nitially they were going to turn the firstoor


rooms into a large ensuite bedroom, until David pointed out that it didn’t fully solve the issue of headroom. Then they tried to get permis- sion to build a two-storey extension, but their plans were turned down by Leeds City Council because the roof would have been too high in a conservation area and out of keeping with the original style of the bungalow.


So Lisa wracked her brains and came up with an ambitious idea that would solve all the problems in one go: to literally raise the roof. t was ingenious, says avid.  real game changer.” Working closely with their architects Richard Laycock and James Butterworth of Studio J, they began to rethink the whole design. “We can’t praise the architects enough for the ideas and expertise they brought into the mix,” says Lisa. “You think you have a good idea, but they were able to take our ideas to a whole new level while understanding and deliv- ering what we wanted to achieve.” By raising a large portion of the roof they


were able to stay within planning regulations and maintain the same footprint, while gain- ing large amounts o living space. t was a long process with lots of adjustments along the way,” says David, but adds that “it was worth


46 www.sbhonline.co.uk


it to finally achieve the spacious rooms that we wanted for our home.”


A NEW LAYOUT As well as creating more practical sized bedrooms and ensuites upstairs, they also rearranged the layout on the ground oor. The original L-shaped kitchen – which was far too small and in the middle of the house – was turned into a boot room and cloakroom so that Lisa could use the facilities straight from the garden without having to remove muddy boots. The rest of the old kitchen, old living room and dining area were knocked into one large living space containing a spacious new kitchen and an island overlooking the outdoor areas through bi-fold doors. “The old kitchen was small and dated and didn’t even look out over the garden,” said Lisa. “We wanted the house and garden to work together and complement each other.”  ground oor athroom was turned into a utility/kitchenette next to an ensuite bedroom, so that Lisa’s mum, who lives with them, could maintain her independence. The remaining two edrooms on the ground oor were turned into a snug and a larger entrance hall – complete with a feature staircase leading to the upper


LOW POINT


“Dealing with the hurdles involved during the planning process and wondering whether we had made a mistake in buying the property if we couldn’t achieve the space we wanted.”


jul/aug 2022


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