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Houzz Tour: A Georgian House Tailored to Fit its Owners Perfectly
When a couple decided to finally put down roots, this period townhouse proved the ideal place to create a cosy home
We’ve become used to the idea of trying to add value to a property when we renovate, but for the owners of this townhouse in Bristol, that really wasn’t the focus. “They’d moved fairly regularly in the past, most recently from Cambridge, and their main aim was to put down roots in Bristol,” Simon Heckford of Oasys Property Solutions says.
The décor, heating and wiring in the four-storey house was very tired and the owners were keen to adapt the home to suit the two of them. Simon opened up the lower ground floor to create a kitchen and dining space. On the upper floors, he fitted out a home office and created a bathroom and dressing room for each owner.
The décor, heating and wiring in the four-storey house was very tired and the owners were keen to adapt the home to suit the two of them. Simon opened up the lower ground floor to create a kitchen and dining space. On the upper floors, he fitted out a home office and created a bathroom and dressing room for each owner.
The previous kitchen was quite busy, with mismatched appliances on show, plus Simon was keen to widen the doorway on the right to create a connection with the dining room and allow more light to flow through.
Now the opening to the new dining area is much wider. “From day one, we all decided we needed to make that opening as big as possible. We went as far as we could without exposing the stairwell [between the two rooms],” Simon says.
The sink area feels much more open and light, with a dishwasher neatly integrated next to the sink and no wall units. The zellige tile splashback reflects light to help brighten the work area.
Porcelain floor tiles run throughout the lower ground floor. “The tiles keep the area clean, but are also accepting of a little dirt,” Simon says, “and there’s underfloor heating throughout to take the chill off.”
Shaker units in Dove Grey; brushed brass handles; brushed brass tap, all Howdens. Walls painted in Ammonite, Farrow & Ball. Quartz worktop in Savannah, CRL Quartz. Auvergne Crema porcelain floor tiles; zellige splashback tiles, all Mandarin Stone.
The sink area feels much more open and light, with a dishwasher neatly integrated next to the sink and no wall units. The zellige tile splashback reflects light to help brighten the work area.
Porcelain floor tiles run throughout the lower ground floor. “The tiles keep the area clean, but are also accepting of a little dirt,” Simon says, “and there’s underfloor heating throughout to take the chill off.”
Shaker units in Dove Grey; brushed brass handles; brushed brass tap, all Howdens. Walls painted in Ammonite, Farrow & Ball. Quartz worktop in Savannah, CRL Quartz. Auvergne Crema porcelain floor tiles; zellige splashback tiles, all Mandarin Stone.
Simon retained the pantry, to the left of the fridge, fitting out the inside with new shelves and a base cupboard (see previous photo). The couple aren’t big cooks, so they were happy to swap the range cooker for a more discreet design, and the tall fridge-freezer for under-counter models.
“By their own admission, they’re not ones to cook much,” Simon says. “Going out for meals to socialise [rules permitting] is quite high on their agenda, and Lizzie often works quite late [and calls in a takeaway].”
“By their own admission, they’re not ones to cook much,” Simon says. “Going out for meals to socialise [rules permitting] is quite high on their agenda, and Lizzie often works quite late [and calls in a takeaway].”
The colour palette is now calm and crisp, and the curved corner on this run of cabinets, which is echoed in the peninsula unit, further softens the look.
The countertop cupboard on the left hides the boiler.
Oven, Miele.
The countertop cupboard on the left hides the boiler.
Oven, Miele.
The view of the kitchen from the new dining room shows there’s a clear sightline to the garden from the sofa – another reason to have the peninsula unit rather than a run of base cupboards along the left-hand wall.
Pocket doors mean both rooms can be closed off, but the look is neat when they’re open. “Being open to the stairs, Building Regulations stipulated that fire doors were required, so we installed two large bespoke pocket doors,” Simon says. “We built stud walls on both sides of the hallway to fit the frames in.”
The couple mostly use the main entrance on the upper ground floor, but this door, just seen to the left, is useful for putting out the rubbish. “Recycling goes out of there straight from the kitchen,” Simon says.
Sofa, a 1950s design recreated by The Sofa Library.
Sofa, a 1950s design recreated by The Sofa Library.
There was originally a shower room through the white door – useful when this was a bedroom, but now redundant. Simon turned the space into a cloakroom and utility, with a loo and basin on the left and a washing machine and dryer stacked on the right.
Walls painted in Ammonite, Farrow & Ball. White walls and woodwork throughout the house painted in Brilliant White, Dulux.
Walls painted in Ammonite, Farrow & Ball. White walls and woodwork throughout the house painted in Brilliant White, Dulux.
The cupboards offer both closed storage and display space, creating some colourful interest in the corner of the room, but they also handily hide a gas pipe and the ducting from the cloakroom/utility.
The dining table extends for those occasions when family or friends come round.
The dining table extends for those occasions when family or friends come round.
Here’s the layout of the house before the renovations.
This is the lower ground floor now. You can see how the doorways have been widened and the shower room has been turned into more of a utility space.
