readers’ homes

Alex and Mireia Gregor-Smith overcame various obstacles to transform a Victorian property into a family home, reconfiguring the interior and adding a rear extension

WORDS SHARON SMITH

PHOTOS GILDA CEVASCO

Before buying their current house, Alex and Mireia Gregor-Smith had had no plans to move. They had extended and renovated their previous home, where their daughters Marina and Sofia were born, and were very happy with it. But one day, friends, who lived around the corner, mentioned that a property just a few doors along from them might be coming on the market soon as the elderly owner had moved into a care home. Alex and Mireia liked the road, which is located in a conservation area, close to good schools and Kingston-upon-Thames town centre. They agreed that the house in question looked attractive, but felt settled where they were, so thought no more about it for the time being.

A TV sitting area was built as part of an open-plan space, adjoining the kitchen and dining area. It enjoys good light from an abundance of windows and doors

It was during lockdown in 2020 that the idea was revisited, when their friends told them the owner of the house had died and the son would be putting it on the market. Bigger than Alex and Mireia’s home, the three-storey, semi-detached Victorian property offered the extra room that they desired, including a spacious hallway, which would come in handy with two young children. Tempted, they agreed to view the property and, through their friends, arranged to meet the owner’s son there the following day.