Hayley Upton took a small and tired seaside house and maximised its potential, creating a spacious and contemporary second home offering luxurious surroundings in which to relax and entertain

WORDS KAT NICHOLLS PHOTOS ALISTAIR NICHOLLS

Having gained a taste for the renovation game after converting the garage of her previous home, Hayley Upton was feeling in need of another project. “I happened to wander past this early 1930s three-bed property in a lovely quiet position near the sea and it cried out for development, but I had no grand plans to begin with,” she says. Taken with the idea of creating a fabulous and spacious second home for her family, Hayley found herself making an impulsive decision to buy the house and give it some much needed TLC. “We already knew people in the area, so I wanted to create a great entertaining space that could be a social hub for our friends and family,” she says. Little did she know that this sweet seaside house in East Preston, West Sussex, would take her on a four year home improvement journey with more than its fair share of ups and downs.

THE UPTON FILE

NAMES Hayley & Harry Upton

OCCUPATIONS Lawyer & teacher

LOCATION West Sussex

TYPE OF PROJECT Renovation & extension

STYLE 1930s

CONSTRUCTION METHOD Brick & block

PLOT SIZE 0.3 acres

PROPERTY COST £492,000

BOUGHT 2013

HOUSE SIZE 278m2

PROJECT COST £650,000

PROJECT COST PER M2 £2,338

TOTAL COST £1,142,000

BUILDING WORK COMMENCED January 2014

BUILDING WORK TOOK 2.5 years

CURRENT VALUE £1,495,000

Take off

Hayley transformed the original facade, opting for low-maintenance aluminium windows

Originally, Hayley was keen to retain the property’s main original features, such as the Art Deco bathrooms and the striking full-height window at the back of the house. However, after consulting her friend and architectural designer, Michael Bains, she quickly realised the need to commit fully to modernising the building in order to achieve the contemporary and roomy look she desired. “Michael is an amazing space planner; together we kept pushing its potential until we achieved a design that took the house from three bedrooms and two bathrooms up to six and five – four ensuite,” she says.