We designed the house for how we live

When Fiona Crisp couldn’t find a home that suited her five-person family, she knew that a renovation project was the way to go

Feature Natalie Osborn

‘We ditched the design we were originally given by the kitchen planners and I set about re-drawing it myself,’ Fiona reveals. ‘Matt and I worked out what storage and preparation space we needed versus aesthetics and plumbing and electrics. However, I would say a kitchen planner was useful – it gives you a starting point, which is easier than coming up with a big design from scratch’

Kitchen

‘Aside from creating a basement, the kitchen has undergone the most dramatic change. It was two rooms (a tiny dated kitchen and dining room with stripy green vinyl walls and a carpet that would give you a migraine!), so we transformed it into one open-plan space with hard-wearing solid oak floor. We wanted the kitchen to be light, with a nod to industrial style. The tiles are one of the best bits about the kitchen. The colours work really well; the grey tiled splashbacks complement the wall colour brilliantly and create the pared-back feel we were going for.’

‘Switching the kitchen and dining areas around was one of the best decisions we made; it maximised the space and light’

Welcome to my home

A bit about me

I’m Fiona Crisp and I live in Bath with my husband Matt and our three children, Noah, 14, Honor, 10, and Gabe, six.

Where I live

We moved into our four-bedroom house three years ago.

What I wanted to change

Our home was a probate sale and needed totally modernising, as well as adding a fourth bedroom.