high achiever
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Trisha Bond has converted a 1930s bungalow into a beautiful two-storey home
One determined renovator really raised the roof of her Devon bungalow
trisha Bond has been in this pretty part of north devon for a number of years, having previously lived in a nearby house with her husband and sons. But when she went through a separation six years ago, she knew she wanted to stay in the area and started to look around for a new home. ‘I was already familiar with this property and had always loved it. It is on a large plot in a fantastic position on a cliff overlooking Woolacombe Bay, plus I knew the owners,’ she explains. ‘So when they decided to sell, I jumped at the chance to buy it.’
Since it was a bungalow, trisha knew she’d have to make some radical changes to achieve what she wanted, including utilising the large roof space. ‘I wanted to make the most of the amazing landscape and so I arranged the main open-plan living area and master bedroom to look out over the bay,’ she says. ‘I also created a terrace leading from the living area – it’s lovely sitting out there having breakfast. I’m so pleased with how it’s turned out.’
Building up into the roof space, trisha included a window seat in the master bedroom to take in the far-reaching views – ‘It’s a great spot for looking out at sea’ – and added an en suite next to it under the eaves. She also created a twin room on the same floor and, up a small flight of stairs, another double bedroom under the eaves with an en suite for guests.
rather than leave the landing as ‘ dead’ space, trisha turned it into a study. ‘I also installed Velux windows to bring light into the dark centre of the house,’ she says. ‘It has a lovely feel about it now.’
With trisha’s background in interior decoration for show homes, she knows what she wants and where to get it. ‘I do have favourite companies that I return to time and time again,’ she reflects. ‘I love Osborne & Little fabrics, for example, and andrew Martin’s quirky pieces. I wanted the house to be smart and sophisticated rather than a pastiche of a coastal home with everything in blue and white.’
With this in mind, trisha chose a neutral colour scheme with splashes of orange for the living areas and a chic monochrome scheme in the master bedroom that nods to her home’s art deco origins. ‘I know I can add accent shades here at a later stage if I decide I want more colour,’ says trisha. ‘the renovation entailed a lot of hard work, but it’s paid off handsomely. I can see myself living here for many years to come.’