Kari and Jeff Young have given a dated Victorian property a new lease of life, creating a charming and welcoming family home, perfect for festive get-togethers
When Kari Young is preparing her Victorian home for Christmas, she is often stopped in her tracks by the enchanting sight of the traditionally decorated tree in her inviting drawing room. ‘To me, the view through from our hallway, featuring the beautiful staircase with its ornate spindles, restored cornicing, and lovely double doors, epitomises Christmas in our home,’ says Kari.
Back in 2008, when she and her husband, Jeff, first viewed the house, it was a far cry from the elegant property that the couple now calls home. At the time, the pair, who had renovated a fivestorey, four-bedroom Georgian townhouse in the centre of Bath, were hunting for a larger, detached property, with more space for their daughters, Clemmie, Mimi, and Tallulah. Kari, who was expecting Ottilie, was very keen for all of the children to have their own bedrooms, ideally on the same floor. ‘I had this vision of going from room to room in the evenings, reading the children bedtime stories, without having to climb lots of flights of stairs at the end of the day,’ she says.
The perfect solution presented itself on the outskirts of Bath, where in the late 1800s, a landowner had bought a plot with spectacular views towards Solsbury Hill and had built two houses for his daughters. The Youngs viewed one of these historic Bathstone properties, and the estate agent explained that it had been an old people’s home before being converted into bed and breakfast accommodation.
‘Despite its jumble of rooms, various alterations, and rather dated appearance, thankfully most of the delightful period features were still intact,’ Kari explains. ‘I loved the proportions, huge windows, and the location was great – there was off-street parking, and the train station was within strolling distance for Jeff, who commutes to London.’
Striking a deal, they moved in that September – six weeks after Ottilie was born – and began work. With an architect on board, plans were submitted for an extension on one side to create a new kitchen and living room above, plus an en suite and dressing room for the main bedroom.
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