Expansion Plans

After spotting the potential of a small house on a large plot, Lydia Robinson and Lawrence Grigg doubled its size while retaining its authentic feel

- Stephanie Smith

Moving to the Cotswolds from Bristol, architect Lydia Robinson and her husband, project manager Lawrence Grigg, wanted a property that they could get their teeth into. ‘One of the reasons we moved here was to be nearer where my horse, Mandela, was stabled, but we also love the countryside and just fancied a change. Our design practice, Design Storey, is based in Cheltenham, so the Cotswolds is an easy commute.’ And, when the couple spotted a well-built 1950s two-bedroom house online, they could see it had enormous potential.

‘It was right in the middle of a quarter-acre corner plot and we knew we could make huge improvements,’ says Lydia. ‘It had been decorated in a typical country style, with carpet and floral fabrics, which weren’t very us. But the basic structure was sound.’