HOW MARIA AND JUDE DID IT…

‘Faced with a house that needed work in every room, we weren’t at all deterred when we bought it back in 2004. Not even the kitchen, which was filled with battered cabinetry, put us off. Instead, we relocated it to the back, and had an orangerystyle extension built, so that it’s part of an open-plan kitchendiner. The build wasn’t without its problems though, as the house has a history of heave (when excess water causes the earth in the ground to expand and ‘heave’ the property upwards), so the builders had to use anti-heave foundations, which took a little longer. The new extension instantly made the house feel brighter, and we had a roof lantern installed to gain even more light in the kitchen. We chose cabinetry from Davenport which gave us plenty of storage. The whole project took nine months and the work cost around £75,000.’

WHAT I’VE LEARNED “If you’re not happy with the works, remind your builder you are the one that will be having to live with it – then get them to redo any parts that need it”

BELOW ‘I LOVE THE CIRCULAR ISLAND UNIT AS IT ADDS CURVES TO AN OTHERWISE SQUARE DESIGN. PLUS, IT INCORPORATES SO MUCH – STORAGE, AN EXTRA SINK, AND A BREAKFAST BAR. WE CHOSE A RANGE COOKER, RATHER THAN BUILT-IN OVENS, FOR A MODERN EDWARDIAN LOOK.’ Natural stone tiles, from a selection, Beltrami. Try the Rangemaster Kitchener, £1,629, Ao.com

ABOVE ‘THIS LARGE BANK OF CABINETRY HOUSES LOTS OF KITCHEN PARAPHERNALIA, AS WELL AS THE FRIDGE-FREEZER, AND WE’VE GONE FOR QUITE A DARK PAINT COLOUR AS A CONTRAST TO THE REST OF THE LIGHT KITCHEN CABINETRY.’ For a similar paint colour, try Railings, £49.50 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball

RIGHT ‘THE MINUTE WE SAW THIS DINING TABLE AND ITS TREE ROOT DESIGN WE LOVED ITS CONNECTION WITH NATURE AND KNEW THAT IT WAS THE ONE FOR US.’ Teak root glass dining table, from £1,712; tub chairs, from a selection, both Raft Furniture