An old-fashioned 1970s semi gave Tony Cracknell the ideal opportunity to create a contemporary new home and adjust to life after his wife passed away.
He was living in a rented flat when the property in Ilkley came on the market. “It needed a lot of renovation and the layout wasn’t really suitable,” he recalls, “but the space was there and I felt that with the right restructuring it could become a home I really wanted to live in.”
As well as a lounge, the downstairs included a small, square dining room and same-sized kitchen plus an usually large ‘cloakroom’, which Tony discovered was a hangover from the days when builders would describe homes as 2-bed or 3-bed depending on what buyers were looking for and change the position of the main house bathroom accordingly.
Ashfield project manager, Brendon, and the architect sat around the table with Tony, chatting through ideas to maximise the property’s potential and give him stylish living space that was suited to his needs.
The cloakroom was removed to create an open hallway leading to a full-width dining kitchen at the rear with two large feature windows and a glass door leading out to the back garden. Outside, a new porch, exterior decor and block paving transformed the entrance to the house.
“The inclusion of sky lights in the kitchen and dining area was one of the biggest differences. These flood the rooms with natural light and make it feel really open,” says Tony.
In making the alterations he was keen to keep neighbours informed every step of the way and keep disruption to a minimum. “There will always be things that crop up, but the Ashfield team managed these really well, even discussions with my neighbours about permissions for the foundations, so I didn’t have to worry about it.”
“Working with Ashfield was a very positive experience. I’m really pleased with how it’s finished up.”