Victorian Home Renovation in Berkshire

Tucked away in the Berkshire countryside just outside Newbury, Virginia Lodge is a handsome early Victorian home set on a generous, split-level plot with an expansive garden. Despite the charm of its period façade—complete with arched windows, rich brick detailing, and gabled roofs—the internal layout left much to be desired. Previous interventions, including a poorly conceived 1980s conservatory and an awkward ground floor arrangement, had compromised both flow and functionality. 

Our brief from the young family who purchased Virginia Lodge was to transform the house into a forever home to raise their two children—one that felt rooted in its historic fabric, but functioned effortlessly for modern living. We oversaw an extension, conversion, and full interior refurbishment from design through to delivery, working closely with our trusted collaborators at One Oak Construction to ensure the quality of execution matched the ambition of the design. 

RECONFIGURING WITH CARE 

From the outset, we undertook a detailed design exploration, considering a wide array of options for reworking the house. These ranged from full-width extensions to schemes that reverted to the home’s original footprint with a reconfigured layout. Across more than twenty variations, we tested ideas that flattened the old conservatory, pushed out the rear elevation, or reoriented the internal plan entirely. Ultimately, the solution that struck the right balance combined a sensitive extension with a fundamental rethink of how the home functioned internally. 

The 1980s conservatory—visually incongruous, inefficient, and thermally unstable—was carefully removed. In its place, a new brick-built extension was introduced, retaining the existing ground floor slab to minimise disruption whilst significantly improving thermal performance. This move allowed for a more coherent spatial arrangement at the rear of the house, with the new sunroom opening out to the garden and framing long views across the landscape. The space where the conservatory once stood now houses a generous children's play area, bathed in natural light and well connected to the rest of the ground floor. 

Another key intervention involved the conversion of an existing garage, which had previously functioned as an underused carport. By enclosing and reconfiguring this space, we were able to introduce a practical utility room and a dedicated adult lounge offering a quiet, more intimate counterpart to the family spaces beyond, and helping to balance the home for different rhythms of living. 

At the heart of the revised plan is a new kitchen, relocated from a cramped corner to a more central and prominent position. This space now forms the nucleus of family life—bringing everyone together around cooking, conversation and daily routines. Where the kitchen once stood, a new dining area now benefits from a graceful arched opening to the garden, offering a more generous and outward-looking setting for meals and gatherings. 

The result is a ground floor that feels intuitively arranged, shaped to support the pace, priorities and patterns of a rich life as the family imagined it—easy, generous, and quietly connected. 

ARCHITECTURAL CONTINUITY AND CRAFT 

The new extension was designed to feel entirely of a piece with the original Victorian house. Brickwork was selected to match the tone and coursing of the existing façade, and all new openings were proportioned in response to the rhythm and scale of the historic elevations. Every intervention was considered in relation to what was already there, ensuring a seamless architectural dialogue between old and new. 

One of the project’s most distinctive details centres on a gothic-style arched window from the original kitchen. When the kitchen was relocated to the heart of the home, the window was carefully removed and the opening enlarged to form a new connection between the dining room and the garden. Its arched profile was retained and reinterpreted as a bespoke Crittall-style door—an architectural gesture that feels both striking and sensitive, offering a beautifully framed threshold to the outdoors.  

Rather than being discarded, the original window was carefully restored and rehomed within the front elevation as part of the garage conversion. Its re-use plays a quiet but crucial role in making the new structure feel deeply embedded in the home’s architectural fabric. Expertly rebuilt by the team at One Oak Construction, the window speaks to the value of precision joinery and material continuity—subtle in presence, but quietly transformative in reinforcing the integrity of the whole.  

ENHANCING EVERYDAY LIVING 

The transformation of Virginia Lodge is felt most strongly in the day-to-day experience of moving through the home. Thoughtfully reconfigured, the ground floor now unfolds with a sense of ease and generosity, defined by clean sightlines, layered views and a clear spatial hierarchy. Each room feels distinct yet connected, with considered thresholds between social and private spaces that support the rhythms of modern family life. 

Light has been carefully choreographed throughout. Rooflights and large-format glazing draw daylight deep into the plan, whilst newly created openings frame garden views and provide moments of pause. These interventions are more than functional—they actively shape the atmosphere of the home, lending spaces a calm, luminous quality that shifts with the time of day. 

Material choices throughout the home reflect a quiet confidence that is elegant yet entirely at ease in a countryside setting. In the kitchen, deep green timber joinery sets a rich backdrop for the crisp white marble countertops and splashback, while brass fixtures lend a gentle patina that will continue to evolve over time. A similar approach carries into the new bathroom, where marble countertops and ceramic fittings are framed by painted tongue-and-groove panelling, offering a tactile and tailored finish that feels both classic and elevated. In the utility room, terracotta tiles laid in a herringbone pattern bring warmth and texture whilst anchoring the more functional area with a sense of permanence. Bespoke cabinetry in a soft putty tone pairs with unlacquered brass hardware and a fluted apron sink, combining traditional detailing with a refined, contemporary edge. 

“We bought Virginia Lodge almost 3 years ago. It was a beautiful but very old property with a myriad of tricky issues. The task at hand was daunting at best and sometimes outright terrifying. We needed professionals who would guide us through the process -  ensuring we were being as cost-efficient as possible, whilst also delivering on the best quality possible.” 

- Luda and Tom, Virginia Lodge clients 

Virginia Lodge is the result of a close and careful reworking—one that respects the character of the original house whilst responding to the needs of a young and growing family. By engaging deeply with the building’s fabric and flow, we’ve created something that feels both rooted and renewed. 

The updated layout brings clarity and rhythm, with spaces that now feel purposeful, connected, and full of light. Materials have been chosen to sit comfortably within the home’s language—warm, textured, and made to last—whilst also bringing a quiet sense of luxury. From the new arched doorway to the reclaimed brick floor, every element has been carefully detailed to elevate the everyday. 

This project reflects the values that underpin all our residential work: understanding how people live, building homes that support that life, and treating each project with the same level of attention we would give our own. We care deeply about the homes we design—about the balance of heritage and modernity, the rhythm of spaces, and the small decisions that make a place feel truly lived in. This necessitates being closely involved throughout the process—supporting our clients, working collaboratively with builders, and holding a clear vision from start to finish. Virginia Lodge stands as a quiet but confident expression of what we do best—designing homes that are enduring, thoughtful, and made to be lived in.