‘We gave our house a total glam-over!’
Carol and Colin Joy turned their dull Sixties property into an ultramodern Mediterranean-style holiday home, complete with a swimming pool
After 25 years as a builder restoring and renovating old properties, Colin was keen to tackle a project of his own. When he and his wife Carol found a dated Sixties house with stunning views over the South Downs, they decided to seize the opportunity.
TAKING A CHANCE
‘It had always been a dream to have a really modern new home with underfloor heating, a cinema, and music and lighting systems,’ says Carol. ‘Colin knew our architect Lap Chan (morgancarn.com) from previous projects. We had firm ideas about what we wanted and knew Lap would bring an unconventional slant to the design. We spoke to planners before we bought the house, but we had to be bold and take a chance that planning permission might not be granted. Fortunately it was a gamble that paid off.’
ALL CHANGE
The entire building was gutted and extended on both levels and the whole first floor converted into a master bedroom suite, with two balconies and a ladder to the swimming pool. ‘Very little was left standing apart from four walls and a spiral staircase. Windows have been enlarged and we clad the outside of the house in white insulated render, with lead sheeting to the flat roof,’ says Carol. Sliding doors allow the kitchen-diner and sitting room to be linked, and also connect to the games room, where there’s a home cinema and a snooker table.
PLANNING THE POOL
The overgrown one-acre garden was designed at the same time and included a raised terrace with a swimming pool built right up against the house so the water appears to lap against its walls. ‘Originally, it was going to be a shallower reflecting pool,’ says Carol, ‘but as I love to swim, it seemed like a good idea to make it bigger and deeper. When the sun shines and light reflects off the water and glass, it’s as near to living in a holiday villa as you could get.’