A late-victorian renovation
March 2, 2009
By Sinead Van Kampen
Producing fresh and interesting designs is something husband and wife team Andy and Karen do all the time. Not only are they the creative and business force behind Ollie and Lime, producing a range of children's bedroom furnishings and wallpapers that don't conform to stereotypes, but it seems they can pretty much turn their hand to designs throughout the house as well. We caught up with Andy to tell us about the renovation of their late-victorian home in Cheltenham. Click Launch Gallery to view the images.
Describe the house before the build
The house is a large late Victorian style building, converted into flats in the mid-eighties. Although without any typical period features to speak of, the flat itself is blessed with Victorian proportions, which was one of the main attractions.
We were the first to look at the property when it came onto the market. There were no estate agent photos and no real details to speak of. We were just handed a floor plan, which looked to offer the space we needed.
We knew the area and the type of property so were very hopeful. After taking a look at the outside of the building we requested a viewing. When we first set foot in the flat we were struck by the scale, the high ceilings and the huge windows filling the space with light.
Also immediately apparent was the amount of work needed. The shell was there but everything else was in a terrible state. Pretty much nothing had been touched since the eighties conversion! The tired décor, tatty kitchen and avocado bathroom suites all added up to a heap of work!
The main problem though was the restrictive floor plan. Block walls, false ceilings and numerous doors divided the space and really limited the flow. Our immediate thought was that we needed to really open things up.
Why did you decide to renovate?
We adore large open-plan spaces and love the character and quirkiness of chapel and warehouse conversions. We narrowly lost out on a church conversion the year before and that kind of property is rare in this area, particularly within our price range.
Happily though, Cheltenham is filled with large Georgian and Victorian buildings, many converted into flats. So, we set about trying to find one within our price range, preferably needing a bit of work.
This place fitted our brief perfectly, although it took a bit of vision to realise it! Although not as imposing as a church conversion, this property offered the opportunity to create something special.
Did you design the floor plan and if so what did you go for?
We spent hours sketching various floor plans, removing walls, positioning furniture, thinking about colour schemes; the whole shebang. Embarrassingly, all before we’d even had an offer accepted! We just got so obsessed with it all. Thankfully, the sale went through without complication.
Before we exchanged contracts we met our trusted builder at the flat, to get his opinion on our proposed changes. We were swiftly brought down to earth though as he revealed that most of the walls we wanted to remove were load bearing. We had to revise our plan a fair bit but managed to find a compromise that would still work.
To create the floor plan we wanted, we decided to remove all the doors and surrounds, barring the main bathroom door. We also chose to widen and heighten each doorway, improving the flow through the flat. The lounge/dining room features a mid-room partial divide, which we decided to raise by around two feet, to open up the space even more.
There was also a loft space and an en-suite adjacent to the master bedroom. We quickly decided this had to go, and set about opening the whole thing up. This created a much larger bedroom space with a walk-in wardrobe.
How did the location of the property affect the design?
The property is located in a quiet, tree-lined street on the fringe of Cheltenham town centre. The flat has windows on all four sides, so being surrounded by trees and greenery makes for some very pleasant views.
The property falls within a conservation area, so this restricts what can be done to the outside of the building. This didn’t affect our plans however, as all our changes were internal ones; cosmetic and minor building works.
Describe the interior style you went for and where you took inspiration from
Luckily we share very similar taste, so there were no major disagreements regarding the interior style. Our taste is very contemporary but with a touch of retro, hence the living room wallpaper for example. Our style is very minimal and we hate clutter. We do like to break things up with bursts of colour though, like the lime green kitchen and feature walls.
Our motivation for the interior came from a love of the US. We have frequently visited for business and pleasure over the last few years and while there we usually tour open houses at the weekends. We fell in love with the large, loft-style apartments typical of New York and Boston, and had a desire to replicate that over here, at least until we could afford the real thing.
We started off by reducing everything to basics. Once we’d ripped everything out and re-plastered, we set about laying new wood floor throughout. We bought American Black Walnut, which works really well. The bathroom is the only space which isn’t wood-floored. That, coupled with mostly plain white walls makes for a real flow throughout and adds to the feeling of space.
What is your favorite feature?
Difficult to pick anything specific, but the combination of a few major things has made the difference. Opening up the hallway has had a huge impact, combined with widening the door opening into the main living area. You can now stand in the master bedroom – at one end of the flat – look down the corridor and straight through the dining room window, which is around fifty feet away.
Raising the living space divide has also helped to create a really spacious feeling. This living area is where we spend most of our time when we’re both at home or for entertaining, so it was important to get it right.
One of the major talking points when people first see the flat is the concrete kitchen work surface. We wanted it to be really thick and chunky, so stone seemed the obvious material. We got a quote from a really high-end kitchen design shop but the worktop came in more expensive than the rest of the kitchen and appliances put together!
So we did some research and came up with a cheaper solution. Our builder is an ex-chef and has that creative edge, so when we suggested a poured concrete top, he was up for having a go. We are so glad we went down this route, although it took about five different products to seal the surface! It looks great now and is a real feature.
People also love the walk-in wardrobe, which is hugely practical but doesn’t eat into the master bedroom space the way built-in units would have. We have further plans in this area. Soon we’ll be building a floor-to-ceiling unit to house our ever-increasing shoe collection!
Have you any advice for readers who are thinking of renovating, is there anything you would have done differently?
Renovating is a really satisfying thing to do, particularly when you have a shared vision of what you want to achieve. Plus, buying somewhere and adding value is always a good idea, no matter what state the housing market or economy is in.
Clearly the more you can do yourself, the more you stand to gain. Having said that, I think it’s important not to underestimate the scale of the project you are taking on. It’s well worth employing people for the highly skilled jobs, particularly where a top-quality finish is needed.
We employed a great bunch of guys, each with their own specialist skills. After a week or so of pulling things down and stripping everything out the place looked even more of a wreck! We really got our hands dirty, which was great fun but exhausting!
We did a lot of the clearing out and preparation ourselves, along with all the decorating. I guess this proved to be harder than we imagined. The ceilings and the walls are pretty high so painting them was hard work and seemed to go on forever. Other than that we found it a pleasure and very satisfying.
If you can get all of the structural work done before you move in, all the better, but I would say live in a place for a while before you make any radical decorating decisions or major purchases, as it’s best to get a feel for how you use the space first.
Almost a year on, as we continue to add our own touches, we often look around at what we’ve created and smile. That has to be the biggest satisfaction.
To see the house click on Launch Gallery at the top of this article.
To view the range of wallpapers, fabrics and children's rooms by Ollie and Lime, visit http://www.olliandlime.com/
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