The entrance hall is on the upper ground floor. To the right is the study and ahead is the living room.
The staircases in the house are original. “The banisters and rails were in fairly good condition,” Simon says, “though towards the top floors, the stairs needed a bit of strengthening to avoid further movement.” The floor tiles are new.
Ennerdale floor tiles, Olde English Tiles.
The staircases in the house are original. “The banisters and rails were in fairly good condition,” Simon says, “though towards the top floors, the stairs needed a bit of strengthening to avoid further movement.” The floor tiles are new.
Ennerdale floor tiles, Olde English Tiles.
The living room is at the back of the house. The flooring in here and the study is the existing timber boards, which Simon sanded and oiled. “They’re pine with a natural, low-sheen finish, so they’re not so shiny,” he says.
Most of the features – the fireplaces, cornicing and shutters – were in place and in pretty good condition; they only needed a lick of paint to refresh them. Simon fitted new column radiators throughout the house.
Column radiators in Anthracite, Trade Radiators. Trio Cleo wall lights in Gold, Illumination.co.uk.
Most of the features – the fireplaces, cornicing and shutters – were in place and in pretty good condition; they only needed a lick of paint to refresh them. Simon fitted new column radiators throughout the house.
Column radiators in Anthracite, Trade Radiators. Trio Cleo wall lights in Gold, Illumination.co.uk.
The couple chose a moodier dark blue in here. “This room gets a lot of light thanks to the big window,” Simon says.
The double doors in the right-hand corner hide a cupboard, which was already there.
Walls painted in Hague Blue, Farrow & Ball. Chess rug by Mint Rugs, available at Wayfair. Albert antique brass floor lamp, Pooky. Hanging Birds wall decoration, Cox & Cox.
The double doors in the right-hand corner hide a cupboard, which was already there.
Walls painted in Hague Blue, Farrow & Ball. Chess rug by Mint Rugs, available at Wayfair. Albert antique brass floor lamp, Pooky. Hanging Birds wall decoration, Cox & Cox.
Simon fitted out the study at the front of the upper ground floor. “Having created an office space was a huge relief when Covid-19 presented itself shortly after the project was completed,” he says.
As the couple are keen to put down roots in the area, they’ve bought several pieces by local artists. The oil painting above the fireplace here is of the famously graffitied Star & Garter pub in the Montpelier area of the city. ”When they moved to Bristol, they didn’t know much about the place – it was the job that brought them – so Chris likes researching the locality,” Simon says.
Simon made the hearth using tiles left over from the bathroom.
Walls painted in Oxford Stone, Farrow & Ball.
As the couple are keen to put down roots in the area, they’ve bought several pieces by local artists. The oil painting above the fireplace here is of the famously graffitied Star & Garter pub in the Montpelier area of the city. ”When they moved to Bristol, they didn’t know much about the place – it was the job that brought them – so Chris likes researching the locality,” Simon says.
Simon made the hearth using tiles left over from the bathroom.
Walls painted in Oxford Stone, Farrow & Ball.
The upper ground floor now.
Thinking of renovating your home? See projects by architects and building designers in your area on Houzz.
Thinking of renovating your home? See projects by architects and building designers in your area on Houzz.
The first floor has been turned into a main bedroom with an en suite and dressing room used primarily by Lizzie.
They’ve gone for a fairly traditional look, but with the clean palette and simplicity of the lower floors. “They weren’t precious about their old furniture – they gave most of it away – but they did want to keep this bed, which was a fairly recent purchase before we started,” Simon says.
Carpet, Cameron Lee.
They’ve gone for a fairly traditional look, but with the clean palette and simplicity of the lower floors. “They weren’t precious about their old furniture – they gave most of it away – but they did want to keep this bed, which was a fairly recent purchase before we started,” Simon says.
Carpet, Cameron Lee.
Lizzie uses the bathroom on this floor. “It’s not very wide at all,” Simon says. “We said, ‘Are you sure you want it like this?’ and she said, ‘Yes, I’m not a bath person.’”
They created the room by removing a cloakroom on a half landing below, which ate into space on this floor. “Then we pinched a bit of space back to the chimney breast in the dressing room behind [for the shower],” Simon says.
Albion White Matt ceramic wall tiles; Freya Decor 3/6 porcelain floor tiles, all Mandarin Stone. Wall painted in Borrowed Light, Farrow & Ball. Hand basin, Clickbasin. Shower screen, Bespoke Glass Online. Rak series toilet, Victorian Plumbing.
They created the room by removing a cloakroom on a half landing below, which ate into space on this floor. “Then we pinched a bit of space back to the chimney breast in the dressing room behind [for the shower],” Simon says.
Albion White Matt ceramic wall tiles; Freya Decor 3/6 porcelain floor tiles, all Mandarin Stone. Wall painted in Borrowed Light, Farrow & Ball. Hand basin, Clickbasin. Shower screen, Bespoke Glass Online. Rak series toilet, Victorian Plumbing.
