This house had been a rental property for years and had suffered as a consequence. The interior was dated and the spaces led from one to the other, which meant lots of circulation space and not much usable living space. The front door was also directly opposite the stairs, so every time people came into the house, they were presented with the stairs and not much room to manoeuvre. We could see the potential of the house with its generous depth of plot and west facing garden. We just needed to improve the entrance and create more usable spaces within the home.
The fundamental change we made was moving the entrance door, which opened up the floor plan to become much more functional and efficient. You now enter into a hall, rather than up the stairs. We introduced a downstairs bathroom and separate utility and opened up the stairs to make the space feel even more generous. We extended to the rear to create and open-plan kitchen, dining and sitting space which is flooded with light from the bifold doors and large rooflight.
The transformation in how the house is used is incredible. The spacious entrance leads through a glazed pocket door into the light, bright, functional kitchen with dining and garden beyond. The floor finishes are continuous throughout and this helps to make the spaces feel seamlessly connected to one another. These improvements have turned a tired ex-rental house into a functional, light and bright home that works really well for family living.
