Ryan and Rebecca lived in a small flat in the pleasant town of Enfield but seven years ago, when their first daughter was born they decided to buy a bigger place.
Keen to remain in the same sought-after area of Greater London they came across a 1930s three-bed terraced house that had great potential to renovate and extend.
The couple made do with their small L-shaped kitchen, which led to an outdoor toilet and old coal store, for around five years before they decided to take on their biggest renovation project to date.
By this time, their daughter Isabel was 5 years old (now 7) and Rebecca, 42, was pregnant with her second child Imogen, who is now 2 years old.
Ryan, 43, who is an electrician by trade, said: “We realised that we could get so much more for our money if we took on a property that needed a lot of work and could be extended. When we came across our current home, we could see that a number of houses on the same street had an extension, which was very appealing to us. It took about five years before we seriously started looking into it, by this time my wife was pregnant with our second daughter and we really needed the extra space.”
They worked with a local architect who drew up plans for a single-storey extension to create a large, open-plan kitchen and living room with three VELUX roof windows to provide as much daylight and ventilation throughout the day as possible. To access the garden easily, they also added bi-fold doors – a hugely important feature for the couple who enjoy spending time outside with their two young children. Local builders carried out the renovation work, which took a couple of months, with Ryan doing the electrics.
They installed three VELUX INTEGRA® white-painted roof windows with rain sensors and remote controls providing easy opening and closing of the roof windows and the blinds. They chose a polyurethane finish that’s recommended for rooms prone to humidity like kitchens as the roof windows have no visible joints, ensuring an easy to clean and moisture resistant finish.
Ryan said: “The extension has really transformed how we all spend time together. We love taking turns to cook while the other person relaxes and watches TV or plays with the girls and helps them with their homework at the big kitchen table. The roof windows add so much daylight and air flow throughout the day. The rain sensors are great as we don’t need to worry about closing them on a hot, sunny day when we leave the house. Living in the UK, the weather can change in an instant so it’s great to have the reassurance that they will close automatically if the rain comes on when we’re out. We also chose dark grey blinds to tie in with the interiors of the kitchen, which is gloss grey and white.”
The couple are already planning a loft conversion next year to add another bedroom and en-suite.