AFTER


The dark, old fashioned sitting room has been transformed with white painted beams and an open tread staircase


BEFORE


The sitting room had a Seenties stone fireplace and old fashioned staircase.


were thick but filled with loose rubble and dirt, so as soon as we started to knock into them the stone just crumbled away. It was almost impossible to get a clean edge.” With skill and perseverance they managed to


lace reclaimed stone and new breezeblocks into the original walls to strengthen the corner. They followed the same process when taking out the kitchen wall at the back of the house – where the kitchen window had been – to create the opening for bi-fold doors.


John wanted to keep a conservatory, which had been added by the previous owner, but reduce its length to allow more room for the bi- fold doors.


“The conservatory was in reasonable condition


and created more living space, but it was too big and needed linking more effectively to the main house,” said John.


Lack of light was a maor issue on the first oor where the main bedroom  running the full


40 www.sbhonline.co.uk


width of the cottage – only had one window and a low ceiling.


AN OPPORTUNITY ARISES “I looked through the loft hatch and realised there was a huge roof space which was completely unused,” said John. “Although it would incur extra cost, I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to create more space and light. I knew that if I didn’t take out the bedroom ceiling and create a vaulted roof I would always regret it.”


But as they started to pull down the ceiling it soon became apparent that the roof timbers had been modified at some point and no longer had the strength or structure to prevent spread. “If we were going to go to the trouble and expense of vaulting the ceiling, we would have been mad not to replace the roof at the same time,” comments John.


The change of plan cost around £10,000 nov/dec 2022


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