the second bedroom). At the end of the large hallway are stairs up to the kitchen – at ground level due to the sloping site. Here bi-fold doors frame a view of the nearby church, which was a key goal of Patsy’s. From the second bedroom a set of stairs lead down to the basement level, housing a cosy living area, additional bathroom and plant/utility room. From here a set of spiral reclaimed stairs, shot blasted to colour-match the floor, take you back up to the kitchen. Large windows, including within the gable end
to work in July 2020, by which point they had “broken the back of it,” she explains. “It was just a case of being onsite to do those last few bits, and I was able to work from here anyway.” Although being furloughed gave Patsy more time to spend onsite, she thinks that if she had remained working as normal, it would not have greatly hampered the timings of the build: “It would have been harder, but I don’t know it would have taken longer,” she says. She laughs: “I had a whip out!” She moved into her house in September 2020, with one minor delay caused by a tipped piece of wood – helping rainfall off the flat roof – being installed the wrong way round and needing to be redone. Patsy agreed prices for all contractors
upfront – “if they were onsite for longer I wasn’t paying any more,” and gave each a diary of when they were due onsite, detailed to coincide with daylight hours. Although she took a strict line, she did also make sure her workers were well looked after, including different breakfasts each day of the week, which “meant they liked coming to the site.”
The house was constructed using both oak frame for the single storey section and blockwork for the two storey section, with both elements finished with oak cladding. Patsy chose zinc for the roof, which inspired the house’s name Little Gem, due to its sparkle. As well as it being a harmonious material for the surroundings, she chose oak for its sustainability attributes, a very important element for Patsy. “I work with a company called Energy Zone, and talked to them early on about how to make it as sustainable as possible,” she says. Along with the large windows, installing an air source heat pump was a “non-negotiable” she budgeted for from the start. There is also underfloor heating throughout the house.
INTERIOR
As you enter the large master bedroom with open plan ensuite is on the left, with this level also featuring the second bedroom and main bathroom (a Jack-and-Jill style affair shared with
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where the master bedroom sits – as well as skylights – have been installed throughout. Patsy used the same flooring throughout the whole house: “I think that’s important for making it feel bigger because your eyeline never breaks at any section,” she says. With a strict build budget of £190,000 to stick to, Patsy found herself using creative thinking to save money wherever possible. An example was when she found (on Facebook Marketplace) an unused kitchen that had been intended for a show at the NEC, which was cancelled due to Covid. Patsy picked it up for £5,000 – including appliances!
Because the kitchen features no extraction or ventilation, Patsy was recommended to install a fire suppression system from Plumis. The panels housing the system are more discreet than more traditional systems, and in the event of a fire, it releases steam that reduces the oxygen in the air to suppress it. “It made sense to have them, and they’re pretty!” Patsy says.
When designing how the interior would look overall, Patsy aimed for a ‘boutique’ modern style. Each room features a different colour scheme – purple in the master bedroom, yellow in the second bedroom, black and gold in the kitchen, and green in the living area. “I feel like it reflects my personality in each room,” she says. “I went with colours that I love.” Knowing the budget would be getting tight towards the end, Patsy bought a few statement pieces early on. Having been living in the house for nearly two years, Patsy says she “loves everything about it. There isn’t anything I would change.” The house has won two awards: following a suggestion from the building inspector she put it forward for an LABC Building Excellence Award, in which it was Highly Commended. With added confidence, Patsy entered her home in the Homebuilding & Renovating Awards 2021, and it won the Spirit of Self Build award – just as her mum’s project had, two years prior. “I think we were a bit competitive!” she says. Moving forwards, Patsy would like to see the Government introduce more opportunities for young people to undertake self- or custom-builds. “Quite often new builds are nothing like how you’d actually want to live,” she says. “I think we’d have a lot more interesting property. I want to champion what a young person can do.”
As for whether she’ll do another build in the
future, it’s a maybe, but not for a while. “I would do it again in a heartbeat but I’m not in a rush,” she says. “I’m just enjoying this one at the moment!”
CONTACTS/ SUPPLIERS
DESIGN ARCHITECT Andrea Millner 07815 743 238
BUILD ARCHITECT Eclipse Architecture 01384 357740
MAIN CONTRACTOR Chris Longmore
www.chris-longmore.co.uk
OAK FRAME & EXTERIOR CLADDING Enville Oak Ltd
www.envilleoakltd.com
FLOORING Ian Bristow Tiling 07890 325208
WINDOWS
JPM Windows & Doors 01384 732026
DOORS Howdens
www.howdens.com
FIRE SAFETY Plumis
www.plumis.co.uk
LOW POINT
“Two and a half years of planning battles, and doors slammed in my face. I also had a wobble when I ordered some plasterboard in the wrong thickness.“ – Patsy Parr
may/june 2022
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