This former bedroom at the front of the first floor is now Lizzie’s dressing room.
The room has been lined with wardrobes, which run from the corner stolen for the en suite bathroom. Simon has kept it simple in here. “It’s been designed so it could be changed back into a bedroom,” he says.
The wardrobes have Ikea frames with doors made by a carpenter. “He also created the replacement cornice where it had been lost behind the cupboards,” Simon says. “He used a series of timber profiles. I think it’s more skill than good fortune that they married up very well.”
Wall painted in Oval Room Blue, Farrow & Ball.
The wardrobes have Ikea frames with doors made by a carpenter. “He also created the replacement cornice where it had been lost behind the cupboards,” Simon says. “He used a series of timber profiles. I think it’s more skill than good fortune that they married up very well.”
Wall painted in Oval Room Blue, Farrow & Ball.
The first floor plan shows the en suite squeezed in between the rooms.
This is the landing on the second floor in its original guise. There’s a spare room behind the camera, which remains; the room straight ahead was a bedroom and the room to the right of it was a bathroom. The bedroom had the window, and the bathroom had an internal window.
Simon moved the wall between the two end rooms, so now the bathroom is bigger and has the window, and the remainder of the old bedroom has become a neat dressing room with a skylight.
Not only was the original bathroom dark, it had an awkward L shape (the bath is to the left of the washing machine) and the arrangement was cluttered.
The original internal window borrowed light from the bedroom.
Now, with the wall moved over, the room has plenty of space and natural light.
While Lizzie has a huge dressing room but a tiny bathroom, Chris has a small dressing room but a huge bathroom. “Chris is very tall, so the shower is suited to him,” Simon says.
Ceramic wall tiles in White, Mandarin Stone. Shower screen, Bespoke Glass Online.
While Lizzie has a huge dressing room but a tiny bathroom, Chris has a small dressing room but a huge bathroom. “Chris is very tall, so the shower is suited to him,” Simon says.
Ceramic wall tiles in White, Mandarin Stone. Shower screen, Bespoke Glass Online.
The couple chose the patterned tiles. “It’s a large floor area, so we were all a bit tentative that, en masse, they could be overbearing,” Simon recalls, “but as the shower tray and bath add an amount of white, and the rest of the room is pared back, it works. There’s just the one statement and the rest of the room lets the floor do its thing.”
Freya Decor 3/6 porcelain floor tiles, Mandarin Stone. Walls painted in Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball. Royce Morgan Kensington freestanding bath, Victorian Plumbing.
Freya Decor 3/6 porcelain floor tiles, Mandarin Stone. Walls painted in Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball. Royce Morgan Kensington freestanding bath, Victorian Plumbing.
The washing machine seen here has now been moved into the little utility area off the dining room and the old shower has been removed.
A loo now sits neatly in the former shower alcove. It was fairly straightforward, but “there was a bit of structural work in terms of strengthening the timber joists. This was to ensure we could run the soil pipe across to the back wall under the floor (rather than just the smaller waste pipe from the shower),” Simon says.
Keswick basins; Burlington toilet; Windsor traditional freestanding towel rail, all Victorian Plumbing.
Keswick basins; Burlington toilet; Windsor traditional freestanding towel rail, all Victorian Plumbing.
The new arrangement makes much better use of the space.
The front and back of the house and the window frames were all painted. “It’s great the photographer went that day, as the following week the wisteria got blown down in high winds,” Simon says, but that did mean the decorator could paint behind it before it was reattached.
Simon says there are inevitably hitches with such an old house, but the project was pretty smooth. “The owners really appreciated that there might be issues with the house, as it’s old, and it was welcomed that we weren’t just trying to tuck problems under the carpet,” he says. “It was a pleasure to work with them.”
Tell us…
What do you think of this sensitive period house renovation? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Simon says there are inevitably hitches with such an old house, but the project was pretty smooth. “The owners really appreciated that there might be issues with the house, as it’s old, and it was welcomed that we weren’t just trying to tuck problems under the carpet,” he says. “It was a pleasure to work with them.”
Tell us…
What do you think of this sensitive period house renovation? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A professional couple, Chris and Lizzie
Location Bristol
Property A four-storey, late Georgian townhouse
Size Two bedrooms and two bathrooms
Project duration Six months, from September 2019 to March 2020
Designer Simon Heckford of Oasys Property Solutions
The owners, Chris and Lizzie, wanted the home done to their taste, but they weren’t too specific. “First and foremost, they wanted us to make it comfortable for them,” Simon says.
The lower ground floor originally contained a kitchen and a bedroom. Simon changed the bedroom into a dining room and widened the doorways between the rooms to connect them.
In the kitchen, they kept the original openings onto the garden rather than fitting a wall of glass. “It’s not a massive room and opening up the back wall was going to limit the space for kitchen units,” Simon explains. “Also, you’d have to keep the area immediately in front of them free.
“Having the peninsula unit allowed for seating,” he adds, “and the fixed glazed window, which lets in lots of light, is the first thing you see as you come down the stairs.”