Bungalow to Des Res
It is hard to believe that this house started life as a two-bedroom bungalow. Thanks to great architects it’s now a gorgeous Grand Design. Sharon Dale reports. Pictures: Mark Rowbottom
WHEN Tony and Julia Ruddiman decided to downsize from their large converted coach house, they spent a while looking for their next home. Nothing they saw seemed quite right until a ‘For Sale’ sign went up on a tiny, two-bedroom bungalow just down the road.
It turned out to be “the one”, though at that point it looked nothing like a dream home.
“It was small but on a decent size plot and it was reasonably priced,” says Tony.
“Plus it meant we could stay in a location we liked so we bought the property thinking we could renovate it and put a dormer extension on.”
His decision to first consult Huddersfieldbased Fibre Architects changed everything.
The result is a spectacular age-proof home with the perfect layout for the couple’s needs, an abundance of natural light and lots of other benefits that clever and thoughtful architecture brings.
“Fibre Architects, having carefully listened to our brief, designed an indoor/outdoor living space that exceeded our expectations, while optimising the overall plot to its full potential by paying attention to the smallest details,” says Tony.
“We were convinced that we’d have to use the roof space or have a second storey to create all the accommodation we required, but they cleverly reworked redundant spaces and unused areas of the side garden to create a fully accessible dwelling on one level.”
It was that good, Julia burst into tears when she saw the 3D images of how it would look when complete.
The cost was, of course, much higher than originally planned but the suggestions were too good to ignore.
The project, designed by Fibre’s MD
Martin Booker and its Design Director Michael Owens, involved the total refurbishment and extension of the 1950s bungalow to create a single-storey, four-bed home suitable for the Ruddimans in their retirement years, while still being big enough to accommodate family and friends.
“Fibre Architects, having carefully listened to our brief, designed an indoor/outdoor living space that exceeded our expectations, while optimising the overall plot to its full potential,” says Tony.
“We were convinced that we’d have to use the roof space or have a second storey to create all the accommodation we required, but they cleverly reworked redundant spaces and unused areas of the side garden to create a fully accessible dwelling on one level.”
All the internal spaces were reworked and extensions added to the side and rear of the bungalow and the house was completely reroofed and new windows and sliding doors installed throughout.
The main living space is L-shaped with kitchen, dining and living areas. Aluminium sliding doors lead onto a large patio, which has level access for wheelchair users and others with mobility issues.
The house also has a utility room, cloakroom, a bedroom, bathroom, two bedroom suites plus a main suite with a dressing room and glazed doors leading onto a small patio.
An existing garage was rebuilt and extended to create a multi-functional building that acts as a home office, gym and garden room.
Fibre Architects worked closely with the Ruddimans to ensure detailed drawings at tender stage to prevent corners being cut and expensive add ons at build stage. Fibre also managed the tender process and worked closely with the building contractor, making regular site visits.
The work, which began in November 2020 and was completed in April 2022, was done during the height of the pandemic when the price of materials and labour shot up.
Again, the Ruddimans benefited from hiring a professional. They paid Mark Ladocha to project manage the build and he did such a good job that the couple were able to move to their holiday home in Spain while keeping in touch by phone and email.
Tony says “His fee was eight per cent of the build cost and he was worth every penny. He checked the workmanship and the costs, he sorted all the bills and was invaluable.”
The kitchen is now a favourite place to be and the cabinets and appliances are from KC Design.
“One of the best ideas they came up
with was having two dishwashers. I thought it was extravagant but it stops the open plan living space looking like a bombsite when you have people over to eat,” says Tony.
The decor was mostly Julia’s choice and she went for walls in subtle off-whites and greys, enlivened by artwork by Peter Brook and Darren Baler.
Moving into the new home has been a joy and has also helped the couple deal slightly more easily with the loss of their son, Luke.
“We have pictures of him up here and we talk about him all the time but moving has helped us.
“In the old house we would walk into a room and expect him to be there. We would look at the chair where he used to sit and imagine him there,” says Tony.
“We have since heard the same from other bereaved people who have moved, though, of course, it may not be a help to everyone.”
The extra overall investment has been positive financially too, and a recent valuation puts the property at a higher price than the total amount spent on buying and altering it.
Tony says:“It was crucial to have professional input from the architects and the project manager. The house has wow factor but, more than that, it works perfectly for us and it feels right.”