Create SPACE

Sunday Mirror, Nov 9, 2008 by ANDREE FRIEZE

WHEN Pippa and Simon Parkes moved into their three-bedroom Victorian terrace house 10 years ago it was just the two of them. Three children later and they were muddling through a cluttered home that didn't work.

"We've had very small children most of the time we've lived here," said Simon, 49. "Joe is eight, Ollie is six and Sam is four, so it's been too much hassle to do anything. Plus anything we did do just got wrecked by the boys, so we kept putting things off."

But earlier this year the couple decided they couldn't stand the dated colour schemes, bad layouts and cramped conditions any more - so they enlisted the help of architect and TV home design expert George Clarke.

It was just the kind of challenge the Home Show presenter relishes - and it took him just 10 weeks to transform the threestorey property in Brixton, South London, into a spacious dream home.

"Our show is not about quick fixes or makeovers to help you sell your home," said George. "It's about finding space, lasting style and creating a home that works - beautifully."

The perfect solution in these property crunch times...

THE PROBLEMS

THE main factor limiting the family's space was a large family bathroom on the first floor. With a shower room up on the second floor anyway, they felt they needed less washing room and more sleeping room.

Because the Parkses have lots of visitors, one bedroom was permanently given over to guests, which left the three boys sharing one room.

And while the ground floor of the house wasn't causing huge problems, the open-plan design meant that Pippa, 43, who had recently started a home business selling children's wares, found she was being pushed into a corner by the telly. Finally, both the kitchen and dining room on the ground floor looked incredibly dated with their orange and brown colour schemes.

THE SOLUTIONS

THE family had to move out for 10 weeks. It was the summer holidays, so Simon took the children around Britain and France, staying with family and friends, allowing George and the builders to move in.

To get a feel for the house without the dingy colours and dark furniture, George stripped it bare and spray-painted it all white. This, and his discovery of unused loft space above the family bathroom on the first floor, set his plans in motion.

George decided to convert the bathroom into eldest son Joe's room. He would then carve off a piece of the old bathroom to make the boys their own shower room.

To compensate for the loss of space in Joe's room, George would extend up into the loft space, making a raised platform for Joe's bed. With the existing bathroom now gone, he planned to extend the shower room on the second floor to make a new family bathroom.

Simon and Pippa were ecstatic at the plans. But then came the big question: How much cash did the couple have for the transformation?

George reckoned he'd need a minimum of pounds 50,000. But Simon and Pippa can only find pounds 40,000.

The couple are mor tgage-free - Simon, who used to own the Brixton Academy music venue, made money on selling it in 1996 - but he's now writing a book on the subject so keeping a tight hold on finances.

George is disappointed but not disheartened, saying he'll "just have to find a way to manage the budget".

The work started well as the builders came in and knocked walls down, put new par tition walls up and rebuilt doorways.

But then it all came to a halt when it was discovered the wooden supporting beam in the loft was rotten and needed to be replaced. This meant an extra pounds 1,200 for the budget. But the repair went smoothly and the delay was kept to a minimum.

On top of the major structural work, new floors were laid downstairs and a second fireplace in the lounge was opened up.

A sleek new corner sofa was added to make the lounge look modern, while Pippa's home office was moved from beside the TV to a wall at the back to give her much-needed space.

Finally, everything was given a repaint before the great unveiling took place. The family could hardly believe their eyes when they entered their new home.

Simon and Pippa were delighted at the new, modern look, while the boys went racing up to their new rooms screaming with excitement.

"It looks so much larger than it used to," said Pippa. "It's beyond what we expected."

And George was hugely relieved too. "People are more impor tant than buildings," he said.

"Without people, homes mean nothing. What I try to do is understand the owners and what they really want and then try to make it work for them. When that happens, I'm happy."

SEE the Parkes' home transformed on The Home Show, Wednesday, 8pm, Channel 4.

GEORGE'S DESIGN TIPS

5 EASY WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME WORK

DECLUTTER: Be tough and get rid of all that unnecessary stuff.

SCRUTINISE YOUR FURNITURE: If something doesn't work, pass it on or sell it.

CONSIDER COLOURS AND FINISHES: Dark spaces feel smaller - ugly patterned wallpaper can make you miserable.