The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - The Telegraph Magazine
House proud
A boxy ugly duckling becomes a mid-century-modern swan
A boxy ugly duckling of a house becomes a modern swan
How one family bought the wrong home in the right location, and turned it around. By Jessica Doyle
Sarah, 40, and Jason Orme’s Staffordshire home was, when they first saw it, underwhelming. But after the arrival of two children, now nine and six, they needed space and this had plenty, as well as the perfect location. ‘We got it relatively cheap,’ says Jason, 43. ‘It was ugly; no one else wanted it.’
The couple aren’t strangers to major structural work – an experienced self-builder and renovator, Jason built their previous home from scratch. This time they wanted somewhere they could live for many years. Jason set to work with architect Pete Tonks on a design update, referencing the 1960s origins.
The exterior was reclad, with a new tower added to the front and a large extension to the rear, to make space for an open-plan family kitchen, dining and living room. The design, partly inspired by modernist architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, is given warmth by a combination of brick and cedar boards, which have started to weather, helping the house to blend into its surroundings.
It hasn’t been valued since the work, but Jason estimates its price will have risen by £300,000 to £400,000 (they spent around £200,000 on the work). However, it’s not for sale: his aim was always to create a family home, rather than increase its kerb appeal. ‘We wanted a house with wow factor, but for us: it was about making something we love to look at,’ he says. ‘Every night when I drive home, I think, “Wow.” It lifts the soul.’ Jason is a property expert for the Homebuilding & Renovating Show, Birmingham NEC, 26-29 March