This Place Had No Character

Faced with a blank space, Hannah used colour, clever storage and statement pieces to fill her home with life and personality

- Andrea Childs

I’ve always loved this house – I used to walk past it regularly as our previous home was just around the corner,’ says Hannah. ‘The building is detached and set back from the road so the place enjoys a real sense of privacy. And among the neighbouring Edwardian properties, its Sixties style was very distinctive.

When the house suddenly came on the market, I immediately arranged a viewing. But the reality was very different from what I had imagined. Close up it was ugly, with dated lino floors, and it was dark because of the small rooms and tiny windows. However, what the place did have in its favour was space and potential.

Getting consent

The property is in a conservation area, so it could have been tricky to secure planning permission for an extension, but it already had a double garage at the back and a conservatory that was built on to the front. My husband Colin and I knew we’d be able to replace those structures with front and rear extensions without increasing the building’s size, so getting consent for the work wasn’t a problem.