Expansion Plans

After spotting the potential of a small house on a large plot, Lydia Robinson and Lawrence Grigg doubled its size while retaining its authentic feel

- Stephanie Smith

Moving to the Cotswolds from Bristol, architect Lydia Robinson and her husband, project manager Lawrence Grigg, wanted a property that they could get their teeth into. ‘One of the reasons we moved here was to be nearer where my horse, Mandela, was stabled, but we also love the countryside and just fancied a change. Our design practice, Design Storey, is based in Cheltenham, so the Cotswolds is an easy commute.’ And, when the couple spotted a well-built 1950s two-bedroom house online, they could see it had enormous potential.

‘It was right in the middle of a quarter-acre corner plot and we knew we could make huge improvements,’ says Lydia. ‘It had been decorated in a typical country style, with carpet and floral fabrics, which weren’t very us. But the basic structure was sound.’

The couple were keen to make more of the property’s Arts and Crafts roots. ‘Although people think about the period from the late 19th century into the Twenties when they think of the Arts and Crafts movement, it did continue into the Fifties, particularly in the Cotswolds and other country areas. Simple design and robust construction are very much part of it, and we kept other touches, such as the terracotta tiles on the windowsills, which we extended into the fireplace with reproduction tiles.’