A SUNNY OUTLOOK

Clever use of glazing in their new extension and basement means Martina and Dan Banks striking home is a light-filled oasis

- KAREN WILSON

RAISED SITTING

ROOM AREA Having previously felt cut off from the rest of the house, this room now has wonderful views of the garden. B&B Italia Husk swivel chair, £3,090, Innes. A similar bar costs from £5,000, Roundhouse

HOME TRUTHS

THE PROPERTY Semi-detached Victorian house

LOCATION South London

ROOMS Sitting room/bar, drawing room, kitchen-diner, basement playroom, music room, five bedrooms, three bathrooms

PURCHASED 2012

PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We lived in a three-bedroom period flat nearby,’ says Martina.

With plans to start a family but keen to stay in the same part of south London, Martina and Dan Banks sold their flat and found a spacious house with that all important garden. ‘A lot of the properties in this area are quite narrow and not particularly light, but this one is double-fronted and gets the evening sun at the rear,’ says Martina. ‘We loved the quiet residential road where homes rarely change hands, and it was a bonus that the previous owners had already converted the loft into two bedrooms.’ On the flip side, the badly designed ground-floor layout needed a complete re-think.

A year after moving in, their son, now eight, was born, and then a daughter, now seven, completed the family. Consequently, major building work was put on the back burner and the pair focused on replacing the single-glazed windows with double-glazed sashes. Garden designer Barbara Samitier was also hired to re-plan the rear garden.

FAVOURITE FEATURE ‘In the depths of the pandemic we decided to incorporate a bar area as we wanted something fun to look forward to’