An eye for detail helped Melissa Spencer to transform her tired Berkshire house into an eclectic yet harmonious home
Words ANNABELLE GRUNDY Photography COLIN POOLE
After 18 years spent renovating and improving their family home, Melissa and James Spencer felt ready for their next move. ‘We’d upgraded and added everything we could to our previous house,’ explains Melissa. ‘Although we were open to different options, including downsizing, or even self-building, we’d always chosen doer-uppers in the past.’ So it was while browsing online that Melissa spotted a 1990s-built property that ticked a lot of her boxes, including an attractive location, solid construction and a large garden. ‘The interior needed a complete update, but I could see that the ground floor could be remodelled to make it bigger, brighter and more contemporary,’ says Melissa. ‘The key was to make sure any extension was of comparable quality, and didn’t look like an obvious add-on.’
Once moved in, the couple spent a year planning their redesign, before embarking on the first and biggest project – to revamp the old kitchen. Melissa worked with an architect to extend the space, and merge it seamlessly with the adjoining family room and conservatory. ‘I get a lot of ideas from social media, as well as from hotels, bars and restaurants, and wanted to create a glamorous vibe, as if you’re sitting in a brasserie rather than a functional kitchen,’ she explains. ‘The hardest aspect was getting the layout right, as there were lots of possibilities, but I’m pleased how it’s turned out.’
The design includes an informal dining area at one end and a skylight bringing natural light into the centre of the room. A hefty brick inglenook fireplace initially dominated the family room, and Melissa’s first idea was to update it with a sophisticated polished plaster finish. ‘I struggled to find the effect I had in mind, and it would have been really expensive,’ she says. ‘So in the end I created a similar look much more affordably with wallpaper.’
For the kitchen cabinetry, Melissa swapped pale, old-fashioned units for a sleek Italian design in a mix of contrasting dark wood and concrete-style finishes, adding a mirror and striking pendant ligh
