With the original utility room gone, the main downstairs space could be fully opened up, creating a stunning open plan kitchen/living room


LOW POINT


“The delay with the corner pocket doors in the open plan space meant we couldn’t move into the house when planned as it wasn’t water tight; they were eventually installed the day before we had to move out of our old house!”


posed a calculated risk for both the couple and the architect. Normally, it’s advisable to live in the space for a while to understand their preferences when it comes to renovating. However in this case, they chose to take the plunge once more, and specify what they wanted up front.


s well as conerting the fie small double


bedrooms to make three large doubles and three smaller double bedrooms, the architect redesigned the layout of the ground oor. iona recalls: “One of the things which I disliked in the original layout was how the utility room sat within the main living area, creating an awkward, unusable L-shaped space.” The utility room was shifted to a smaller extension to the side of the house. With the original utility room gone, the main downstairs space could be fully opened up, creating a stunning open plan kitchen/living room. In addition, a spacious playroom was created off of the open plan living area, as well as a formal sitting room and office. Initially, the planned work raised concerns


nearby, primarily about the single storey extension being too close to a neighbouring boundary, and worries about the size of the upper extension, which could potentially overlook other gardens. However, after a planning officer came out to site and deemed


jan/feb 2024


the design was OK, planning passed with no issues. When asked whether the couple were on good terms with their neighbours since moving in, Fiona laughs: “Yes we have enjoyed a few boozy evenings – everyone has been really friendly and welcoming.”


A JUGGLING ACT As the couple were still living in Essex while the building work was going on, they opted to have their architect visit the site regularly and keep them updated with the renovation. Euan and Fiona were able to pop to Hertford from time to time, and their builder – Bournes Projects – were great at keeping them informed about the progress. “In a way, there were three groups project managing our renovation – it worked really well,” explains Fiona. Having never taken on a renovation project


before, the couple had no real experience of the work involved and the pitfalls that could arise on a makeover on this scale. Work started in pril of  and finished ust shy of a year later, in March 2023. Fiona recalls that the only real stress came as a result of the big sliding pocket doors they wanted. These are a key feature in one corner of the open plan living space, but were delayed by a month, and without them being insitu, the property wasn’t watertight.


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