Property transformation: Saxe Coburg Place
The experts at Tremmel Restoration have been meticulously enhancing and developing period properties for almost 20 years. Their aim is to honour the original vision of the architect but to seamlessly reshape each property to accommodate modern life. Here, they turn the spotlight on a 19th century Stockbridge property and guide us through the process of bringing this magnificent period property bang up to date.
Saxe Coburg Place was built in the late 19th century to a design by Adam Ogilvie Turner. Many of the properties were later divided up into flats between the 1930s and the 1970s. Prior to transformation, this ground floor, main door flat hadn’t been upgraded for 30 years. The client wanted to completely rework the layout to make better use of the space and to maximise the natural light. There were also some beautiful period features which needed restoring.
In its previous state, the flat was very compartmentalised, with three small bedrooms and a small, separate kitchen and lounge, none of which made the most of the natural daylight.
During a previous conversion, the rooftop cupola (pictured above) had been boxed in creating a light shaft down to the ground floor. The first step was to block this off to better utilise the floor area at ground level.
The result of the process was the creation of two better proportioned bedrooms and a large, open-plan living / kitchen / dining space. This improved the flow of the principle rooms and also maximised the light. The height of the ceilings allowed for a loft space to be created over the shower room for additional storage.
The beautiful original cornices had been overpainted so they were stripped back and restored back to their former glory. Where repair work was required, areas were matched and new plasterwork created. The old gas fire was ripped out, with the original fire surrounds retained.
There were some challenges along the way - the geometry of the building’s curved façade made structural alterations difficult and there was a large amount of structural work required to create the big open plan space.
In total, the transformation took six months to complete but the result is a highly functional, versatile space, with a slick and contemporary finish.