How a couple transformed a derelict old bank into a dream home
Eclectic, creative and bold – could you be this brave? Property editor Joanne Ridout reports...
WITH so many high-street bank branches closing, many suburbs, villages and even towns are being left with abandoned buildings, left empty if they don’t find a new owner and in danger of becoming a blight. But some empty bank buildings date back to an era when the architecture of the home of local finance was given thought and a budget to create an attractive property that visually stood out for the right reasons.
Wandering up to the facade of this handsome three-storey building in the village of Cefn Mawr, south of Wrexham, and the stone and red brick property certainly offers a very visually pleasing welcome which heightens the anticipation to find out what has happened inside the former bank.
The building hasn’t always looked so smart and inviting. In 2012 it was empty and dying of dereliction. But sometimes a dilapidated property is meant to find its saviour, even if it has to wait for years and has to rely on a sprinkling of serendipity.
Enter couple Ellen and Martyn Rogers into this old bank’s story, as the people to push through the stress and pay the budget to turn its fortunes around, even though they had no intention of moving or taking on a full-scale renovation project.
Martyn says: “We actually found the property by sheer coincidence. It was winter 2012, in the evening, and we were driving back home from
Manchester. We had to make a diversion due to a traffic incident on the motorway and, in the dark and rain, we ended up driving into north Wales.
“We were completely lost, so we stopped in a small car park to find our best route home. Looking across the road, I saw an old dilapidated building, metal grates over the windows, chimney stacks noticeably missing and a dirty ‘for sale’ sign on the wall.
“It looked completely neglected and semiderelict, but I knew it had once been a beautiful, elegant building that had taken pride of place in the village. And I knew it would make a fabulous family home.”
Two years passed without a thought about the bank. Then the couple decided to move house to be nearer to family but still be within an hour’s drive of Manchester. And the very first forage for their new home was a bizarre coincidence – the first online property search instantly revealed that the old bank was going to auction.
Martyn says: “It was fate. We viewed the property on a cold wet Saturday morning at an open day. We realised we needed to be made of sturdy stuff to take on this building. Family came to view the exterior of the property with us prior to the auction date. They thought we were delusional or simply in denial about the extent of the work needed.”
Once they had secured the bank and picked up the keys, the first hurdle the couple faced was a pretty major one – the property had no usable bathroom and to use the rather bizarre facilities that were in place would be a challenge.
Martyn says: “There was a toilet that was strapped to the wall with a bungee cord and half of a hand basin hanging next to it. And there was a damaged live fuse box located under a tin bath – it doesn’t get much more dangerous than that. We lived in the bank during the renovations and that was challenging. It became normal to walk around carrying candles dressed like a yeti.”
The two lower floors had no electricity or plumbing and the top floor was completely out of bounds for safety reasons, with holes stretching up right through the roof so they could see the stars on a clear night. The hard work to renovate the old bank began with the vision to create a three-storey dream home that was as creative and unique as the couple.
The renovation project had to conform to conservation standards and included the front stone facade being sandblasted back to the Cefn stone and treated, all the terracotta bricks cleaned and special ornate bricks made. The whole building was repointed in lime mortar and the guttering was replaced. The building was re-roofed and chimney stacks were rebuilt and 13 new windows were added.
Inside, work included wood treatments, rewiring, central heating and a loft conversion and
most of the internal floor joists had to be replaced.
Martyn says: “With the guidance of an architect and conservation officer, we completed the works within two years.
“In 2016 the building won a commendation award for architectural conservation by the Wrexham Area Civic Society.”
Making the property safe and dry and renovating it structurally was, of course, the first priority on the couple’s list and then came the interior design of the internal spaces. The couple admit they enjoyed every single moment of that phase and, stepping inside the property, it definitely shows.
Outside, the word “bank” carved into the stone facade above one of the pretty arched windows gives the game away as to the building’s past, but inside there’s little to suggest the building’s former function apart from some very beautiful floor tiles in the former public areas.
Through the bright blue inner front door and the combination of bold and uplifting colours, mixed with patterns and restored period features such as beautiful stained-glass panels in doors, starts the unique welcome to the home, which continues throughout.
Martyn says: “Decorating and choosing furniture for the interior was exciting. Both my partner and I have an interest in history, so many aspects of the design of the interior relate to some part of historical importance that we admire. And we both love colour and derive pleasure from individual items and we are not concerned about being able to match items.”
Into the kitchen to the left and the two-tone quarry floor tiles and stripped wooden shutters are a joy to discover.
The space at the front of the room is a cosy seating spot, with two armchairs nestled next to the sizeable log burner, housed within the chimney breast with a fire surround painted the same colour as the wall panelling for a seamless visual flow.
The kitchen units hug the two walls in a galley style at the rear, towards the view of the garden and the rooftops of the village through the sash window.
