Leamington and Warwick Living Jan - Feb 2021

More documents

Recommendations

Info

With more of us working from home or putting off a move, we need to maximise every inch of space in our homes. This issue, we look at a real-life vault conversion which has given the homeowner ample new living space and room for guests... WORDS Katie Thomson PHOTOGRAPHY Lydia Booth Photography The side table is both practical and allows for cosy candlelight. Table and vase, jysk.com; Candle, Pecksniffs Aromatherapy; Cushions, hauslife.co.uk; Tray, Homesense 16 | www.leamingtonspaliving.co.uk
MAXIMISING I f you’ve never ventured into the belly of a Georgian building, the term ‘vault’ might be an unfamiliar one to you. During what was a hugely prolific building period, Regency architects created many of their characteristic town houses with an interconnected series of rooms below ground level, with vaulted ceilings. All houses except the poorest had basements containing a kitchen, scullery and other stores such as a pantry and larder. More generally, these allowed for the services of the household to operate without needing to use the front door. In the intervening years, many of these properties have been converted into flats and remedial works have been started on these vault spaces - so was the case with this room. Before work commenced (with relevant permissions), the vault was dark and the previous tanking system had failed entirely, leaving blown patches of plaster on the walls. The flooring was a thick carpet laid over a concrete substrate, only adding to the issues with damp. Unlike some spaces, this room had the benefit of a window, so for owners Dan and Kate, it made sense to be able to make it more habitable as a ‘snug’ with an option to accommodate guests. “The project was a daunting one, but the damp issue was getting worse and I knew we needed to take some action” explained Katie, “we wanted to make the space both dry for storage and somewhere we could actually use - but as you can see, the shapes of the walls made sure it wasn’t a standard project. The number one priority was getting it dry.” The first steps were removing the failed tanking and applying a new membrane. Where possible, Kate was very conscious not to harm the fabric of the building “I was adamant that I didn’t want wires channelled into the walls or any harm done to the building itself, so together with our builder we devised the panelling - the batons are secured to the walls and hide the myriad of cables to supply socket points and the LED up-lighting. The power for these comes from the original power source already in place in the room.” Once tanked and rendered, the next big challenge for the couple was the flooring. Even with all precautions taken, this is an underground space and the flooring needed to be able to withstand moisture but also be able to be laid in a space with such an unusual shape “there is not a single right angle in this room!” says Dan, “aside from making it challenging to plaster, the flooring had to be Space “The project was a daunting one, but the damp issue was getting worse and I knew we needed to take some action” www.leamingtonspaliving.co.uk | 17
Page 2 and 3: haus HOME | LIFESTYLE ARTISANAL SOF
Page 4 and 5: Is your child or teens Challenging
Page 6 and 7: SUPPORTING BOARDING SCHOOLS How boa
Page 8 and 9: SPEEDY Comforting meals ready in 40
Page 10: SPICY YUZU MISO RAMEN WITH PRAWNS P
Page 13 and 14: TONIQ On Demand ADVERTISING FEATURE
Page 15: WHAT IS CBD? BEAUTY HOT LIST THIRST
Page 19 and 20: £15.65m 2
Page 22 and 23: Makers of fine bespoke furniture si
Page 24: DOCTOR DOCTOR We talk to one of the
Page 27 and 28: Looking for a care home or a home c
Page 30: The Limes - providing high quality

Leamington and Warwick Living Jan - Feb 2021

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?