter no snags gaining planning permission. “It was actually a delightful process,” remarks Howard. Having never worked with Wycombe Council before, they weren’t sure how their contemporary, terraced and flat-roofed design would be received. “The planning officer came, had a walk around, then said ‘I absolutely love it!’ and it went straight through.”
However, the smooth progress was short- 22
www.sbhonline.co.uk
CONTACTS/ SUPPLIERS
KITCHENS & BATHROOMS: Zodiac Design
www.zodiacdesign.co.uk
DOORS & WINDOWS Ultraline
www.ultraline.co.uk
GUTTERING: Guttercrest
www.guttercrest.co.uk
RENDER: Weber
www.netweber.co.uk
lived. “There was a high voltage cable running straight across our site, and we worked out we would be able to put our hand up and hold it once the house was built,” explains Amber. So it needed to be removed and a new one installed underground before the build could proceed. However because it served 200 people in the village, every house involved had to be sent a letter informing them the power would be off while the installation took place. When the day finally arrived, the cable brought by the utility company was a metre short – meaning the
LIGHTING SYSTEM: Rako
www.rakocontrols.com
SOUND SYSTEM: Sonos
www.sonos.com/en-gb
ALL FURNITURE: Amber Valentine Interiors
www.ambervalentine.co.uk
march/april 2018
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