1930S SEMI
A well thought-out extension and renovation has created a charming family home that’s testament to Amy and Jamie’s hard work and creativity
IDEA TO STEAL
Use a mix of textures and blend different woods and metals to give your home a much more relaxed look
We were fed up with renting in our home town of Brighton,’ says Amy, ‘and were thinking about having a baby, so desperately needed more space for our growing, blended family. When we spotted this 1930s semidetached house had come onto the market in a village on the outskirts of the city, it ticked all our boxes.
The property was surrounded by lots of green space, was a short walking distance to the local school and shops, and with only a short drive back into the centre of Brighton it felt like we would have the perfect balance of everything.
Perfect potential
The house itself was a typical 1930s property, with three good-sized bedrooms, separate kitchen, living and dining rooms, a double driveway and a large south-west facing garden. However, the biggest selling point was its generous corner plot. We instantly realised that we could knock down the adjoining garage and use that space to build a doubleheight extension, giving us an extra bedroom and the space downstairs we needed without it impacting on the size of the garden, or upsetting the neighbours – it was quite a find.
Looking forward
Although it was in good condition, the house hadn’t been updated in years and needed complete modernising. As I work for a new-build property developer and Jamie has his own plumbing and heating company, neither of us were fazed by the renovation work – in fact, I reme
