Renovating a 1960s House

Julie and Mike Wilkinson have renovated eight houses in 25 years, but their final project was always going to be something particularly special. “We didn’t want to make any compromises,” says Julie. “The plan was to buy this house with a view to retiring here.”

So when they bought the 1960s property seven years ago, they didn’t rush into the renovation. “We said we’d live in it for three months while we decided what to do with it,” says Julie. “Those three months quickly became a year while we drew up a wishlist, fine-tuned the architect’s plans and waited for planning permission.”

There were plenty of issues to consider. When the Wilkinsons bought the stone-clad three bedroom house, set on an enclosed plot, they were buying a property which hadn’t been touched for 35 years. The small kitchen, secondary double glazing, basic bathrooms and undynamic kerbside appeal left plenty of scope for improvement — and they had no intention of letting the opportunity go to waste.

Julie and Mike were keen to draw light into the house on the south side, redesign the roof line to improve the balance and proportions of the roadside elevation, extend over the garage, and use natural materials inside. After months of planning they also decided to create a three storey glazed extension overlooking the garden, which encomp asses a staircase rising through the centre of the house.

When building work began in May 2003, Julie and Mike, and their children Sophie and Richard, moved into a rented house in the village so they could visit the site every day. “There was no way we could have lived in it while the work was being done,” says Julie. “It would have been far too stressful.” The extra space gave them two extra bedrooms, another bathroom and a study, as well as a spacious, open plan kitchen diner.

The first task was to remove the roof and create a second storey within the attic space. The original chaletstyle design was replaced with gable ends and rooflights. While the roof was off and covered with tarpaulin, the back wall was partially demolished to create an opening for the atrium. “We liked the design of the atrium because it’s an integral part of the main house, rather than just a conservatory tagged on at the back,” says Julie.

It took two joiners two weeks just to create the beech ceiling, but it was the three storey atrium which created the most challenges. Built on a steel frame with an internal mezzanine balcony, it is supported by a network of RSJs. The flue for the stove stretches up through the middle with the staircase wrapped around it, creating a complex series of glazed half landings.

The construction, along with all the oak doors, architraves, window frames and floors, was installed by the joiners. “They were very good at working to large scales, although the same couldn’t be said for some of the contractors who were out of their depth,” says Julie.

It wasn’t long before the Wilkinsons realised that their optimistic predictions of a 20-week build were way off course. Fortunately, they had possessed the foresight to negotiate a fixed price with the build company which included external works such as the patio, granite block drive and the demolition and rebuild of a garden wall.

“There were certainly times when we wondered whether we’d done the right thing, especially in the middle of the project, because it was difficult to visualise the end product,” says Julie. “Then it all started falling into place and we could begin to plan the interior. We wanted a relaxed, contemporary look but nothing minimal.”

The Poggenpohl kitchen, for example, features backlit glass splashbacks, granite work surfaces and Miele appliances, while the living area has a revolving logburning stove and a mezzanine balcony overlooking the octagonal glazed dining atrium. Philippe Starck fittings in the bathroom complement an oval freestanding blue glazed bath.

“We had plenty of sleepless nights,” says Julie. “There were so many decisions to make every single day. It was always a great relief to discover we got things right. Overall, the house evolved as it went along, although the basic design remained the same.”

Since the house was completed last year, Julie and Mike’s best laid plans to stay there until they retired have changed. Unable to resist one last, ultimate challenge, they have just bought a bungalow at auction with the aim of project managing its renovation.

“I love this house and we’ve put our heart and soul into it,” says Julie, “but there’s always that thought that the next one could be even better.”

Further reading:

• Five Steps to Renovation Design Success
• Renovate or Rebuild: Which is Greener?
• Extending and Updating a 1970s House