Renovation Diary: A Victorian Semi Full of Potential
The first in a new series charting the real-time renovation and restoration of a dated Victorian house in Suffolk
Hello, I’m Clare and, with my partner Ben, we’ve just started renovating our new home – a lovely old Victorian semi-detached house in Suffolk. We will document the process here while it’s happening, hopefully nabbing advice, feedback and ideas from Houzz along the way. Below you can see lots of before photos of the new house. It needs plenty of TLC and some major structural changes, but it also has lots of wonderful original features we plan to restore. And I’ll be writing about it all in a regular renovation diary here – this is the first instalment.
The living room in Clare and Ben’s old London house.
It all began less than a year ago, when we finished a major renovation of our home in east London, a Victorian terraced house in Hackney (seen here). We had the full intention of living there for a long time, but just a few months after finishing we sat relaxing one evening in the very living room you see above and talked about the future and began to see that what we wanted out of life was changing.
For me to be able to open my own shop and for Ben not to have to make the daily commute to Suffolk, we started to consider the idea of bidding farewell to the city and our beloved home. In the end, it was obvious: weighing up the pros and cons we saw that moving up to Suffolk would simply offer us the opportunity to build a better future together. Having friends in the area also made the idea of a move that bit easier.
It all began less than a year ago, when we finished a major renovation of our home in east London, a Victorian terraced house in Hackney (seen here). We had the full intention of living there for a long time, but just a few months after finishing we sat relaxing one evening in the very living room you see above and talked about the future and began to see that what we wanted out of life was changing.
For me to be able to open my own shop and for Ben not to have to make the daily commute to Suffolk, we started to consider the idea of bidding farewell to the city and our beloved home. In the end, it was obvious: weighing up the pros and cons we saw that moving up to Suffolk would simply offer us the opportunity to build a better future together. Having friends in the area also made the idea of a move that bit easier.
The living room in the new house in Suffolk.
Within a couple of weeks of our living room conversation, we had the house on the market; one weekend of viewings later it was sold and in what felt like the blink of an eye this, above, is the living room that faces me now.
Finding a house you want to call home starts with a feeling. It doesn’t matter if the walls are peeling and the kitchen is falling down; if you get that sense of belonging when you walk through the door then everything’s possible. This house may be the definition of a time warp and in desperate need of TLC, but structurally it’s sound and with so much potential we couldn’t say no.
I’ve always preferred a home that I could put my stamp on, and after doing up our last house and my flat before that I’m no stranger to a major renovation (and nor is my 18-year-old cat Weanus). Yet when Ben and I are spending our weekends stripping off layers of old wallpaper – which barely scratches the surface in terms of the amount of work there is to come – I do wonder if we’ve slightly lost the plot. But with the lows come the highs and, of course, the realisation of creating the dream – the perfect home that you look forward to going back to every day. I just hope Weanus can forgive me – again.
Within a couple of weeks of our living room conversation, we had the house on the market; one weekend of viewings later it was sold and in what felt like the blink of an eye this, above, is the living room that faces me now.
Finding a house you want to call home starts with a feeling. It doesn’t matter if the walls are peeling and the kitchen is falling down; if you get that sense of belonging when you walk through the door then everything’s possible. This house may be the definition of a time warp and in desperate need of TLC, but structurally it’s sound and with so much potential we couldn’t say no.
I’ve always preferred a home that I could put my stamp on, and after doing up our last house and my flat before that I’m no stranger to a major renovation (and nor is my 18-year-old cat Weanus). Yet when Ben and I are spending our weekends stripping off layers of old wallpaper – which barely scratches the surface in terms of the amount of work there is to come – I do wonder if we’ve slightly lost the plot. But with the lows come the highs and, of course, the realisation of creating the dream – the perfect home that you look forward to going back to every day. I just hope Weanus can forgive me – again.
Weanus the cat, sizing up the changes from the safety of a removals box.
Just one of the photos Clare has saved to her inspiration mood board (see Clare’s Ideabooks on her profile)
I love this room and have saved it to my Ideabook for the new living room. The velvet and rich-coloured furniture really stand out against the dark walls, making it an elegant yet cosy room for relaxing.
Inky walls (I’m thinking we’ll go for blue) will work brilliantly with our multi-coloured knotted wool rug and make a great backdrop for my collection of antique framed bugs and butterflies. Green and blue have been dominant colours in other places I’ve lived and have stood the test of time as my firm favourites. And they’ll be central again in our new home, although this time I’m definitely thinking that ‘bolder and darker’ will be my new mantra.
I love this room and have saved it to my Ideabook for the new living room. The velvet and rich-coloured furniture really stand out against the dark walls, making it an elegant yet cosy room for relaxing.
Inky walls (I’m thinking we’ll go for blue) will work brilliantly with our multi-coloured knotted wool rug and make a great backdrop for my collection of antique framed bugs and butterflies. Green and blue have been dominant colours in other places I’ve lived and have stood the test of time as my firm favourites. And they’ll be central again in our new home, although this time I’m definitely thinking that ‘bolder and darker’ will be my new mantra.
The kitchen in Clare and Ben’s old London house.
