Refurb & Restore Issue 41 2025 | Page 37

This house has history, and now it has a story too. Every corner has something we’ ve touched, discovered, or restored. That’ s what makes it feel like home. says Caroline.“ They date back to the 1880s. You just don’ t expect to find something like that hidden under the floorboards.”
Those pavement lights now form a striking feature, casting dappled natural light into the basement below. And their discoveries didn’ t end there. Just a few weeks before they moved in, they uncovered a set of old steps at the back of the property that had been covered up for decades.
The house’ s former life as a Conservative Club is still very much present in its layout and features. The current kitchen was once a bar and function room known as The Primrose Room, named after Primrose Day, a nod to traditional Tory symbolism. While the original bar and carpet didn’ t make the cut, Caroline and her partner have preserved many period details, blending them seamlessly with practical, modern upgrades.
In place of the old bar now stands the heart of the home, the kitchen centred around a reconditioned Aga, which cost £ 3,300
The family moved into the property in March 2021, even though the renovation was still ongoing. The project continues and despite the challenges of both the renovation itself and juggling the project with full-time work and family life, the results have been more than worth it. The property, once abandoned and unloved, is now valued at around £ 550,000,
But for Caroline, it’ s not just about the money made“ This house has history, and now it has a story too. Every corner has something we’ ve touched, discovered, or restored. That’ s what makes it feel like home.”
As they continue to bring the building back to life, room by room, they’ re not just creating a home but preserving a piece of history. The echoes of The Primrose Room and the generations before them are now interwoven with the sounds of a busy family life and dinner sizzling on the Aga, with the dogs hopeful for any dropped titbits.
And in a home built on character and curiosity, it’ s a lovely next chapter for the property and hopefully with many more to come.
www. theusedkitchencompany. com
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