The Brief
Our clients, Megan and David, had returned to the UK after living in the USA for several years. They wanted to find a home somewhere that matched the image of England in their minds – a place of green rolling hills and small towns. Malvern in Worcestershire fitted the bill.
They found a Victorian home that held great appeal, but it had its drawbacks. It hadn’t been updated since the 1960s and would need substantial work to turn it into a warm, sustainable and light-filled home that met the needs of modern-day living. However, the couple were clear it was the right house for them.
“There were lots of things wrong with it, but it had a nice feel as soon as you walked in the front door.”
Megan
The couple secured the property and spent eighteen months living in it before doing any work so they could fully understand what they would need from the renovation.
A vital part of the work would be upgrading the utilities and the insulation.
“It was so cold! There wasn’t any insulation and there was no decent plumbing or a shower.”
Megan
They were keen to retain and restore as many period features as possible. At the same time, they wanted to create a modern home with a large, open-plan living area and kitchen. They were also keen to connect the house to its garden more effectively, perhaps by adding a garden room.
To help them with the work, Megan and David invited us to explore the possibilities with them.
The Design Strategy
Our design strategy sought to re-organise the living area so it could meet the needs of contemporary living and connect the home more effectively to the light, views and garden space.
Our work focused on the rear of the house in part because it sits within a Conservation Area so we needed to be mindful of the impact on the character of the public-facing surroundings.
To create the open-plan living area Megan and David wanted, we added a small extension and removed internal and external walls to create a big, open space. This space contains kitchen, dining and living areas.
We followed several strategies to preserve the Victorian character of the home.
The pitched element of the extension’s roof matched the profile of the existing roof and used reclaimed roof slates. The flat roof element was finished in lead.
We used three sets of glazed double doors to bring plenty of light into the space and connect the house to its garden. By choosing multiple sets of double doors instead of sliding or bifold doors the feel of the space is more in keeping with Victorian design principles.
The piers between each set of doors were faced in brick reclaimed from the demolition work and we chose mortar to match the rest of the house.
Period features were restored or reinstated where possible. This included reinstating a stained-glass rooflight above the landing that had been boarded over in a previous age. The reintroduction floods the stairwell with beautiful northern light all day long.
To complete the restoration, Megan made careful interior design choices that reflected the era in which the house was built.
The Energy Strategy
We followed a realistic strategy when enhancing the energy efficiency and sustainability of Megan and David’s home, making intelligent investment where they would see the most return.
The extension was highly insulated on both the floor and the walls. The walls used breathable woodfibre board insulation and were finished with a lime plaster and breathable natural paints. This approach reduced heat loss from the home by about 50%.
The insulation in the loft was enhanced to reduce heat loss from the roof. The original windows were all replaced with double-glazed units in hardwood joinery that would improve insulation while retaining the home’s character.
The Outcome
Our work has helped the home to achieve the potential that Megan and David could always see it had. It combines sustainable contemporary living with beautiful period style.
The highlight is the open-plan area.
“The masterstroke is the extension that achieves an enhanced space and yet retains the beautiful proportions of the house. Above all else, that is fantastic.”
David
The front of the house has individual spaces where the couple can work and craft, which they both appreciate.
“The combination of the Victorian front and more modern back works very well. We each have our own space to go to and then we have a wonderful communal space we can reconvene to when we’ve finished.”
David
The strategies to introduce more light into the home brings daily joy.
“When I come downstairs in the morning I sometimes think I must have left a light on somewhere. The sunlight floods the whole house and it’s quite beautiful. There’s an hour or two in the morning of pure delight.”
David
This feeling is enhanced by the success of our energy strategies which have helped to create a warm, sustainable home.
“It doesn’t cost a fortune to heat because it’s very efficient. We’ve made good use of the fact that old houses do actually hold the heat if you know what you’re doing. So it’s extremely comfortable in that sense.”
David
Overall, Megan and David have created a home they love and are happy to show off.
“Friends we haven’t seen for years stayed with us a few nights ago. They said it was an amazing, wonderful house. We’re really proud of it.”
Megan
