This detached house is surrounded by back gardens in an oasis of calm. Our client purchased 'a shell' with a view to live in and gave us a virtually free hand to deisgn everything for a complete refurbishment, whilst still working to the constraints of a budget. The open plan ground floor incorporates our elegant contemporary winding staircase of pine with a steel balustrade. We designed the entire bespoke kitchen using stainless steel worktops and splash-backs which were fabricated offsite by excellent teams of joiners and metalworkers. The living room unit is fully wired for the TV and Hi-Fi which can be hidden away. The ceiling is lowered slightly to create what we call a 'light raft' which centres the furniture of the living zone in this open plan ground floor. Upstairs the bathroom marries natural white mosaic wall and floor tiles with limestone surfaces. We have created a thoughtfully designed calming space full of light and air; a vast transformation from the dark gloomy original.