Home Style: Renovation Dream

This coastal home’s spectacular outlook was the starting point for Evelyn and Simon Burton’s dramatic and stylish renovation 

Evelyn and Simon Burton had a very particular criteria when they began to look for the house they now call home. “We wanted a period property, decent parking, a level garden, and last but not least, a view,” said Evelyn, as she gazed out from the terrace of her home, taking in the rooftops below and the sea beyond. “But while some people might think all that should be fairly easy to achieve, it proved to be quite a tall order here...” 

The couple had been visiting the area for many years before moving there. “We were living in North London but wanted to move away and for a long time had thought about making the move,” she explained. “It was a big change though, so originally we bought a little cottage for holidays to test the water but after a year, we knew this was the right place for us.” 

The right house, however, continued to evade them. “Then one day I called an estate agent, mainly to bewail the fact that nothing ever seemed to be available and was told that a house that might – just might – be what we were looking for, was about to come on the market. We wasted no time in going to see it and straight away it crossed everything off our tick list!” 

The imposing Edwardian house stands on a road which runs above the town and has undergone a series of changes over time, since it was built. It was turned from a house into flats at one point – and then back again. “When we viewed it, the interior walls at the back of the house had been removed to create one big space, but we felt that so much could still be done, not least to make the most of the view which is stunning, being positioned in such an elevated position.” 

French doors leading out to the terrace had been installed, so the vista was somewhat compromised. The couple’s vision was to extend the footprint, renovate the space entirely, and install vast sliding-glass doors across the entire back wall to create a seamless link to the outdoors.

On the floor above, a sleek balcony with glass panels to shield against the wind was also planned. “We sometimes wonder what the family who had this house built for them would think about such a dramatic change,” said Evelyn. “Back then, they probably looked out from bay windows and perhaps small French doors... glass technology and efficient heating have come a long way!” 

The couple worked with a local architect to refine all their ideas, and once planning permission had been approved, the major work could begin. “It took 18 months altogether – not helped by the pandemic,” Evelyn recalled. 

“Several factors made it all a bit easier though: before any work began, we created an outdoor room at the bottom of the garden so we could escape when it all got too much; we decamped to what had been the servant’s quarters and made use of the old kitchen (now our utility room) sited on the other side of the house; and last but not least, our fantastic builder had the foresight to order all the materials required before we went into lockdown, so that when work could finally resume, everything was there.” 

The couple had decided on a clean, contemporary style for this open living space. “It is in contrast to the rest of the house which retains many of its original Edwardian features, but that was the idea; we wanted it to feel fresh and unexpected,” Evelyn explained. “I also cannot stand clutter, so when we came to designing the kitchen – made to our specifications by a local company – I wanted sleek finishes and plenty of storage to hide everything away.” 

Once the major work had been completed, the couple could turntheir attention to the rest of the house, renovating and redecorating throughout, before finally having the entire exterior rendered to bring old and new together. One of the most important projects, of course, wasthe garden which they tackled after the building works were completed. 

“We wanted a low-maintenance Mediterranean style with an emphasis on evergreens and architectural plants,” said Evelyn who has RHS diplomas in garden design. “We felt that this was very much an extension of the house and needed to draw the eye. Our designer completely appreciated what we wanted to achieve – it is everything we could have hoped for.” 

It’s now six years since that fateful day when the couple first viewed what was to become their home. “We love living here and were so lucky to find exactly what we were looking for,” Evelyn said. “That’s a very special thing to have, isn’t it?” 

Photography: Richard Gadsby/Living4media 

Words: Sharon Parsons/Living4media