Milford House

With the prospect of an overseas posting, the owners wanted to renovate the house and make it as easy to rent as possible. The ground floor needed pushing out into the garden to create a large kitchen / dining / family room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a large skylight, opening onto a patio. The kitchen required a complete overhaul with a large island and a separate pantry; the utility room a service entrance; and the attic a conversion into the children's quarters. All additions had to be sympathetic to the style of the house. The owners wanted our advice so they could brief their own builder.

A roomy, light family room was created with access to a large wooden deck for easy outdoor living. An all-new kitchen with a large island links it to the entertaining area, and the new sitting and dining space benefits from huge lantern roof-lights — the heart of family living. The original dining room near the entrance became the master's study, and the utility room was re-planned with a new service entrance onto the forecourt.

The master suite was completely re-designed: the old study became a dressing room, a new master bathroom was formed, and a corridor was carved from lesser-used closets to give direct access to the landing. In the newly insulated attic, the builder found space for two children's bedrooms, each with its own en-suite — one shower creatively inserted into a dormer for headroom. Seven dormers were added in keeping with the architecture, plus three skylights.

A house extended to 3,400 sq ft with all modern amenities — six bedrooms, five bathrooms, a home office and a magnificent family living area opening onto the garden. On moving abroad, the owners found a corporate tenant immediately.