"The end result after six months of non-stop work is all the forever home we had hoped for that continues to ‘wow’ people that visit."
Our five/six bedroom detatched Art-Deco family home looked to be in pretty good shape when we viewed it however, once DJ Hensher moved in to make a start on the various items we had identified for improvement, it became increasingly apparent that we were going to be victims of the ‘opened can of worms’.
A key ambition was to retain the character of the villa, convert it back into one family house and carefully restore the original features of the building – the staircase has been re-exposed and the original floor layouts re-instated.
The second aim of the project was to change the orientation of the house towards the garden and to improve the flow between the rooms on the ground floor. Two contemporary extensions have been added for a kitchen and an office, which face the garden and are both connected to the existing lounge.
The work included a comprehensive improvement of the existing envelope: all existing walls were insulated internally or externally and new double glazed timber windows were installed throughout. The extensions have highly insulated walls, floors and sedum roofs with overhangs to prevent excessive heat gain.
So much so, a good overhaul quickly became a total renovation behemoth, from top to bottom and then beyond. From structural work to traditional carpentry, our house underwent the following (to name but a few): wall removal and RSJ installation, reconstruction of the rear section of the property to accept bi-fold doors, replacement joists, new windows throughout, installation of four bathrooms and one WC, complete new kitchen and utility, double glazing a huge, original 1930s stained glass window, plastering, decorating, electrical work, landscaping… The list goes on.
However, nothing was too much for Dan Hensher and his team of trades, and, no matter what obstacle was arrived at, everything was addressed without fuss and to the absolute highest of standards. In fact, everything that was done was around the requirement to retain as many of the largely timber based Art-Deco features throughout the house, which they absolutely achieved.
The end result after six months of non-stop work is all the forever home we had hoped for that continues to ‘wow’ people that visit.
Beyond our home, we continue to work with DJ Hensher on all of our commercial activity, purely because Dan is, without fail, a 100% trusted, knowledgeable, diligent and courteous master craftsman.
