Case Study | Cheltenham

Nestled in the regency spa of Cheltenham, Ruth Heslop’s Edwardian townhouse has undergone significant interior renovations to create a unique family home that really stands out from the crowd.

The three bedroom semi-detached property has been completely transformed in just six months. As a photographer Ruth has a creative eye and as such she managed the project from start to finish, overseeing the transformation from a simple terraced house to a stylish property.

Previously featuring a traditional and tired interior, Ruth completely gutted the house and added a single storey extension to the rear, which has created an open and adaptable kitchen with a final floor space of 4.52m x 4.04m.

As the heart of the home, Ruth wanted to renovate the old galley kitchen into a bright and spacious area. With this in mind, one of the key influences for the new kitchen was the ability to bring the outdoors in, which Ruth achieved with the innovative use of glazing.

She chose two custom size Luxlite™ pitched rooflights at 1.2m x 1m, from leading rooflight manufacturer Roof Maker. Once installed the rooflights worked in perfect harmony with the custom made box window to create a unique space within the rear wall.

Speaking of the renovation, Ruth said: “The old kitchen was extremely dark and narrow – I struggled to get a table into the space. That’s why it was so important to extend the area and create a kitchen where I could cook meals and enjoy the outdoor surroundings of the garden.

“I wanted to open the room up as much as possible, which led to me choosing Roof Maker’s Luxlite™ pitched rooflights. I was well acquainted with the traditional timber frame rooflights on the market, but I wanted something more contemporary, and Luxlite™ fitted the bill perfectly.”

As Luxlite™ enables up to 49 per cent more light to enter the room than traditional competitor rooflights, they flood Ruth’s kitchen with natural light, which combined with the bespoke box window, adds a real feel of the garden being an integral part of the space. The sleek aluminium frames are flush fitted against the white interior walls for a streamlined, contemporary finish that doesn’t detract from the natural beauty of outdoor space.

Ruth selected Roof Maker’s electronic opening range, which can be operated via a rocker switch on the wall, meaning Ruth can use the rooflights for ventilation when cooking. Or for thermal regulation on warm sunny days. The automatic rain sensor also provided her with the peace of mind that the rooflights would shut if it started to rain, whether she was in the property or not.

Roof Maker’s anti-glare glazing was also chosen to prevent any bleaching of the furniture and flooring in the kitchen. She chose the triple glazed option, which comes as standard, as this offered the greatest thermal efficiency, preventing any cold or hot spots from forming within the room to create a comfortable and constant environment.

Ruth finished: “My new kitchen is everything that I dreamed of when starting the renovation process, it really is the focal point of the property and a place where my personality really shines through. The use of glazing really opens up the space and provides the perfect viewpoint to enjoy the garden from.”

Find out more about the Luxlite™ on our website. Alternatively, call the Roof Maker team on 0116 269 6297 to find out how a rooflight could be best used in your project.