MODERN OUTLOOK
When first-time renovators Anna Jenkinson and her husband Alistair bought their neglected period property, they had a clear vision of its family-friendly future
A daunting renovation paid off handsomely in this Victorian townhouse in Kent
Anna and Alistair Jenkinson knew that their period property in Kent would need work – but it wasn’t until the builders arrived that they realised exactly how much. ‘We were prepared for some big expenses, as the house hadn’t been touched since the Sixites,’ says Anna. ‘The whole of the basement was damp, it needed a new roof and new chimneys, and
many of the sash windows were rotten. The builders also discovered two separate old heating systems, which needed to be united. And that was just the start of the renovations.’
The couple decided to renovate in two stages, renting the house out after the first, while saving to tackle the second. Firstly they replaced the old roof and windows, rebuilding the chimney stacks and removing the dated carpets. ‘We redecorated with basic paint and cheap lino as we knew it would be taken up again after we’d saved enough to overhaul the interior,’ says Anna.’
The house was let within a week, and over the next two years, Anna and Alistair saved enough to begin the second phase of work. ‘We were determined not to start anything until we had saved more than we thought it was going to cost,’ says Anna. The plan was to make the
house more modern, while retaining its character. ‘We wanted to be true to the original house, but have more fun in the basement, which was three rooms on three different levels, two of them with no natural light,’ says Anna. ‘Upstairs, we wanted to use more traditional colours and highlight the period features.’
Builders began by tanking the basement to get rid of the damp, putting in a composite wood floor and a utility room. But, says Anna, the space appeared to get worse before it got better. ‘The first time we saw the house after the builders had started was when they’d taken all the walls out of the basement. It was damp, dark, full of rubble, and I had a moment of thinking, “Oh no, what are we doing?’’.’
Happily, the renovations quickly progressed. ‘Once the floor and ceiling were in, we could start planning the kitchen. We decided on navy, with brass fittings, and a white worktop to reflect the light.’ Upstairs, builders ripped out the existing kitchen to turn the room into a study, installed a new bathroom, removed the woodchip from the bedrooms, hallway and landings, and replastered.
The work, which began in November 2017, was finished in eight and a half months – but that wasn’t quite soon enough for Anna, who, by then, was heavily pregnant. ‘I was desperate to get into the house before the baby was born, but schedules kept sliding,’ she says. ‘Arthur, now one, was born while we were still in our flat, and we moved in when he was three weeks old.’
The finished renovations marry the old and new. Anna has worked with the high ceilings, ornate ceiling roses and original fireplaces upstairs to create a tranquil, traditional feel. Downstairs, mid-century furniture and vintage accessories blend well with the contemporary kitchen in the basement. ‘The house is perfect now – airy and uncluttered, yet still very cosy,’ says Anna. ‘It was definitely worth the wait.’