Space.. to boldly go

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Apr 20, 2008 | by Words

WHEN Jane Booker inherited her family home, she realised the house she grew up in no longer suited her lifestyle. Denied planning permission to knock it down, Jane and husband Richard set about redesigning.

"My parents bought the 1930s bungalow in 1947 and lived there all their lives," says Jane. "They renovated it quite a few times and it felt good to be home, but we had to be realistic. We do a lot of entertaining and needed more space."

So Jane and Richard decided to enlist the help of professionals.

"Our architect was great and the builder was even better - he came up with ideas that we could afford," says Jane.

Jane and Richard's biggest change was to knock the two small reception rooms and the kitchen into one large open-plan living area.

Jane only needed a small corner of the room for the kitchen. "I wanted something efficient and attractive that wouldn't spoil the look of the living/dining room," she says.

The kitchen now fits snugly into one corner, allowing the couple to maximise the entertainment area. The movable screen helps to separate areas if the need arises. "We went for a minimalist look but it also had to be very practical as we seem to be entertaining all the time!" says Jane.

And Jane learned to drive a hard bargain. She found the best prices online, then approached a local store in Weybridge, Surrey. "I told them I would buy all the appliances from them if they would give me the same price as on the internet - and they did," she says.

Then came the finishing touches. The huge red sofa makes a bold statement in the middle of the room and brings the striking black and red scheme together. "We didn't want the room to look bland," says Jane.

She also managed to find an opulent chandelier. "I wanted something substantial and everywhere I looked they were ridiculously expensive - but after some research on the net I found this one in Scotland," says Jane.

"I just love the space - the high ceiling gives the room an impression of being much larger than it is. It's a wonderful room - perfect for entertaining. I think we managed to achieve what we set out to do - on a very low budget."

SHOPPING LIST

Grimle dining table pounds 195, Gilbert dining chairs pounds 29.90 each, Ikea (www.ikea.co.uk, 0845 355 1141), black flutes pounds 10.50 each, Heals (0870 024 0780), Screen pounds 180, Lombok (www.lombok.co.uk, 0870 240 7380), stools (pounds 50 for 2), Focus (www.focusdiy.co.uk, 0800 436 436). Rug from pounds 90, Next (www.next.co.uk, 08702 435 435), tray (stylist's own) teapot pounds 23, John Lewis (www.john lewis.com, 08456 049 049), Trivsel espresso cup pounds 3.49, Ikea, sofa from pounds 1,529, Sofa workshop (www.sofa workshop.com, 0844 249 9161), black coffee table pounds 250, Heals, rug (as before), Next. On coffee table: vases from pounds 23, bowl pounds 17, John Lewis, Cushions (stylist's own).

We went for a cool, minimalist look but it also had to be practical as we seem to be entertaining all the time

'We knocked two rooms and a kitchen into one big social area'