Giving New Life to an Old House
Ivy Ngeow RIBA
March 2003
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"The proper function of man is to live, not to exist." Jack London

It is our natural instinct as human beings to improve our way of life. That is why we have moved on from the cave. Even in the cave our predecessors drew on the walls, just to have something nice to look at. Sometimes I feel like the Cary Grant character in Rear Window as I observe the lives of my neighbours, who are making a killing! They are seriously increasing the value of their property. Without exception I see them in the middle of some kind of building work. From DIY-ers to those who call in the professionals, there are no limits or boundaries to the level of home improvement. 'You can't change the location but you can change the house' as the estate agents would chime.

Refurbishment, renovations, or remodelling (as they call it in the States) all mean the same thing: our approach to improving our caves. As housing grew since the reign of Victoria, so did aspirations. Today many of us still inhabit these so-called 'period' homes.

The first stage of refurbishment is carrying out what is absolutely necessary. This first stage is loosely termed modernisation. Putting central heating in, repairing all windows and external walls, dampproofing and installing an inside and upstairs bathroom all constitute modernisation. Of course, all these works add value to the property.

Nowadays, refurbishments are not often so mundane. Domestic architecture is going through a very exciting and creative period at the moment. Some people may find throwing out an avocado suite or skimming over Artex ceilings therapeutic, especially in properties which have already been modernised (just). Most would go further, and with the help of an architect or designer, find a cohesive design concept for their complete refurbishment.

There are many reasons for this. Firstly, the large positive equity on owned homes means that the owners can have the holiday in Barbados as well as have building works done. Also, it could be more expensive for people to move. Secondly, the glut of TV programmes and coffee table books have made lay people aware of design and house pride. Thirdly, changes in lifestyle dictate that these 'period' homes must be adapted for modern living. For example, people entertain, work, exercise and relax a lot more at home, which in turn feeds the national obsession with house renovations.

In the second stage of refurbishment, additional uses of space may be incorporated by altering layouts, creating new rooms from old or renewing old rooms if the house is satisfactory in size. For instance, a higher quality new kitchen can be redesigned into an existing space. Dead spaces may be used too, for instance, the ubiquitous under-stair cupboard as WC. A utility room may be conceived from a broom cupboard, on the first floor landing. There is no reason why utility rooms should be on the ground floor next to the kitchen.

If the house is not spacious enough, which is often the case, then it is worth considering extending. This is the third stage of refurbishment. There used to be only loft and kitchen extensions, but nowadays there are countless. Anyone with unused outside space has a potential to extend. For example there are rooftop conservatories for people without gardens, there are home gyms and luxury spa baths converted from cellars as well as playrooms from disused conservatories, music rooms from garages and home offices from summerhouses.

Enthusing about renovating your three-bedroom house for months, even years, is not enough to turn it into a three-dimensional reality. It is best to enlist the assistance of an architect or interior designer. This is because every building project, even to experienced DIY-ers, is tedious, exhausting, stressful, disruptive and of course expensive. That's enough negativity for now.

Your architect or designer will help you to visualise a project from start to finish, whether it is a little Moroccan fountain or a two-storey extension. He or she will provide you with ideas about space configuration or layouts, often in more ways than one, and help you work within your budget no matter how small. They are also used to dealing with builders and may take the pressure of you. It is not easy to juggle builders at home as well as having to go to work. Architects are able to advise if you will require a structural engineer. You will also be able to ask your architect about local authority issues like whether you need planning permission (the most popular question), party wall award and building notice approval. Finally, the finished product adds more value to your property specifically because it has been 'architect-designed'. You will read these words with satisfaction in the estate agent's blurb when selling your house.

Successful refurbishment leads to a more enjoyable and relaxed home life. However, home renovation is a continuous process. Stainless steel worktops may be to the future what the avocado suite is to us now. It is easy to overlook that trends play a part on every level of refurbishment. The general rule is that a simple, classic design statement should outshine any of the more faddish treatments of your home. I personally do not entirely agree with this (although I have to say that it is eighty percent true). Sometimes you would like something to look dated just so you could date it. If everyone steered clear of the creative paths, there would be no great designers of the modern movement. There would be no classic Sixties design, or Fifties, or even Edwardian. Of course there were brown-paper-bags-over-heads blunders, but nothing that was invented would have been invented if everyone played hide and chic.

Making a personal and intuitive design concept based on the user is to me more special and valid simply because we live in 'me' time, with little luxuries for the individual. Life would be so bland if everyone was fashionably homogeneous. How little delight we would experience when looking into our neighbours' or friends' newly-refurbished homes. And of course, not everyone likes to be trendy. Quality speaks for itself, and in a high quality refurbishment, what you get out of your property far exceeds what you put in. Therefore ultimately, it is the people who make the home, not the other way round. As the Chinese proverb goes: may you live in interesting times.