MADE WITH LOVE
Sara and John Morrison weren’t afraid to take on the challenge of reviving a wreck – it was their passion project
It was an unliveable wreck, but the fact that this property had to be stripped down to its bare bones and put back together again is what attracted Sara Morrison, an interior designer, and her husband John, a composer. ‘ We were living in a similar period property in London at the time, which we’d completely transformed, and we were keen to do it all again,’ explains Sara.
The couple chose to move back to Sara’s hometown of Bath to bring up their son, Francis, now nine, but the timing wasn’t perfect as he was only three months old and the house wasn’t safe to live in. ‘There was no heating or hot water, the windows were rotten, and it needed rewiring, replastering and replumbing,’ Sara says with a shudder, as she recalls the stress of juggling a baby with a building project. ‘ We piled all our belongings into the two reasonably clean and dry rooms, and stayed with family while the builders cracked on.’
Budget restrictions meant that they had to divide the project into two stages. They began with the ground and upper floors. ‘On the top floor, there were two small rooms and a bathroom,’ Sara explains. ‘ We turned this space into one large en-suite guest room, to double up as John’s office.’
On the first floor, the bathroom was enlarged to take a full-size bath. And, on the ground floor, the north-facing dining room was knocked through to the sitting room to create a larger, brighter area.
Throughout the build, Sara focused on working out how to make the most of each space in the house and ensuring that there would be enough storage. ‘ Well-thought-out storage is essential in a family home; you can’t have enough,’ she says. To keep things
best buy ‘The Ruark audio system, which often turns the kitchen into a disco!’
organised, she asked carpenters to create a mix of hidden and open storage in the sitting room.
The basement refurb got under way four years later. The family went on holiday for a fortnight, while the basement was gutted and extended into the side return by 1.5 metres. An open-plan kitchen, dining and entertaining area was created in the bright front space, with a wine cellar, utility room and bathroom at the back. ‘I’m pleased that I didn’t choose an island unit for the kitchen,’ says Sara. ‘I like them, but we wanted to keep the space flexible, so we can move the table out of the way and we’re left with a huge entertaining space,’
Upstairs, the original kitchen was turned into a playroom, complete with bespoke den and hideaway. ‘This meant that we could close the door on all those toys,’ says Sara.
The final task was to turn the garden area into a relaxing, low-maintenance space. Francis has a den and swing at the far end, while the centre features a barbecue, table and chairs; and the kitchen opens out on to a compact outdoor seating area.
Sara is so pleased with the result – and positive comments from visitors – that she has gone professional. ‘The challenge of creating a beautifully designed home that works for children led me to set up interiors. family, aimed at helping other people achieve contemporary interiors that look great, but are suitable for family life,’ she says. Sara has studied interior design at Chelsea College of Arts and gone on to complete several other family-friendly homes.
‘ We’re delighted with the way the house works for us now,’ she says. ‘There isn’t a single room that doesn’t get used daily.’