I still can’t quite believe I willingly left my new kitchen in London behind after such a short time to enjoy it (that’s it, above), but the process was such a huge learning curve I’m keen to have a go at it again, this time armed with my new-found knowledge. As a terraced house, our previous home was restricted in width so we were only able to add a modest side return with doors at the end leading to the garden. And while the new kitchen ticked lots of boxes, it was a more neutral space than I’d have really liked, whereas with our new house I’m feeling braver about going for stronger colour and textures throughout.
See more photos, including before shots, of Clare and Ben’s old house
I still can’t quite believe I willingly left my new kitchen in London behind after such a short time to enjoy it (that’s it, above), but the process was such a huge learning curve I’m keen to have a go at it again, this time armed with my new-found knowledge. As a terraced house, our previous home was restricted in width so we were only able to add a modest side return with doors at the end leading to the garden. And while the new kitchen ticked lots of boxes, it was a more neutral space than I’d have really liked, whereas with our new house I’m feeling braver about going for stronger colour and textures throughout.
See more photos, including before shots, of Clare and Ben’s old house
The kitchen in the new house.
Speaking of being bold, here’s the classic ‘before shot’ of the kitchen in the Suffolk house. You can’t help but admire someone who paints their kitchen pink with purple woodwork. Having said that, gutting this room will give us the upmost enjoyment. What really makes this space different to our last kitchen is the amount of surrounding garden. The plan is to add a wrap-around extension with plenty of glass to help create a sense of space and compensate for the lack of ceiling height. I’d like a more eclectic feel, too, with somewhere to display my vintage kitchenalia that so often ends up in a box, as there’s nowhere for it to live in a kitchen dominated by fitted cupboards.
Speaking of being bold, here’s the classic ‘before shot’ of the kitchen in the Suffolk house. You can’t help but admire someone who paints their kitchen pink with purple woodwork. Having said that, gutting this room will give us the upmost enjoyment. What really makes this space different to our last kitchen is the amount of surrounding garden. The plan is to add a wrap-around extension with plenty of glass to help create a sense of space and compensate for the lack of ceiling height. I’d like a more eclectic feel, too, with somewhere to display my vintage kitchenalia that so often ends up in a box, as there’s nowhere for it to live in a kitchen dominated by fitted cupboards.
A kitchen saved to Clare’s Ideabooks. It’s part of a moodboard for her new cookspace.
This deVOL kitchen is really helping to inspire my ideas for the new house.
As a pastry chef, the kitchen is where I spend most of my time wherever I live. This beautiful kitchen has the perfect centre island for tart-making, with an expanse of cold marble that is a pastry maker’s dream. I love the vintage pieces and eclectic feel of the room, too. It’s both a working kitchen with lots of storage and an inviting space.
This deVOL kitchen is really helping to inspire my ideas for the new house.
As a pastry chef, the kitchen is where I spend most of my time wherever I live. This beautiful kitchen has the perfect centre island for tart-making, with an expanse of cold marble that is a pastry maker’s dream. I love the vintage pieces and eclectic feel of the room, too. It’s both a working kitchen with lots of storage and an inviting space.
Another design that Clare added to her kitchen Ideabook.
While I liked our previous dark blue and grey units, I’m hankering after a dark-green kitchen like this one this time round. This colour with the contrast of the marble tops, heritage brass accessories and all softened by the old wood floor is perfection.
While I liked our previous dark blue and grey units, I’m hankering after a dark-green kitchen like this one this time round. This colour with the contrast of the marble tops, heritage brass accessories and all softened by the old wood floor is perfection.
The bedroom in the new house.
And now on to the bedroom: here’s the before shot of how our new sleep space looked when we first saw the place.
While the upstairs of the planned side extension will house a bedroom with en suite, we’ll keep this existing front bedroom for us, with the new room with bathroom for guests. While many want a master bedroom with en suite, I love the classic Victorian front bedrooms with their lovely double-aspect windows. And once the fireplace is restored, the original wooden boards have been brought back to life, and the coving and ceiling rose are put back, it will be a complete transformation…
And now on to the bedroom: here’s the before shot of how our new sleep space looked when we first saw the place.
While the upstairs of the planned side extension will house a bedroom with en suite, we’ll keep this existing front bedroom for us, with the new room with bathroom for guests. While many want a master bedroom with en suite, I love the classic Victorian front bedrooms with their lovely double-aspect windows. And once the fireplace is restored, the original wooden boards have been brought back to life, and the coving and ceiling rose are put back, it will be a complete transformation…
An inspiring image from Clare’s bedroom Ideabook.
… and hopefully as inviting as this beautiful bedroom.
If there is one thing I have learned above all else, it’s not to live through a major build unless you absolutely have to. It not only slows the project and skews perspective, there’s only so long your sanity can hold out while showering at the neighbour’s, ‘cooking’ with a microwave in the bedroom and washing up in the bath. So this time we’ve taken the plunge and acquired a rental house for a year that’s only minutes away. It may be eating into the build budget but, in reality, little more than a more expensive, finished house would have cost in stamp duty.
