British Houzz: A Hodgepodge Home in Bath is Transformed
A total renovation, which involved almost as much demolition as it did construction, created a charming family home in the Bath countryside
After a family bought this Victorian villa just outside Bath in the south of England, they began to wonder whether they’d made a huge mistake. The property had lain deserted for many years, and a patchwork of extensions from various decades across the back had created an aesthetically confusing and structurally dubious building. “It was a true shocker,” says Christopher Mackenzie, lead architect on the project to restore and renovate the home. “It was a whole collection of buildings of different eras that had gradually been amalgamated.”
Mackenzie and his team embarked on a major renovation project: from demolition to construction, plumbing to plastering, no stone was left unturned. Despite various surprises along the way – such as discovering not one but two wells hidden under the floorboards – the end result is a bright and spacious home that honours its Victorian past, while making the most of contemporary design.
Mackenzie and his team embarked on a major renovation project: from demolition to construction, plumbing to plastering, no stone was left unturned. Despite various surprises along the way – such as discovering not one but two wells hidden under the floorboards – the end result is a bright and spacious home that honours its Victorian past, while making the most of contemporary design.
After stripping away myriad disjointed extensions that had been tacked on to the house over the years, the architects began to scoop out a big chunk of earth at the back of the property, which sits on a hillside. “The hill used to run straight up to the back of the house, and the road leading up to the property is steep and you can’t park on it,” explains Mackenzie. “So we created this courtyard area to give the owners some much-needed access.”
It was a big engineering operation that involved much piling work to hold up the hill, but it was well worth doing. As well as providing parking space, the creation of the courtyard and extension reversed the orientation of the house, so this area – which was originally the back of the property – is now the main entrance.
It was a big engineering operation that involved much piling work to hold up the hill, but it was well worth doing. As well as providing parking space, the creation of the courtyard and extension reversed the orientation of the house, so this area – which was originally the back of the property – is now the main entrance.
The open-plan kitchen-dining room is on the ground floor; the kitchen is in a previously extended part of the house and has French doors that open onto the garden. There used to be a wall separating the two rooms, but Mackenzie had it removed to create an open and bright family space. There’s now a change in floor level, which separates and zones the areas nicely.
“The change in height means one side of the island is 900 millimetres high and the other is 1100 millimetres high, which works perfectly for a family with small children,” says Mackenzie. Handleless cupboards keep the space neat. “We didn’t want the kitchen to be the centre of attention in the room,” he adds.
Bespoke kitchen: Westside Design
“The change in height means one side of the island is 900 millimetres high and the other is 1100 millimetres high, which works perfectly for a family with small children,” says Mackenzie. Handleless cupboards keep the space neat. “We didn’t want the kitchen to be the centre of attention in the room,” he adds.
Bespoke kitchen: Westside Design
Mackenzie opted for different flooring for the kitchen and dining areas – porcelain tiles in the kitchen and wooden floorboards in the living space.
“Lots of people think it’s a good idea to have the same surface all the way through when it comes to kitchens and dining rooms,” he says, “but if you put a timber floor next to water, it won’t look good for long, and if you end up getting water underneath it, you’ll have to lift up the entire floor.” The change in floor levels was a happy accident that made the decision to change materials an easy one.
To the right of the kitchen is a door that opens into a utility room.
“Lots of people think it’s a good idea to have the same surface all the way through when it comes to kitchens and dining rooms,” he says, “but if you put a timber floor next to water, it won’t look good for long, and if you end up getting water underneath it, you’ll have to lift up the entire floor.” The change in floor levels was a happy accident that made the decision to change materials an easy one.
To the right of the kitchen is a door that opens into a utility room.
The floorboards are all brand new; almost nothing from the original home could be salvaged. It’s an engineered timber board with underfloor heating throughout. Recessed spotlights are paired with two hanging pendants to designate the dining area. There are also built-in speakers in this room.
