Healthy Flowing Homes

Finding her cottage hard to sell, architect Patti O’Neill took a step back and developed the Healthy Flowing Homes approach which transformed the desirability of her home.

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Patti’s cottage was part of a single storey terrace from the 1840s and several modifications had been made over the years which created a confused layout. In the 1950s or 60s a kitchen was added to the front, turning the entrance around through the gardens. In the 1980s the floor was lowered and the second floor was added with two bedrooms and a bathroom and toilet, now directly overhead, as you entered the home causing further discomfort in the house.

When Patti first bought the house she undertook a comprehensive conservation renovation which involved removing the cement from the exterior and some interior walls and repairing with lime render. She also rearranged the ground floor to create two living spaces facing the garden to the south. Nine years on, she made a decision to put her house on the market.

‘When I went to sell it there were no offers for the first two years. So I took a step back to understand what someone entering the property for the first time was experiencing. I was so used to living here that when I stood back I was quite shocked to see that the first impressions of entering the house were all wrong – it caused confusion and was unsettling.’ says Patti.