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When Shelagh Krasno decided to build her own home on an old tennis court, getting the right team to help was crucial
At the end of a lane, deep in the heart of rural Hampshire, sits Fox Pightle. With its weatherboard exterior and garden of mature trees and shrubs, the new-build looks every inch the picture-postcard country home.
When Shelagh Krasno found herself newly single in 2015, she spotted an opportunity to build a new house in the garden of her previous family home. ‘I wasn’t sure where to start, so I sought inspiration in magazines and found a cottage I liked the look of,’ says Shelagh.
She then got in touch with Frank Dowling, who’d once designed an extension for her at her previous home. ‘Frank was happy to help and pass on his contacts, and he quickly made some initial drawings so I could apply for planning permission,’ she adds.
Shelagh had more definite ideas now for her dream home. ‘Having once lived in a period timber-framed property, I was keen to incorporate oak framing but in a lighter, more modern way,’ says Shelagh. The design included an open-plan living space and a guest wing with a ground-floor bedroom for her father, and a cosy sitting room – features made possible by the L-shaped design. Dormers were added to the pitched roof to create a two-storey property, providing two more bedrooms with en suites upstairs.
Approval for the plans didn’t come easily, however. The plot is located outside the settlement boundary of several nearby villages, and the initial application was rejected. Undaunted, Shelagh approached a local councillor for advice and he ended up speaking on her behalf the next time, as well as Frank, and her plans were approved.
Then came the challenge of finding the team to construct the property. ‘I had to trust my intuition with tradespeople and looked to hire those with can-do personalities,’ says Shelagh, who at 60, and on her first build, took on the role of project manager. She was introduced to Jeff Brown, a local architect, who gave her invaluable advice. ‘Whenever I was stuck on something – like solar panels or the sewage treatment plant I needed –I phoned Jeff,’ says Shelagh. ‘He was always calm and pernickety – but in a good way!’ Shelagh also enlisted the help of local builder Allan Oxlade and local groundworker Steve Mills, who all helped her see the project through to completion almost a year later.
The result is a house full of character. ‘None of the braces are uniform – they bend the way of the branches and some cover corners of the windows, creating an overall effect that is not too neat and twee,’ says Shelagh. ‘A lot of the house has happened accidentally and those are the bits I like best.’
EXTERIOR
