We’ve just completed a whole house renovation, reconfiguration and redesign project in Barnsbury, London N1.
It’s an interesting case study of a renovation presenting a number of challenges:
It’s a Grade II Listed building so consent was required for changes that affected the character of the building as of special architectural or historic interest’ – a consideration that pervaded the whole project
A new roof was needed
There had been several historic leaks from the roof and water tanks in the loft
The walls were wallpapered with gloomy, outdated and damaged paper, but the paper was firmly fixed to the somewhat loose plaster
An extension had been added at some point, but was awkward space to access and use
The client did not want to move out during the works.
Before
We decided a long term plan was needed.
We got to work
The first and most important step was to make the ‘envelope’ watertight (no point in beautifully renovating the interior for it then to be leaked upon)
We applied for listed building consent and planning permission to replace the roof; organised a roofer and project managed the work.
We used reclaimed Welsh slate to coordinate with surrounding houses, in the place of concrete tiles which had been used in a previous repair and were too heavy for the structure of the building.
We made a detailed plan and scheduled the work to take place in a logical order, but that allowed the client to remain living in the house.
We recommended an excellent main contractor for the building work.
We repaired water damage throughout and had the worst affected areas treated to prevent development of rot or infestation (sometimes a problem after a leak)
We transformed the top floor into a light, spacious study, designed and sourced new lighting, flooring, a pale colour scheme and window dressings, and were able to reuse some of the client’s existing furniture for office storage.
We redesigned the ground floor sitting room, using rich colours and stylish porcelain lighting, making the most of the fabulous original features. The contractor carefully removed the old paper and repaired the plaster beneath to a high standard.
We reconfigured the extension into a light-flooded garden room and library and improved access to the garden without making major changes to the structure.
We remodelled a WC/ storage cupboard into a surprisingly spacious shower room, sourcing good quality but sensibly priced fittings and tiles for the client
We sourced flooring throughout- carpets for the main living areas, wooden boards for the extension and tiles and a modern lino for bathrooms (on which we obtained a large discount which we passed onto the client) and arranged specialist fitters
Finally, we arranged to re-landscape both front and rear gardens, arranging for Council consent for the careful pruning of protected trees and organised tree surgeons and gardeners as necessary.
Finally, we project managed specialist exterior renovation and redecoration to the front and rear elevations and repair/ redecoration of railings and decorative ironwork.
After
Quote from Charles, the client:
“Cat helped me renovate my home (a listed, late-Georgian property) from top to bottom over a period of several years. At all times she was helpful, efficient, and imaginative in offering suggestions and proposing solutions. The builders and decorators that she recommended (and whose work she carefully supervised) were uniformly excellent. I would recommend Absolute Project Management to anyone who has a project of this kind, whether large or small.”
Organising renovations from start to finish is what we do – we’ll be delighted to discuss your potential renovation and the best route to achieve your dream home. Please get in touch