Loft style
When Dan and Teresa decided they needed a home study, the only way was up. With all three of the first-floor bedrooms in use, the couple decided to follow their neighbours by converting the loft into a master bedroom and en suite so they could move their office into one of the smaller bedrooms. The project wasn’t all plain sailing with challenges from the start. The Greens’ house is in a Conservation Area, so the couple had to work within strict guidelines with materials and design. ‘Initially we’d wanted a larger room, but were advised this wasn’t likely to be approved,’ Teresa recalls. ‘So we had to design within a much smaller space which was quite difficult, especially when it came to the en suite: we had to order a bespoke shower tray and screen.’
One of the first hurdles Teresa and Dan encountered in the loft was an old asbestos water tank, which had to be disposed of carefully given the dangers. ‘This set us back and was an additional cost we hadn’t factored in,’ says Teresa. She had also wanted to retain exposed brickwork on the chimney breast, but decided against it when insulation became an issue.
Teresa enlisted the help of interior designer Fiona Duke to manage the entire project. ‘Dan and I have very busy jobs and a family, so the only way we could undertake the work was to have someone who was available to liaise with the building team on our behalf,’ Teresa explains. ‘Fiona was also able to bring our 2D plans to life with her 3D software, which meant we got a real feel for how various ideas would look in practice.’
The five-month build saw the couple create a dormer window to mirror their neighbour’s and squeeze in three skylights, bringing added brightness to the first floor via the stairwell. The area was fully insulated, rewired, replumbed and replastered. ‘Thankfully, disruption was minimal as we hadn’t previously used the loft as a living space,’ says Teresa.
With the builders gone, Teresa started styling her new bedroom. ‘The property’s original features had been restored elsewhere in the house, so the loft gave us the chance to put a different stamp on the place,’ she explains, opting for an eclectic industrial look rather than a theme. ‘Because the room is so bright, Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe paint colour works really well. We love the metal in the furniture for its industrial look, which we softened with warm timbers and fabric textures. We splashed out on a period radiator as a subtle nod to the history of the house.’
The extra room has transformed how the whole family uses the house. Teresa says: ‘It’s made a bigger impact than we thought. We had some unexpected expenses along the way, but I’m glad we decided to go up in the world!’ Above Strippedback furniture with metal trim, like the vanity
desk by atkin & thyme, helps create this look; while the black
lamp from Blue Sun tree adds mood lighting, and the geometric
rug, also from atkin & thyme, adds texture