knew had experience with period buildings. A large part of the project was replacing the existing heating system. For Sharon, this was a priority. An old Stanley range in the kitchen supplied the home’s radiators, but it was overworked and inefficient. he couple considered alternatives such as air and ground source heat pumps, but the realities of retrofitting these systems into a solidstone house gave them doubts over such a system’s effectiveness. Sharon also worried about pulling up and re-laying the original tiles in the hall for underfloor heating. ou have to be sensitive with building work.” Ultimately, Sharon and Jer opted to keep the old range, as they love its character, which is so appropriate in this old building. “It’s like a hug in the kitchen,” laughs Sharon. Now, however, it heats just the newly extended kitchen, the utility room and the guest bedroom on the floor above. The rest of their home has new eco cast iron radiators, which can be plugged in, using a standard three point plug. Again, Sharon was in the unusual position of being able to trial one radiator by asking her in-laws to install it


nov/dec 2024


“in the coldest room of the house” for a year before committing to the entire house. “It was very successful and it gave us the confidence to go on with ElectricCast,” says Sharon. “The company was fantastic.” Although Sharon decided to keep the kitchen range, this room saw the biggest transformation. The original space was dark and small, with only a glazed door for natural light. Sharon’s builders recommended a local architect to design the new kitchen, now much larger thanks to the new extension. Sharon also hired a kitchen designer with an excellent reputation. Having both experts working on the project at a time when most meetings were online due to Covid restrictions created an unusual, yet very fortunate outcome. “We all worked in tandem,” explains Sharon. “The kitchen designed the exterior, not the other way around. We made changes to the room dimensions by one metre, and this increased circulation space around the island, giving us better flow. lus  could make the banquette seating extra deep at 70 cm, which creates a really wide, luxurious feel, even though


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