So this time I’ll go home each night to our magnolia rental, my sanity intact and peacefully dream of waking up in a beautiful bedroom like this one, adorned with William Morris florals and melancholy tones.
… and hopefully as inviting as this beautiful bedroom.
If there is one thing I have learned above all else, it’s not to live through a major build unless you absolutely have to. It not only slows the project and skews perspective, there’s only so long your sanity can hold out while showering at the neighbour’s, ‘cooking’ with a microwave in the bedroom and washing up in the bath. So this time we’ve taken the plunge and acquired a rental house for a year that’s only minutes away. It may be eating into the build budget but, in reality, little more than a more expensive, finished house would have cost in stamp duty.
So this time I’ll go home each night to our magnolia rental, my sanity intact and peacefully dream of waking up in a beautiful bedroom like this one, adorned with William Morris florals and melancholy tones.
The bedroom in the old London house.
Here’s our old room in London, complete with original fireplace after we’d done it up.
The interiors bug has been firmly ensconced in my life as far back as I can remember. With a talented seamstress mother, I saw how even a pair of curtains could transform a room. And while needlework skills are sadly not inherited, growing up in period homes, observing the process of restoration and use of pattern and colour was my inspiration. With a long-term obsession with birds, butterflies and bugs, I couldn’t resist the feature wallpaper in my previous bedroom. The parchment was brought back to life and reprinted after being found in the back closet of an early 18th-century house opposite Great Ormond Street Hospital. As well as being beautiful I love that it has history, just as every period home has a story to tell.
Here’s our old room in London, complete with original fireplace after we’d done it up.
The interiors bug has been firmly ensconced in my life as far back as I can remember. With a talented seamstress mother, I saw how even a pair of curtains could transform a room. And while needlework skills are sadly not inherited, growing up in period homes, observing the process of restoration and use of pattern and colour was my inspiration. With a long-term obsession with birds, butterflies and bugs, I couldn’t resist the feature wallpaper in my previous bedroom. The parchment was brought back to life and reprinted after being found in the back closet of an early 18th-century house opposite Great Ormond Street Hospital. As well as being beautiful I love that it has history, just as every period home has a story to tell.
The floorplan of the house in Suffolk as it currently is.
Inspired by a former neighbour who was an architect, we plan on opening up the back bedroom into the bathroom and adding roof lights to create one large, bright room with storage for all the bedding and towels that in previous homes have been stuffed in cupboards.
Also, in our old London house, the extra space in the kitchen for a table meant the dining room was essentially redundant and became a dead space that attracted clutter. It’s something I’m keen to avoid this time by reworking the existing dining room and giving it purpose.
Inspired by a former neighbour who was an architect, we plan on opening up the back bedroom into the bathroom and adding roof lights to create one large, bright room with storage for all the bedding and towels that in previous homes have been stuffed in cupboards.
Also, in our old London house, the extra space in the kitchen for a table meant the dining room was essentially redundant and became a dead space that attracted clutter. It’s something I’m keen to avoid this time by reworking the existing dining room and giving it purpose.
A view of the back of the new house.
The new house has a classic Victorian layout and it’s one I love for its sense of familiarity, reminding me so much of our last home in London. This time, however, we plan on extending much more. The idea is to add a two-storey side extension that downstairs also wraps around the existing kitchen, plus convert the loft to get another bedroom in addition to the new bedroom created by the side extension. This will turn the house into a five-bedroom home with lots of living space, plenty of storage and a much-desired utility room – something Victorian terraced houses generally lack.
There’s also a cellar that is a great usable space and something we always wished our last home had. No idea what we’ll do with that yet, but very much open to suggestions.
Do you have tips or ideas to share with Clare and Ben for their new house? Let them know in the Comments section.
The new house has a classic Victorian layout and it’s one I love for its sense of familiarity, reminding me so much of our last home in London. This time, however, we plan on extending much more. The idea is to add a two-storey side extension that downstairs also wraps around the existing kitchen, plus convert the loft to get another bedroom in addition to the new bedroom created by the side extension. This will turn the house into a five-bedroom home with lots of living space, plenty of storage and a much-desired utility room – something Victorian terraced houses generally lack.
There’s also a cellar that is a great usable space and something we always wished our last home had. No idea what we’ll do with that yet, but very much open to suggestions.
Do you have tips or ideas to share with Clare and Ben for their new house? Let them know in the Comments section.
Follow Clare’s renovation diary here on Houzz, and also over at Instagram @renovation_wreck.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Clare Zerny, a pastry chef, and Ben Sinclair, a sales and marketing director, plus Weanus the cat
Location Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Property A Victorian semi
Size 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom
Before this move, I’d been 20 years a Londoner and sworn numerous times I’d never leave the city. But then I met Ben, who was living and working in Suffolk, and, well, you know how the story goes…
Initially, he made the move down to London so we could live together, but continued to commute up to Suffolk for his job. For a few years, that all worked well enough for us to buy our first home together in London. However, despite us both loving the city and all it has to offer, we eventually found ourselves contemplating the opportunities that a future in Suffolk, where Ben is also originally from, could bring – and so last month it was bye-bye London, hello new and exciting chapter in the beautiful and historic town of Bury St Edmunds.