‘When the sun goes down and the lights start twinkling, our friends say it’s like looking out over the Hollywood Hills,’ laughs Celia Richardson, describing the panorama that unfolds from the kitchen of her bungalow in a conservation area on the outskirts of Bath.
When the interior designer first stepped inside the property in 2020, however, it told a very different story. ‘It didn’t take advantage of the views at all and the layout was compromised, but I knew the plot had amazing potential.’
A restrictive covenant prohibited a second storey, so building upwards wasn’t an option. ‘We were used to living in flats in London, so spreading across one level wasn’t really a compromise for us,’ says Celia. ‘As an interior designer, these kinds of constraints make you think more creatively anyway.’
Her plan focused on reworking the house’s original footprint and opening it up to natural light and those far-reaching views towards Bristol, the Severn Estuary and Monmouthshire. For help, Celia enlisted the architects Forgeworks. ‘They understood the vision and translated our ideas,’ she says. ‘And they really grasped how we wanted to live.’
Perfecting the design took nine months, with the build progressing over the following two years. Small extensions have been added to either side of the bungalow’s original 1950s shell, the floorplan was reconfigured and the roof pitch inverted to enhance light and volume.
Sustainability was key for Celia and her architects, influencing construction, design and material choices. ‘It was a great open dialogue,’ she says.
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Durable porcelain tiles and engineered oak floorboards were chosen for their longevity, lime-plastered walls absorb carbon dioxide and improve breathability while the external structure has been clad in resilient cedar.
‘The previous building was essentially leaking most of its energy,’ explains Chris Hawkins, studio director at Forgeworks. ‘Rather than demolish, we took a holistic approach, reset the layout and carried out a substantial thermal upgrade as part of the build.’
Four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a laundry room have been arranged along the back of the house, utilising the extensions, while the living areas enjoy prime outlooks at the front. Long sightlines guide the eye and enhance circulation, while sliding glass doors allow light to travel across the building and make individual rooms more adaptable.
‘There’s a kind of joy in the movement between spaces now,’ explains Celia. ‘You get a different experience as you’re walking through the house.’
The family’s open-plan kitchen and dining room leads out to a terrace. ‘The original kitchen had quite small windows, so it wasn’t until the walls came down that we realised how dramatic the view actually was. We enjoy perfect sunsets inside and out, which was an amazing surprise.’ Terrazzo surfaces provide a playful backdrop for cooking, dining and the rhythm of everyday life.
‘The exposed timber ceilings and plaster walls have a lovely sense of warmth here, but it’s the stone that brings the excitement and colour,’ says Celia. ‘This is our real gathering hub, and the layout means the kids can run in and out, the dog can scamper around and we can play bartender at parties without missing out on any of the fun.’
The snug is situated directly across from the kitchen, with sliding doors allowing it to become either a natural extension of the space or a separate retreat away from it. ‘Pull them shut and you’re in a cosy, soundproofed room that’s the perfect spot for family movie nights. The ability to create these pockets of separation has been really important to us, especially in winter.’
A shallow set of steps leads down into what has become ‘the grown-up space’. The light-filled living room, complete with a sprawling corner sofa, houses a collection of Celia’s most treasured pieces and opens onto the sweeping panorama. ‘I want to live in a home with texture, colourful art and a mixture of my favourite things,’ she explains.
‘If I’m not facing the view, I’m looking towards people on the sofa and my eye gets to wander across things that I love.’ The chimney wall is framed by a floating shelf, inspired by mid-century homes in California, while the fireplace is lined with ceramic tiles handmade by Celia: ‘It took four or five months to get them right, so they’re an important feature.’
The main bedroom suite, located within the larger of the two extensions and occupying the footprint of an original bedroom, has its own bathroom and access to the second terrace. Sloped ceilings are as much of an architectural highlight here as the vista beyond, but practicality had to be built into the plan.
‘I didn’t want to crowd the angular ceilings or amazing views with wardrobes or chests of drawers,’ says Celia. She designed an island, complete with decorative panelling and built-in storage, to create a dressing area at the back of the room while providing a functional backdrop for the bed. ‘It feels wonderful waking up to that view.’
Today, the family are preparing to take on their next project, but Celia knows she’ll be leaving somewhere very special behind. ‘It’s my aim to create spaces that are a joy to live in,’ she says. ‘I’m proud to say that this house certainly has been.’