Eames DAW armchair: The Conran Shop; Caravaggio P1 pendant lights by Light Years: Funktionalley
Eames DAW armchair: The Conran Shop; Caravaggio P1 pendant lights by Light Years: Funktionalley
One of the only parts of the home where the original features could be restored is the hallway. “We protected the tiles with hardboard during the work, and it was possible to take all of the cables through a different route,” explains Mackenzie.
“The idea of the renovation was to make the original house legible and retain features such as this tiled floor, while all of the new insertions are unmistakably contemporary additions,” he says. “It was all about making it honest.”
“The idea of the renovation was to make the original house legible and retain features such as this tiled floor, while all of the new insertions are unmistakably contemporary additions,” he says. “It was all about making it honest.”
In the living room, Mackenzie installed the same wooden flooring as in the dining room for continuity. A new wood-burning stove replaced a dilapidated fireplace
“The clients were keen on collecting things, and spent quite a lot of time looking for secondhand antiques,” the architect says, so the living room was designed as a blank canvas that could be added to over the years.
“The clients were keen on collecting things, and spent quite a lot of time looking for secondhand antiques,” the architect says, so the living room was designed as a blank canvas that could be added to over the years.
Because the Victorian front of the house – which is now the rear – faces due south, it gets a great deal of light pouring through the windows. Mackenzie installed shutters throughout to enable the sunlight to be controlled.
The hallway leads up to three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor, with a further two bedrooms on the attic floor above it. There’s under-stair storage for coats and boots, a cloakroom and utility space to the right, and the double-height glass entrance to the left.
Above the living room is the master bedroom. The clients decided to paint the floorboards – original here – to keep the space light and neutral without having to install carpet. The wall the bed is up against was originally slanted and Mackenzie had it squared off, but left a little nook for shelving to make use of the space.
On the first floor are two further bedrooms and two bathrooms. The main bathroom is above the kitchen, and features neutral porcelain tiles, a freestanding bath and a large skylight.
Upstairs in the loft are two children’s bedrooms. The space had previously been simply a loft room for storage, but was converted to provide a space for the kids away from the rest of the home.
As Mackenzie didn’t change the roofline of the existing attic, and the property was not listed nor in a conservation area, he didn’t need planning permission to do the conversion.
Hemnes daybed: Ikea
As Mackenzie didn’t change the roofline of the existing attic, and the property was not listed nor in a conservation area, he didn’t need planning permission to do the conversion.
Hemnes daybed: Ikea
The front door now leads into a double-height void for a dramatic entrance. Stone is continued from the outside in, to lead you into the home. “It’s a local stone, and it’s what everything is made of around here,” says Mackenzie.
Given the non-listed status of the property, and because so many extensions had already been added, Mackenzie didn’t actually increase the size of the building, so no planning permission was needed for the works.
Given the non-listed status of the property, and because so many extensions had already been added, Mackenzie didn’t actually increase the size of the building, so no planning permission was needed for the works.
The only thing that did require planning was the electric gate, as it faces out onto the lane. As you come in through the gate, immediately on your right is a door into a little shed, and the door next to it is a passage that leads down into the garden.
To give the house some privacy from the lane, yet bring in plenty of light, Mackenzie used a combination of western red cedar cladding and glazing.
To give the house some privacy from the lane, yet bring in plenty of light, Mackenzie used a combination of western red cedar cladding and glazing.
This is how the original house would have looked, minus the small extension on the left (which now houses the kitchen). It was found in a state of total disrepair. “When we started work, there were lots of horrors,” recalls Mackenzie. “We found a well under the sitting room and another under the dining room… Those are just the sorts of things you encounter with old buildings,” he adds.
The Victorian facade has now become the back of the property. It looks out over a large garden – that has since been landscaped – and has views over the Avon Valley.
The Victorian facade has now become the back of the property. It looks out over a large garden – that has since been landscaped – and has views over the Avon Valley.
Who lives here: A family of four
Location: Bath, UK
Size: 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Architect: Christopher Mackenzie of Designscape Architects