'Extending this 1920s property was a challenge, but we’ve nearly doubled its size'

Based in Cardiff and living in a 1930s semi, the property had served the home owners well for eight years, but with three small children, they started to crave a bigger garden, off-street parking and more space to be together as a family.

‘We saw this house up for sale and went to have a look and it really needed a renovation as it had so many issues, and some of the rooms were smaller than we’d left behind,' explains home owner Rhian Thomas @no.53.interiors. ‘It was advertised as a four-bedroom property, but the third bedroom had basically been chopped in two to make two smaller bedrooms.’

‘And there had been some strange extensions… in the kitchen there was a great big pillar stuck in the middle of the space next to the dining area! It all needed rewiring, there was damp and ancient central heating, but it had enormous potential.'

‘Having done up one house, I wasn’t keen to take on another reno, but my husband talked me round and said that we could create exactly what we wanted, and I was persuaded.’

‘We took on a local company, Taliesin Architecture, to help us put together the substantial project which almost ended up doubling the size of the house. We wanted to modernise, extend and create an annexe for my father-in-law, who moved with us.'

'The design added a single-storey extension at the back for a large kitchen-diner, plus a double-height extension on the side for the annexe, study and downstairs loo, and a family bathroom and master suite upstairs.’

‘After waiting for planning permission and choosing from tenders from three builders, the build began in October 2020. We managed to stay living there for four months – during lockdown, too, where the builders put in a temporary kitchen, and we had no contact with them at all, as they were working on the extensions outside.'

'The lockdown did affect us a bit, as materials were harder to get hold of, and the builder couldn’t always work with his preferred trades, but to be fair to him he held to his original quote and didn’t pass any extras on to us.’

‘When it got to the point that we were hindering the next part of the build by staying there, we all moved out into a rented house for seven months. When we moved back in September 2021, we made sure that the annexe was finished and that the kitchen-diner was done. Everything else was like a building site!’

The kitchen

‘We thought a lot about the kitchen-diner, which is the room where we spend most of our time. The old galley kitchen and utility room had virtually no view of the large garden, so we’ve gone right across the back with doors that can open right out and zoned the spaces for cooking, eating and relaxing.’

‘I wanted wooden units with some stained black to match the doors, but I also wanted to add in a metal effect. Spraying units in an antique brass colour wasn’t something the company who made the kitchen could do, but I found a company who would spray them if you sent plain matt doors to them.'

'It took quite a bit of organising, but I arranged for the doors to be sent off and then all fitted together. I’m so pleased I went that extra mile as I love the brass finish.

‘The breakfast nook can be closed off at a moment’s notice. I love pocket doors, which draw back into themselves, and whenever I’m in a rush, everything can just be screened off and dealt with later, or I can use it as an extra workspace.’

‘In this dining area we’ve added a large, comfy sofa - it creates an extra seating area for guests or a place to chat for whoever’s cooking.’

The living room

‘In the living room, I wanted a bold colour that would look dramatic but feel cosy and warm too, so chose this bold blue throughout. Three of my favourite colours are thrown together with the Squisharoo sofa in Teal, the Snuggler chair in Bumblebee and Footstool in Flushed Cheek, all in clever velvet by Loaf. I’m really pleased with how this room turned out.’

‘The dark blue is a great background for my favourite artwork. We like to buy Welsh art where we can, and the Ceramic Pills piece is by Sophie Southgate whose work we love and was bought from local gallery, Ten.’

The hallway

‘The flooring in the hall was beyond repair so we searched for something appropriate to the age of the house and the Goodrich engineered natural oak from Woodpecker Flooring is carried through most of the rooms downstairs that were part of the original house.’

‘Echoing the scheme for the front of the house, we went for Farrow & Ball’s Strong White for the walls and Railings for the woodwork in the hallway, which adds a dramatic touch.’

The master bedroom

‘With our new master bedroom in the extension sorted, we took the stud wall down in the room that is now my eldest daughter’s, so what we’ve ended up with is five good-sized bedrooms. One of these is in the annexe, and the family bathroom has taken part of the smaller original bathroom, and we’ve also added the ensuite and a downstairs loo.'

'It means we don’t have an official spare bedroom, but the children have bunk beds and can hop in together on the rare occasion we have people to stay, plus we have a sofa-bed downstairs. On a day-to-day basis the house really works for us which is what’s important.'

‘We’ve got a separate dressing area, so I can keep this space nice and clear. I spotted just the dressing table I wanted at Swoon and teamed it with wall lights from Heka Lighting.’

The en-suite

‘Pink and green is my favourite combination, and our ensuite bathroom is quite dark, so I decided to go for a strong colour, Breakfast Room Green by Farrow & Ball, and stick to pale tiles on the floor by Mandarin Stone.’

The teen bedroom

‘Since moving back in, it’s all been about refining the look, choosing lots of original artwork, and making sure the colours all work together. I’m a big fan of colour, and I tend to go for deep, rich colours with pops of pink, yellow and blue. I also like a statement wallpaper and I’m a bit obsessed with adding vases and candles to my shelves.’

‘We did the garden last year, and we’ve still got the drive to do, because there was no point laying a new drive if workmen were going to be trampling over it. But I’ve got no regrets about buying this house.’