Full House Modernisation Transforms South London Terrace

Many of London’s terraced homes date back to the Victorian and Edwardian periods and so often appear a little outdated from the outside. While many such homes were renovated in the early to mid 20th century, lots are still in need of a little refresh… and Refresh Renovations are the perfect team to provide exactly that! 

Future-Proofing

In this case, the client had lived in the property for 20 years and saved up to be in a position to renovate and future-proof the house for the years ahead. As a result, she called Refresh’s South London team and they carried out a property visit to scope out what could be done. A plan was put together including internal and external updates: all to be completed in an overall £85,000 budget and along a timeline of six months.

External Façade Work

Giving the front of the house an update to make it stand out from its identical neighbours either side, the existing front porch was demolished. The front door was replaced with a chunky bright blue timber door and the whole render of the home painted a light grey for it to really ‘pop’.
Three new bay windows with timber sash windows were created and brightly coloured flowers hung around them to give beautiful curb appeal.

Electrical Re-wiring

While the electrics in the house weren’t unsafe, they hadn’t been updated in a long time and so Refresh’s electrical team completed an entire re-wire throughout the property including the installation of a new fuse box. This made the possibility of new fixtures and fittings much easier as there was little risk of accidentally blowing a fuse or bulb.

Working with Original Features

The staircase in the home dated back to the Victorian period, but had a glass stair balustrade installed some years before. Maximising the beauty of this staircase, we replaced it with traditional pine Victorian spindles and a handrail; staying true to the origins of the property.

A Light and Airy Bathroom

The bathroom didn’t require a full refit but needed an update. The existing layout of the bathroom had a fantastic recessed bath tub, and working with this, we replaced the panels and tiles above it with a sharp, clean granite finish. The walls were painted a fresh and crisp white and spotlights added in above the bath. The aesthetic was finished off with dark grey towels and pops of colour served through flourishing green houseplants.

Enlivening an Extension

The home had a rear bay extension installed on several years before, but this too was in need of a little refresh. The team modified the opening on the rear bay to install new aluminium French doors; flooding the ground floor with natural light from an angle at which it attracted none before. The doors open onto a bold light concrete floor and highlighted with the same light grey paint as the front of the house surrounding it, proved bold and bright – a real contrast with neighbouring properties from the back.

Freshening Up the Kitchen

Again, the kitchen didn’t need a full redesign but could benefit from an update. We removed the existing tiles throughout the kitchen and breakfast room, re-tiling them both to match before fitting new kitchen worktops and giving the walls a touch-up with fresh paint.
Sticking with clean lines and a minimalist décor in the kitchen, it acted as a neutral hub and an easy-to-clean functional space which was separately zoned from the living room but didn’t act to clutter it in the background. This allowed for the eyes to be drawn to the living areas and kept the focus on the bold greens and interior design chosen for those rooms. 

Sticking to Green

A theme echoed throughout the home was plants. The outdoor space to the rear of the home housed draping greenery and small houseplants matching these were placed in rooms throughout the whole property to bring a real feeling of the outside, in; creating a curated aesthetic wherever you are in the home.
Evidence suggests that having plants inside improves air quality and promotes better wellbeing for those living inside a home, so Refresh always encourages it where suitable.

Overcoming Obstacles

There were two major obstacles that arose during the renovation period – but both were expertly managed by the Project Manager. 
The first was that some of the involved contractors had to leave the work on an unplanned basis to fulfil other project commitments. This was resolved with continuous communication, some replanning and rescheduling and the prioritisation of work that required urgent completion. Overall, this was managed well enough that it managed not to impact on the agreed timeline.
Secondly, the next door neighbour complained about the noise of works as she worked at home during the day. This too was managed with great communication – with the Project Manager checking in with her regularly and updating her of how the renovation was progressing, with advance info given when machinery was likely to be used or other loud noises probable.

A Successful Modernisation

Despite there being unforeseen obstacles crop up during the project timeline, it is testament to the resilience and expertise of the Refresh Renovations South London team that this modernisation project was delivered to time and on budget. 
Refresh approaches every property project on a bespoke basis, working with the customer’s needs and wants as well as the idiosyncrasies of their home to deliver a fantastic result every time. Working with only the most expert of tradespeople and contractors, we curate a team that takes care of every detail of a property renovation – all overseen by a Project Manager to keep everyone on track. 
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Contact your local Refresh Renovations office today to arrange a free, no-obligation property visit to scope out your next project!

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