London 1930s semi renovation
Discussion
Bathrooms
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0979 by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0981 by baconrashers, on Flickr
The orange tiles in this one were a regrettable choice, and would have been changed had we stayed. They were meant to be a pale mustarc yellow, they were wrong, and we should have sent them back.
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0985 by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0984 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0979 by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0981 by baconrashers, on Flickr
The orange tiles in this one were a regrettable choice, and would have been changed had we stayed. They were meant to be a pale mustarc yellow, they were wrong, and we should have sent them back.
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0985 by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0984 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Loft bedroom, dressing room and shower room:
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0946 by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0945 by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0995 by baconrashers, on Flickr
View from the bath - no exactly rolling countryside, but not awful for London!
DSC_0993 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0946 by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0945 by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0995 by baconrashers, on Flickr
View from the bath - no exactly rolling countryside, but not awful for London!
DSC_0993 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Edited by Harry Flashman on Sunday 24th September 18:56
Loft shower
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0947 by baconrashers, on Flickr
93 loft shower by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0947 by baconrashers, on Flickr
93 loft shower by baconrashers, on Flickr
Staircases. Neutral grey carpet done for sale. I was going to have a funky runner winding all the way from the ground floor to the loft!
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0976 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0977 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0976 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
DSC_0977 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Actually the whole house had plain, square balusters, as seen in the "before shots". I changed them all for spindle designs as the staircase was very boring. Also topped the newel posts wil ball things which look nicer, even if none of this is really period appropriate.
The house was originally built in 1939, as an executive home - so no servants quarters at all, but a more modern family home. It was damaged by a bomb explosion in the blitz, so in the late forties a big,, boxy brutalist extension was added, which you can see at the back of the house somewhere in this thread.
So it wasn't actually a terribly characterful house really, hence my willingness to rip it apart and mess with it the way I did.
Contrast to our new place, which was built in 1896 and has a load of period features in it, which we are trying to be careful to preserve.
The "new" house definitely has the different staircase at the top, where servants' quarters were! The staircase goes from shallow, grand and ornate to narrow, steep and plain on the top floor.
The house was originally built in 1939, as an executive home - so no servants quarters at all, but a more modern family home. It was damaged by a bomb explosion in the blitz, so in the late forties a big,, boxy brutalist extension was added, which you can see at the back of the house somewhere in this thread.
So it wasn't actually a terribly characterful house really, hence my willingness to rip it apart and mess with it the way I did.
Contrast to our new place, which was built in 1896 and has a load of period features in it, which we are trying to be careful to preserve.
The "new" house definitely has the different staircase at the top, where servants' quarters were! The staircase goes from shallow, grand and ornate to narrow, steep and plain on the top floor.
Some slightly less bleak pictures, showing what the place looked like with our stuff in it!
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Well it's all going backwards here now Charlie! Also, in 2002, this area was genuinely rough - stabbings, muggings etc. I bought my flat not far from there in 2004 and would not walk down these streets at night. They installed streetlighting and locked the park at night, and the crims moved on, luckily. House price changes reflect that.
But it shows how vulnerable London prices are to such factors.
But it shows how vulnerable London prices are to such factors.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Tuesday 24th April 19:08
It's a bit weird - mainly because every time I walk past it I make a list of jobs to do, and then have to realise that it isn't my house anymore! Also, it has some traits that I really miss:
- very unassuming on the outside yet palatial inside
- open plan kitchen/sunroom with bifolds was much better for entertaining than the multiple smaller rooms of our current house (although entertaining is not really on the cards at the moment)
- master suite in loft with huge bifolds overlooking a park: you used to be able to lie in bed on weekend mornings and hear tennis being played! Very therapeutic
However, in y much every other way I prefer our new house, so on balance it's all good. And the new owner is absolutely brilliant. Helps that if she has any questions I am able to help her - only one thing has gone wrong in the three years since we finished the build: kitchen tap failed. Could be very awkward if I had done stuff on the cheap, of course!!
Little Bob: here's the chair in our new living room:
2020-03-30_02-18-16 by baconrashers, on Flickr
- very unassuming on the outside yet palatial inside
- open plan kitchen/sunroom with bifolds was much better for entertaining than the multiple smaller rooms of our current house (although entertaining is not really on the cards at the moment)
- master suite in loft with huge bifolds overlooking a park: you used to be able to lie in bed on weekend mornings and hear tennis being played! Very therapeutic
However, in y much every other way I prefer our new house, so on balance it's all good. And the new owner is absolutely brilliant. Helps that if she has any questions I am able to help her - only one thing has gone wrong in the three years since we finished the build: kitchen tap failed. Could be very awkward if I had done stuff on the cheap, of course!!
Little Bob: here's the chair in our new living room:
2020-03-30_02-18-16 by baconrashers, on Flickr
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