Grey cabinets and wooden worktops teamed with white metro tiles give the kitchen the Swedish look Caroline hoped for, while glass-fronted wall cabinets create a high-end feel, perfect for displaying her favourite crockery and glassware. The Metod cabinets and Hammarp oak worktops came from Ikea
When Caroline and Simon Webster viewed their 1970s house in Cheltenham, they couldn’t resist its close proximity to the best facility in town – an original 1930s lido. Despite being a little dishevelled and unloved, the house ticked all the boxes for the couple and their children. ‘We spend every spare moment at the lido during the summer months,’ says Caroline. ‘So having it on our doorstep played a massive part in our decision to buy the house. Plus the hospital is just around the corner so Simon can walk to work.’
The house had ample space for the family, with five bedrooms and a good-sized garden but two small, single storey extensions built by the previous owners had created an odd layout downstairs. ‘Although we could have lived with the house as it was, we really wanted a light, open living space,’ explains Caroline. The couple decided to knock down the existing extensions and build a new one right across the back of the house, with bi-fold doors leading out to the garden. Several internal walls were removed to create an open-plan layout that is flooded with light from the bi-folds and a conservatory on the sunny side of the house.