F r o m  B u n g a l o w  t o  C o t t a g e 

Residential

England

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Period cottages are quite pricey in England and are snapped up quickly when they come on the market. Bungalows, built after the war are easier to find but are often located near busy roads or clumped together in rows of almost identical houses. One of the advantages of bungalows, however, is that since they have no period features, it is easier to get building permits to make improvements or to enlarge. 
 

My client wanted to find a bungalow with potential in a great location with a well-sized, fenced garden as the English so love their gardens. We visited over thirty properties before my client settled on this three-bedroom house surrounded by fields and foot paths near a beautiful period cottage and within walking distance of a river. “Shangri La”, which I quickly petitioned to rename “Field House”, was well-built and had space to add on to if desired. It also had a mature hedge surrounding the property.

The rear of the house facing the garden had an inexpensive glassed-in porch which acted as the covered entry. Just inside the front door was a wall and we had to turn left to the kitchen or go right to a hallway that lead to the study. What should have been a sitting room had been made into the master bedroom and there was no utility room.

 

The existing space was remodeled and redistributed making an open-plan kitchen, 

effectively opening the front entry so that one could see straight through to the garden in the back from the entrance. I created a full bath upstairs with sky-lights and a master suite opening to a new terrace and garden. 

Large field-grown trees were planted to create a tree-lined driveway and flowerbeds were added with both evergreen and herbaceous plants. Mature climbing vines were then planted on the exterior of the house, the glassed-in porch was removed and a terrace was created on the back of the house leading to a gazebo. More large trees and schrubs were strategically placed throughout the garden. Large stone pavers were installed all around to resemble flag-stones. Within four months the house was transformed from a simple “bungalow” to a charming home with a “ country cottage” feel.

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Photography by Bruce Miller