ONE ROOM RENOVATIONS
An unloved room and adjoining lean-to have been transformed into a smart family hub
Kate Greaves and her husband Royden live with their two children and Miniature Schnauzer in a detached five-bedroom 1960s bungalow in Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Before
‘The kitchen hadn’t been touched in years and had a carpeted floor, draughty back door, leaky sink and broken cupboard doors. Beyond it was a rotten “sun room” lean-to, which stole light from the kitchen’
PHOTOGRAPHY FIONA WALKER-ARNOTT
What did you want to achieve from the makeover?
Despite being on a corner plot benefiting from a lot of light, the house was very dark. We had sun first thing at the front and then would be plunged into gloom for the rest of the day. After living here for two years and giving it a slight lift through decoration, we knew we needed professional help to open it up and create a light and airy extension for a new kitchen.
Tell us how you got started…
We’d previously lived in a Victorian flat that we’d refurbished and we were so impressed by our builder Liam Pullen we knew we could rely on him to deliver our dream kitchen. Our architect Ed Martin and his team at Delve helped turn our ideas into designs for planning submission, which went through without a hitch. Liam project managed the build and was on-site fitting the kitchen too.
Did you have to make any compromises?
In our architectural drawings we had a full glass roof planned for the extension, but the cost of the engineered glass wasn’t feasible. Instead we opted for a four-metre roof light, which gives us all the light we need. Originally we’d thought of having wooden floors, but decided it wouldn’t be practical, so in the end we chose Karndean vinyl flooring, which is perfect. Having young children and a puppy during a refurb had its challenges – it was six months of disruption but will give us years of benefit. I also launched my business – online store Woodlands Bay [@woodlandsbay] – the week the bu
