Bijou & BEAUTIFUL
It may be compact compared to their last home, but Felicity and Ian Lock have created a striking apartment in a former ballroom
The perfect home for interior designer Felicity Lock and her husband, Ian, proved to be an apartment converted from the ballroom in an old manor house. ‘We had been looking to downsize, like so many couples whose children have flown the nest,’ says Felicity. ‘Unable to find an affordable home we liked, we rented in the town of Arundel, West Sussex, for seven years, until an estate agent rang us last year and recommended that we view this property, assuring me I would know what to do with it.’
Although the property was dark inside, the couple loved the quiet location, within easy walking distance of the town. ‘It was the veranda and the vast half circular floor-to-ceiling glass doors that sold it to us, plus it was within our budget,’ she adds.
Turning this once glamorous ballroom into a home was not simple – being in a listed building complicated matters, so, once
Felicity had drawn up a design, she went to see the planning officer for advice. ‘This saved a huge amount of time,’ she says. ‘He was marvellous and told us what we could and couldn’t do.’
To create two bedrooms and a bathroom, several walls in the corridor were removed. This left a long, wide area in between, which is now the study and houses the couple’s precious collection of books. The remaining space became a graceful, elegant living room, with a dining table in the bay window and a kitchen camouflaged behind two Gothic arches – these are copies of the original that sits over the front door. ‘There is a harmony in repetition,’ Felicity explains.
Unwanted furniture was sent to auction or charity shops. ‘Downsizing was a very cleansing experience,’ reflects Felicity. ‘Although we had to swap our lovely large farmhouse table for a round one as it didn’t fit into the bay. As the sitting room doesn’t have a fireplace as a focal point, we placed an armoire in the centre, flanked by a pair of antique Gustavian chests to create balance.’
These elegant 18th-century Danish cabinets also inspired the kitchen design. ‘Because everything is on show through the arch doorways, we wanted the two rooms to feel like one,’ explains Felicity, ‘so we had the units made to resemble the chests.’
Now living in a more compact home, it’s important that the Locks keep it clutter-free, so creating storage with doors has been a necessity, and, while collecting may be a thing of the past, it hasn’t stopped the couple from displaying their smaller treasures, like scent bottles, coins, glass paperweights and pillboxes.
‘ We have lived in large houses all our married life,’ says Felicity, ‘ but we don’t miss them. We have everything we need – an allotment, off-street parking, two theatres in the town and friends living nearby. It was the best move we ever made.’
Ahouse and a dog had always been Brian Reinker’s dream, and when he sold his small central London flat to buy this north London house, all his ships came in at once. Unusually, he knew this house well even before he bought it. It had been the home of some good friends of his, and when they chose to downsize, Brian decided that it was his time to trade up. ‘The house ticked so many boxes for me,’ says Brian. ‘Including having lots of lively cafés, restaurants and shops nearby.’
Digging deep
One of Brian’s first jobs was to hire an architect to help him with this project. Brian chose Martyn Clarke because he liked his thoughtfully designed, contemporary residential projects.
With Martyn, Brian developed his plans to improve the layout. The bathrooms at the rear of the upper- and lower-ground floors blocked off the garden and, with boxy rooms and narrow stairs, it felt cramped. Brian decided on a two-storey side extension to create a new kitchen and cloakroom on the lowerground floor, as well as an office, bathroom and study area on the floor above. The lower-ground floor was opened up to create free-flowing living, dining and kitchen areas. Brian took the bold decision to excavate the floor by eight inches to give the dining area more height, and added a window seat which wraps around the room.
Treasured pieces
Most of the house’s original Georgian features were long gone, but Brian worked hard to enhance the few that remained, especially in the library, where there is a moodier, gentleman’s club feel. ‘I love my books,’ says Brian, ‘so it’s great to be able to dedicate an entire room to them.’ Elsewhere, he had the confidence to go for a modern look with a simple palette of materials, including grey flamed granite across floors and worktops and white oak woodwork throughout.
Once the renovation was complete, Brian couldn’t wait to invite friends over. ‘I love to entertain,’ he says. ‘ When I have dinner parties and barbecues, there’s plenty of room for everyone with the big window seat in the dining area. But best of all, having a house and garden meant I was able to get my beloved dog, Dexter.’