15th-century apartment makeover

Alex and Steve Drake have sympathetically updated a two-storey conversion in a period property. Their ability to bring out the traditional character of their home earned it Best Apartment in our Readers' Awards 2009.

Alex and Steve Drake's apartment includes a double-height sitting room/entrance hallway on the ground floor, part of the original 15th-century house. Stairs from here lead up to a first-floor gallery, from which all the other rooms lead off. These rooms were added as part of an expansion during the Edwardian era, and sit above another flat downstairs.

While the Drakes were lucky to inherit the original 15th-century fireplace with a cast-iron woodburner, and an oak staircase built by the previous owner, they needed to rethink the decor. Alex says: ‘I chose a palette of creams and off whites to emphasise the period details and complement all the dark wood furniture we’ve collected on our travels. We ripped out the existing kitchen, too, and fitted white country-style units teamed with granite-effect worktops. We installed a smart cooker hood and plumbing for a slimline dishwasher.’ Slate-effect vinyl floor tiles and new mosaic wall tiles completed the room.

The pair then transformed the bathroom in a similar fashion. Tired white tiles were replaced with cream ones, and topped with a mosaic trim. The old lavatory with plastic cistern was replaced. And a new basin and stand were added. They ripped up the carpet and Steve laid wood-effect flooring.

'To minimise noise for our neighbours downstairs, we retained carpet in the sitting room and the bedrooms, in a plain neutral,' says Alex. 'We also added an electric heater in the style of a woodburner as we can’t have a real fire upstairs. However, we tend to use the downstairs sitting room more in winter. It’s very cosy with a real-wood fire. Down there, we’ve added wood-effect flooring, sheepskin rugs, lots of blankets and dozens of baskets for storage.

‘We didn’t have a large budget,' she continues, 'so we’ve done all the work ourselves with help from my parents. The only exception was the installation of the gas central heating – we called in the professionals for that. And to save more money, everything has been purchased from high street sales or DIY stores. We’ve tried to make the most of what was already here. But where we’ve had to change things, we’ve opted for cheaper materials such as laminates and vinyl rather than real wood or stone flooring. It shows that with a little inspiration from magazines, like Period Living, it’s possible to obtain an interior with individual style without spending a fortune.'

FEATURE NAOMI JONES STYLING SIAN WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHS BRENT DARBY
Featured in the November 2009 issue of Period Living