HIGH POINT
“We’d been used to seeing day-to-day change, but I remember we went away for three weeks and came back after all the knocking- through demolition work had been done. That was a lot of change in one go – we saw the shell of the house in its final intended shape and size, and we were just blown away. It was a real wow moment when I really felt, yeah, this is going to be everything we dreamed it would be.” – Claire Handley
into one natural-feeling space.” There’s no doubt, now the renovation is complete, that the couple have made their dream home a reality. At the very heart, literally, of the transformation is the removal of the stairway, WC and store cupboards that separated the front and rear halls. Three walls were knocked down and the staircase was repositioned by 90 degrees to create a new open and light-filled hallway, which allows you to move straight through from the front to the back of the house and also gives access to all the other ground oor rooms. A two-storey extension to the west side of the house has been added, mimicking the style – including the hipped-roof form – of the older part of the property. Adjoining and connected to this extension, the house’s old conservatory has been replaced by a single-storey glazed garden room with a pyramidal roof lantern. The resulting increased oorplan at ground level includes north-facing functional spaces such as a utility room, a games/playroom that was once the old kitchen and an office or study for homeworking. acing south towards the garden is the main sitting room and a wonderful open-plan area that includes the dining room, the kitchen and the aforementioned garden room. Upstairs, the double-height landing (created
by removing the old upstairs bathroom) at the top of the repositioned stairs benefits from a south-facing window. Two new dormer windows have been added to the south facade, ooding bedrooms with yet more light and giving the exterior a pleasing symmetry. One of the existing bedrooms has been reconfigured into a smaller bedroom and a
sep/oct 2023
“It was brilliant because as we went through the house renovation ideas, the architect was pointing out things we should and shouldn’t do”
bathroom to create a hallway link to the new ensuite master bedroom in the west side extension. This bedroom also boasts a new south-facing dormer window which, like all the glazing throughout the building, features PVCu frames with a convincing wood-style finish in an agate grey colour.
PROJECT MANAGING THE BUILD Despite not having previous renovation or construction experience, Claire decided to take on the project management of this house transformation herself. “That was definitely the right decision,” she asserts. “In hindsight I’m not sure how we’d have done it without someone onsite every day – there were just so many questions and decisions to be made. “It had its stressful moments but, overall, I enjoyed it. I have a professional background in project and programme management, so I’m
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