MODERN country

Amy and Jamie's well-thought-out extension and renovation has added vital space to suit their blended family's needs

For several years, Amy Nightingale and her fiancé, Jamie Shefford, had rented in their hometown of Brighton, along with Amy’s son, Stanley, and Jamie’s two boys, Carter and Conor, before buying a renovation project they could turn into their forever family home. ‘We were fed up with renting,’ recalls Amy, ‘and as we were thinking about having a baby, we desperately needed more space for our growing, blended family. When we finally spotted this 1930s semi-detached house, in a village on the outskirts of the city, it ticked all our boxes. We loved the area, surrounded by lots of green space, within close walking distance of the village and local school, and only a short drive back into Brighton — it felt like it had a good balance of everything.’

The house itself was in good condition, but hadn’t been updated in years and needed completely modernising. ‘I work for a new-build property developer and Jamie has his own plumbing and heating company, so we were excited to strip the house back to its bare bones and start all over again.’