FAMILY HOME
A NEW EAVES EXTENSION GAVE GEORGIE AND BEN GREEN THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FLEXIBLE SPACE THEY NEEDED FOR THEIR GROWING FAMILY
FEATURE EMMA J PAGE PLANS RICHARD HOOKWAY
Living room
‘This used to be something of a dead area, but alcove joinery around the restored fireplace has made it an elegant space.’
SHAPELY SHUTTERS
A cut-out pattern adds a decorative touch yet still provides privacy
HOME NOTES
WHO LIVES HERE?
Georgie and Ben Green, and their two daughters Poppy, four, and one-year-old Amelie. Georgie is a TV producer and Ben is a TV director.
THE PROPERTY
A Victorian terrace in north London. There is a living room, kitchen-diner, cloakroom, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a guest room/snug.
THE LAYOUT
The entrance hall opens directly onto a semi open-plan double living room leading onto a rear kitchen-diner extension and cloakroom under the stairs. On the first floor, there are two bedrooms, a study and a family bathroom. On the second floor, a loft extension houses a second guest room/snug and bathroom.
A considered loft conversion gave Georgie and Ben Green the chance to reinvent their home, reworking the layout throughout to incorporate hidden storage, flexible working space and a calming palette of soft neutrals.
HOW DID YOU START THE RENOVATIONS?
‘We moved to this Victorian terrace nine years ago. It was in good shape and already had a side return extension housing a kitchen-diner. A loft extension had previously been applied for and had been turned down. We knew we were taking a risk but we were confident we could reapply with success, so we made our mark three years ago.’
WHAT WERE YOUR KEY CONSIDERATIONS?
‘The whole house needed a mindful overhaul. We had never really made the best use of the middle living room, the bedrooms needed rationalising – Poppy’s room had an en suite that she didn’t really need – while the family bathroom was too small. Meanwhile, we also wanted to carve out a study space and add the longed-for loft.’
WHAT HACKS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE?
‘Getting the layout right was key. Upstairs, Poppy’s room became a family bathroom and corridor which leads to our third bedroom, while her en suite became Amelie’s room. The old bathroom and spare bedroom were knocked together to create a larger second bedroom. Early on, we asked interior designers Fiona Dussard and Vanessa Fernandes of Consult by
