Restoration & modernisation of a 16th Century Grade II listed cottage in Lewes.
The Pigeon House
Entrance, door re-finished with new furniture and commissioned glass by local artists
Glass in front door by local artists
Boxing, wiring and Victorian black removed and panel re-plastered by local artist in lime
Re-plastered foot of post by local artist in lime, reflecting the carpentry and joinery chamfer detail throughout the house
The entrance from the kitchen
New step detail integrated with the new stone floor
Detail of the entrance door at top
Detail of entrance door hinge, nailed to door
Traditionally made thumb latch
Kitchen with underfloor heating below the stone floor allowing for very flexible use of space without radiators
View of kitchen from where the concrete larder had been
Integrated fridge fitted into stair cupboard with bespoke door lining/architrave
Integrated fridge
Detail of fridge door
Hinge detail
Detail of fireplace with fresh plaster and cleaned bricks
Detail of re-pointed fireplace floor
Kitchen workstation
Water main with paint and plaster removed
Extractor fitted into very narrow available space
Back-painted glass splashback above stone upstand
Shelf with led strip in channel to avoid glare from front
Drawer detail
Utility station…
…with washing machine & utility drawer under sink
Bi-fold door allows 90 degree opening
Bespoke plate rack in Beech
Detail of plate rack in Beech
Tap to match restored bathroom sink tap
Detail of top & sink
Detail of Broughton Moor stone top
Detail of top & sink
Stair detail tidied & decorated
Bespoke handrail by local blacksmith
Detail of handrail
New cupboard doors above stairwell allow for significant extra storage, accessible with ladder
Repaired and decorated stairwell with surface mounted electrics hidden
The restored floor to the first floor, all holes and splits repaired with resin and missing sections with offcuts
Detail of radiator valve,, plumbed into new wall
The floor level lowered to its correct level for the stairs by removing rough concrete under the floor
Detail at side of skirting free fireplace
The fireplace now the centerpiece of the small sitting room
Restored ’50’s window with new stained glass by local artists
Architrave and door lining detail
All light switches, sockets & thermostats replaced
Bathroom with only the bath on the floor
Restored windows with the original mullions
Paneling hides the plumbing and provides a handy shelf
Exposed beams with Victorian black removed and fresh lime plaster by local restoration expert
Detail of boiler cupboard with shelf running through
Bottom of boiler cupboard, towel rail plumbed through skirting
Bath with bespoke tap holder & shelf
Detail of bath shelf
Wall hung toilet allows for a more complete view of the restored floor
View into master bedroom
Master bedroom with carpet
Restored windows with the original mullions to the house
Right hand windows with window boards to prevent loss of light with curtain
Bespoke pole and fittings for curtains by local blacksmith
King sized bed levelled to a very sloping floor
Master bedroom door & wardrobe doors
Right hand wardrobe with door operated lights
Left hand wardrobe with long hang space and drawer unit
Bedside table surfaces made from offcuts of old floor
Bedside lights with standard light switches
Stairs leading to top bedroom redecorated
Top of stairs leading to top bedroom
Upholstery creating a small reading area
The oldest door in the house, all others were copied from this one
Top bedroom with all boxing removed
Wallpaper covers the existing party wall
New radiator with hidden plumbing behind new skirting
View of top bedroom
Restored window with new sill and re-plastered wall with curved detailing around window
To see the photos un-cropped, click on them to view in a separate ‘lightbox’. If you’d like to see the photos from before the start of the project, click here, and to view photos during the construction, click here.
The project began by submitting a package of plans and a proposal prepared and drawn by myself for permission to carry out the work on the listed house. The key to the project was moving the toilet from it’s own room into the bathroom. It was uncomfortably situated next to the first floor fireplace and cutting into it. By removing it, a small sitting room could be created. A new hole was cut for the soil pipe through the 2′ thick flint, brick and chalk wall to achieve the fall and the old hole repaired with lime mortar and flint.
All floors had had scaffolding boards grip-filled to them, lifting them up revealed the original floor boards. It was decided to repair and re-use the original floor, only possible by first removing all the walls on the first floor. This allowed for a full restoration of the original lath & plaster walls and to remove the Victorian black that had been applied to all timbers when it was fashionable to do so. There was an old floor joist that could also now be repaired by replacing a previous quick repair.
As all the internal walls then had to be remade from scratch, all the surface mounted plumbing could be removed and re-routed out of view. Similarly with the kitchen where the radiators were replaced with underfloor heating. Removing all of the 19th & 20th Century additions and modifications and hiding all the services, allowed all the old elements of the house to be fully appreciated whilst the new elements make for an extremely functional, ergonomic and efficient space for modern living.
