A kitchen in the loft

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Wanting a sociable open-plan kitchen space, Jayne Houghton chose to make the most of the views surrounding her bungalow by converting her loft.

The problem

‘When I first bought this 1960s-built bungalow, it had only two bedrooms. However, I was keen on developing a property myself and could see the potential in the huge loft space. I realised that it could be converted and I could get the open-plan kitchen and two extra bedrooms that I wanted.’

What I did

‘I asked a friend of mine, Catherine Huckerby, who has an interior design company, if she would help me throughout the project. She suggested that I develop it as an upside-down house – with four bedrooms downstairs, gained by converting the kitchen and living room, and a huge living area upstairs, in a loft conversion. It was a great idea, because it would make the most of the views over the South Downs on one side and the sea on the other.

‘I employed a local architect to draw up plans for the conversion, which would include a balcony for the new top floor. He submitted these to the local authority planning department and I got consent via my permitted development rights.

‘I soon got my contractor to start on the work, choosing a local builder and carpenter, Jay Williams. I had met him through a friend and really liked the quality of his work. He began by creating a dormer extension with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors leading out to the new balcony. Two different-sized VELUX rooflights were also added, at the other end, making the most of the natural light.

‘Luckily, the disruption was kept to a minimum – although there was a lot of dust and noise – as the conversion was contained in the roof space and only opened up to the rest of the house when it was complete and the stairs could be put in. This meant that I was never without a kitchen; everything was finished upstairs before work began to remodel the downstairs, to transform the living room and kitchen into bedrooms.

‘As soon the basic structural work was complete and all the windows installed upstairs, though, I could re-evaluate the space. Catherine advised me on zoning the area and together we decided where the kitchen, dining and living areas would work best. We decided to make the most of the views and position the dining area by the sliding doors.

‘My budget was really limited for the kitchen itself so, after some research, I chose simple, inexpensive white units from Howdens. Unfortunately, I had completely fallen in love with a composite worktop called Starburst, which wasn’t so reasonably priced. I managed to juggle the budget around a bit, though, so I could afford it. I think it was definitely worth it – it’s white with silver flecks and seamless; it looks magnificent and really finishes the kitchen as I wanted.

‘The layout of the units creates a Ushape, which means that I can face the room when I’m preparing meals, so it’s a very sociable space. The extra-wide worktop along one side creates a perfect space for the kids and guests to sit and chat. I chose an under-mounted sink with grooves cut into the work surface for drainage, to keep the look uncluttered.

‘Another eye-catching feature is the American-style fridge-freezer. I’ve always wanted one – even though Catherine wanted me to have an integral fridge – and I do think it works with the scheme. The dining table and chairs had been left in the house when I moved in, so I’ve reused these and they work well in the corner. I had a metal chandelier hung above them to add a touch of glamour.

‘Being near the coast, I wanted to incorporate a seaside feel throughout the house, which I achieved by whitewashing the wooden floors and keeping the walls and ceilings white, too. My builder built the thick, chunky shelves on the back wall over the units using driftwood found on the beach, to tie in with the theme.

‘Now that it’s finished, it’s great to be able to enjoy the space and the views. Although it went pretty smoothly, it was still stressful living on a building site for 18 months. It is a completely different house now and we all love living here.’

PHOTOGRAPHS JAMES ROBINSON WORDS HEATHER GRATTON
Featured in the January 2010 issue of Real Homes