'We really love this SCANDI VIBE'

By adding a side extension and boxing off chimney breasts, Kate and Luke have given their home the open, clean-lined aesthetic they craved

- KAREN WILSON

It was a short trip for the removal company when we moved four doors down from our two-bedroom terrace into a four-bedroom Victorian villa,' says Kate.

'I first noticed the house when I was walking past it chatting to a friend about it being the only wreck on the street. Luckily for us, one of the students who lived there overheard me and told us it was up for sale. I soon discovered that it had been rented out for 20 years and we arranged an off-market deal with the family of the late owner.

Luke and I had our work cut out for us, as there was damp everywhere, the rear windows were falling out, the garden was just a mound of grass and there was a grimy galley kitchen upstairs in our master bedroom! However, we really loved the street and we wanted a bigger house with a garden so we were happy to take on a project.

Back to basics

We had booked builders to start the day after the move, so the whole house was stripped back to brick, damp-proofed, and re-plastered within eight weeks. They also demolished a huge derelict three-car garage with an asbestos roof. It was great to have the two ground-floor reception rooms finished, along with the cloakroom and utility room.