On one wall, above the base unit, glazed metro tiles are used as a splashback, bringing texture and colour, complemented by the artwork above, with an industrial edge added via exposed metal electric wire trunking.
As with every room in the house, the space is a unique collection of treasures, from vintage furniture to statement pieces such as old signage, but arguably the most appropriate for the address of this home is the metal safe that sits on the floor in the corner of the kitchen and doubles up as a cookbook shelf.
Into the room on the other side of the entrance hall and there’s more mesmerisingly yummy interior design to feast on, with gorgeous period floor tiles joined by black and white striped furniture, a mix of bold dark blue, florals, green and choral and a church pew painted green and two armchairs cwtched up next to a log burner.
At the far end of this space is the staircase up to the first floor, with your ascent joined by a collection of charcoal portraits on the wall. Past a handy cloakroom on the landing to be greeted by a collection of vintage fire buckets that line the matt grey lower wall panels that make a strong visual impact.
Above the buckets is a wallpaper featuring birds against a muted, nature-based colour palette, with the floor adding to the design story in this space having been whitewashed and silver stars added. And, as seen in every room in this amazing home, the central light makes a unique and eye-catching statement.
Into the first-floor lounge at the rear and you are welcomed by a bank sign on the door from the past, proudly shouting about savings accounts, plus the original key of the original door still happily sitting in the lock.
This bright and engaging room is pretty in pink, with various tones of the colour found on furniture, soft furnishings, lampshades, wallpaper and painted walls. But arguably the key pieces in this room are the fabulous stripped-wood built-in cupboard and the stained-glass window, although the cabinet displaying a collection of vintage tins and bottles might be a favourite with visitors too.
Martyn says: “This back lounge reflects more of current life rather than in the past, with the London Toile by Timorous Beasties in pink joined with a Vivienne Westwood mural of a vintage ship’s flag.”
Back on to the landing and into the front study and office, which is a darker, moodier, more intimate space cloaked in a contemporary matt charcoal grey with statement wallpaper on one wall and a splash of vibrant orange via artwork and flowers.
The space continues the anticipation of finding an eclectic mix of treasures and personal items, and the room does not disappoint, even if it is somewhat more curated.
Martyn says: “We look at pictures and furniture as being beautiful objects in their own individual right, not part of a set or group. A lot of the vintage items throughout the house have been collected over many years from antique markets, both here and in France, and second-hand shops – sustainability and recycling regarding interiors is important to us.”
Off the study is the door to arguably the main lounge area and it’s a visual stunner, draped in a duo of vibrant green and tactile purple, with much thought behind the personal choice.
Martyn says: “My partner’s family is predominantly female and this shows in her personality – the front lounge is in colours chosen by her, lilac and green. Her grandmother was a great supporter of the suffragette movement and her mother a strong spiritual person, so this room is comforting and keeps their memories alive.”
Up to the top floor and as soon as you climb the stairs it becomes apparent that the couple have been thoughtful in renovating this area too, with the ceiling extended up to a roof window to create a double-height space flooded with downward light. There’s a peek at a mezzanine gallery level nestled into the loft space and accessed by a spiral staircase, but before checking that out, the second floor has two bedrooms to explore.
The principal is a breathtaking mix of bold orange with green, yellow and grey accents.
Martyn says: “This bedroom is decorated in Florafantasia by House of Hackney in orange. This was specifically chosen due to its connection to Imbolc, the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and displays my love of nature and the spirits of nature.”
The next bedroom is being used as a walk-in wardrobe and next to that the bathroom is a generous space whose window reveals the last bank brand to use the building – Trustee Savings Bank.
Up the spiral staircase to the mezzanine area and it is the perfect spot for a quiet reading nook and a very clever use of space to provide access to the loft bedroom.
This is the bedroom with the best views of the treetops and fields on the horizon from the roof window, as well as its own statement pieces to notice including a light fitting that looks like a massive piece of popcorn.
Of course, this home has a secret cellar, with access down narrow stone steps that also lead to a unique outside space – a garden room with walls but without a roof. This surprising area has a door that leads into a private walled courtyard which, of course, is packed full of character and charm, as well as plants.
On the very top floor, in the loft space, there’s a door into a storage room under the roof eaves which offers a new owner the potential to maximise as an ensuite to the adjacent bedroom. There are some areas of this top floor for a new owner to add to or finish off with their own choice of decor, but it would be hard to take this amazing home to a higher level of personal uniqueness.
And Martyn has some words of advice for the new owner when it comes to making this house, that they have lovingly brought back to life, into their home.
He says: “I believe people should be brave with their interior design choices – you can always repaint! Life is short, have your own style and love it.”
■ The Old Bank is for sale for offers over £325,000 with estate agent Morris Marshall & Poole. Call their Oswestry branch on 01691 679595 to find out more