A very old house

In the heart of the village of Great Missenden, is a very old house. The original detached building is of timber construction from the 16th century. After many alterations and the rise of neighbouring houses over the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, it is now a grade II listed, terraced home. This house was to be my first major project;

I was commissioned to bring light into some of the dark rooms, make better use of the space, while at the same time exposing the character of its concealed delights. The skillfully crafted timber floor above the current dining room had been covered over with plaster by previous Edwardian owners. There are plenty more surprises no doubt in this historic property.

Despite its history and inherent character, other than the kitchen, not much seems to have changed since the Victorians, with their preference for room divisions. The walls and ceilings are finished in standard white paint, and the floor is a mix of carpet, hardwood, and tile. No one room can be said to be ugly, but the sum of the spaces feel incoherent. On the ground floor, there is also a lack of old features which one would expect in a house of this age; one gets little sense of how old the place really is.

What to do with it? Well, we shall see in later posts - This is a diary of this building's reinvigoration and restoration. Over the course of the project, I will share with you the process of developing a listed property. I will take you through Listed Building Consent and planning, the design process and how the building work pans out.