Return to flip book view

HI TECH RENOVATION HOME TRUTHS THE OWNERS Ellie and Kit Knowles who run a sustainability consultancy and baby daughter Eva THEIR HOME Arts Crafts semi detached house LOCATION Manchester R 0 0 M S Sitting room kitchen diner office utility room cloakroom five bedrooms one en suite bathroom PURCHASED 2009 PREVIOUS PROPERTY This is the first home we ve owned says Ellie LOGICAL Ellie and Kit Knowles used their expertise to turn an Arts and Crafts property into an energy efficient home FEATURE ROSEMARY BARRATT O PHOTOGRAPHY COLIN POOLE 66 I25BH FEBRUARY 2012 ot many young couples would purchase the most challenging property they could find when embarking on their first house renovation However Ellie andKit Knowles were on a mission They wanted to prove it was possible to undertake a complete refurbishment of a roo year old house with sustainable materials as well as reducing its carbon footprint The couple spent over a year searching before they found the perfect property in a conservation area in Manchester The place was as dilapidated as you can get recalls Ellie A n elderly lady lived here on her own and the house hadn t been touched for 40 years The chimneys were full of dead birds there was lead piping and paint everywhere and the carpet underlay had turned to dust Drawing on his engineering background Kit s aim was to retrofit the property using efficient energy saving solutions creating a stylish family home in the process We bought the house because we wanted a property with all its period features intact but also because it was one of the most problematic houses to environmentally upgrade he explains We thought that if we could improve the energy efficiency here we could do it anywhere There s a lot of confusion about how best to conserve energy in the home Kit II Browse hundreds of decorating ideas for every room and style at housetohome co uk zsbeautifulhomes 25BH FEBRUARY 2012167

A bright colour scheme here was inspired by the yellow handbag and glasses Ellie had with her when she visited the kitchen showroom in yellow 169 each Posture continues People are distracted by certain technologies such as solar panels and wind turbines but often they re not the most efficient solution I take a more holistic approach and use a thermal imaging camera to pinpoint where energy loss is greatest and where I can make the most cost effective improvements So the couple got stuck into a full scale renovation that saw the house dismantled around their ears in order for Kit to install the latest ceo technologies and systems All FAVOURITE ROOM DESIGN TIP We think about every material from the perspective of where it s come from and where it ll go after we ve finished with it says Ellie This approach produces distinctive aesthetics with feel good factor a the floorboards were pulled up the ceilings came down and the old plaster was chipped off as the house was stripped back to its bare shell To create a two storey extension the rear of the house was knocked out completely leaving Ellie and Kit living in freezing temperatures In the winter we had to wear several layers of clothes recalls Ellie The temperature in the bedroom was just five degrees Top priority was to create a sealed envelope effect by encasing the whole of the house in super thin insulation the world s first such use of a NASA developed product The base of the building was built out in false brick and the Arts Crafts f ade covered with insulated render without detracting from its period looks Windows were restored to their former glory by replicating the frames using sustainable wood resources Kit even came up with a way of harvesting rainwater and redistributing it through piping to use for flushing the toilet and the outdoor tap Internally Ellie and Kit were able to pursue their creative design ideas and put their own stamp on the house We reclaimed all the original features and created our own in keeping with the property s age by reusing any surplus materials says Kit Perhaps the biggest challenge for the couple was to source modern kitchen units that ticked all their environmental boxes We found one company that made cupboards out of recycled yogurt pots but they weren t for us says Kit We solved the problem by having glass fronted ill The mosaic tiling in this room was made by Ellie and Kit from all natural materials including large bbles found on the beach from 30 per sq m Ecospheric

HI TECH RENOVATION fi MASTER BEDROOM Kit intended the bed to be the focal point of the room He incorporated a floating platform that acts as a functional seat and a padded headboard made from offcuts of upholstery fabric Patchwork bespoke bed 1 690 Dreamweavers Executive cushion 43 both Posture INSIGHT CHARACTERFUL HEADBOARDS units while the worksurface is made of 75 per cent recycled material which looks like granite For the decoration Ellie arid Kit went for a neutral look with feature walls of vibrant colour using natural day based paint and ceo friendly wallpaper Rather than over decorate we like the fittings in the house to add colour and texture to the space says Ellie We app eciate things that have had a long life so our home has become an eclectic mix of old and new The couple have succeeded in reducing their carbon footprint by over 60 per cent without 70 I25BH FEBRUARY 2012 sacrificing their living standards What we ve achieved has made us realise the worth of everything from an environmental perspective says Ellie We ve put our personalities into this house and made it so much easier to live in Our first Christmas we played host to 11 people for a week and found the open plan space created a fantastic social atrrtosphere For me it s a great feeling of satisfaction Kit agrees The house has already been here for 100 years and now I feel confident our work will see it safely through another century Z Old doors windows bamboo or wooden screens mirrors and even reclaimed wooden boards can be used as a backdrop for your bed fZ An original alternative to conventional off the peg headboards bold fabric wall hangings lined with wadding for comfort catch the eye Z To create a headboard on a budget add a panel of bold wallpaper behind the bed Paper the width of the bed and halfway up the wall to liven up a plain room 1 11 FOR STOCKIST DETAILS GO TO PAGE 148