LIVING ROOM
Although it wasn’t in bad shape, through living there Sam evolved a vision for making it serve the family better. Work started in 2014 with the initial focus on practicality and stylish storage ideas. ‘It’s hopeless if it’s not practical,’ says Sam.
KITCHEN
’The design of the house is spatially very clever, again thanks to Sam knowing it so well prior to the renovation. Feet and inches have been stolen here and there - smaller hallways to make rooms bigger, the nanny’s en suite carved out of an area behind the Critall-style kitchen pantry idea and, at the top of the house, three bedrooms and a family bathroom were created by extending into the eaves and out into the landing.
PANTRY
'This was a must-have for me and I stubbornly refused to allow the architects to take it out of my wish list – I spent hours fiddling with the layout of the kitchen and adjacent nanny’s shower room to have enough space for both,' explains Sam.
DINING ROOM
A vault in the basement was reclaimed for storage and a wine cellar and a utility area squeezed in next to the WC. ‘They were relatively micro changes but they improved every room that was affected,’ says Sam. It's important to know how to plan a basement extension properly before you begin as it's an enormous job but one that can add a lot of value and much-needed extra space.
MAIN BEDROOM
Towards the end of the renovation she called upon interior designer Charlotte Griffin to help realise some ideas. ‘Charlotte grasped exactly what I was trying to achieve, always designing within that framework,’ says Sam.
BOY'S BEDROOM
This space was reworked with skylights and bespoke joinery and designed to easily evolve as the children grow up.
MAIN BATHROOM
It was important that our bathroom was a calming space so we created plenty of storage space to help keep it that way. ‘Although the main colour scheme is soft and muted I like the sharp contrast of black metal to give it an edge.’