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Redcroft

Building a family home around privacy and light

Two-storey red-brick house with gravel driveway, black-framed windows, small front lawn and large tree by the entrance.
This was a house with fundamental problems. It was substantial, but much of it no longer worked as a family home.nnThe aim was to modernise it fully, without losing the qualities that made it worth retaining.
Client
Private Residence
Location
Chester
Status
Complete
Scope
Full remodel
Rear extension
Open-plan dining and living area with a long black table and six black chairs, a wall-mounted TV, a leather lounge chair, wood-burning stove, and large sliding glass doors.

What mattered

The focus was the main bedroom suite. The client wanted it to feel spacious, private and calm, with light handled carefully rather than maximised at all costs.

Bright open-plan living room with gray sectional, dining table, large sliding windows overlooking a green garden.

That approach ran against local convention, particularly in the use of high-level windows and the balance between openness and privacy. Planning constraints also limited how far the house could be extended.

The challenge wasn’t scale, but proportion, judgement and restraint.

Matte black front door set in red brick wall with narrow sidelights, horizontal window, and modern doorbell light fixture
Two-storey brick house with large ground-floor sliding glass doors opening onto a lawn and two black patio chairs.
Minimal white hallway with a tall narrow window, glass balustrade and light oak herringbone floorboards.
Minimal interior stairwell with oak steps, glass balustrade and white walls leading to a closed white door on the landing
Oak staircase with glass balustrade, decorative vases, framed calligraphy leaning on wall and black-and-white portrait above.

Our approach

We worked closely with the client to test ideas early and understand where flexibility mattered, and where it didn’t.

Instead of defaulting to familiar layouts, we focused on spatial quality and comfort. High-level windows were used deliberately to bring in daylight without creating overlooking or planning risk.

Throughout the process, we guided decisions with a clear understanding of the planning context, helping the client prioritise what would make the biggest difference to how the house felt and functioned.

Modern wooden staircase with glass balustrade and black fittings, recessed wall lights and green built-in cupboards below.

The outcome

The completed house reflects the client’s priorities. Spaces feel deliberate rather than compromised. Privacy is handled carefully. Light is controlled, not overworked.

The result is a home that works comfortably within its constraints.

Modern kitchen with black cabinetry, marble island, wooden slatted backsplash, bar stools and pendant light over breakfast bar
Tall matte black front door with narrow vertical sidelight showing sunlit garden, patterned black-and-white tiled floor, umbrella stand.
Open kitchen shelving with wooden shelves against a dark back wall holding bowls, jars, dishes, cookware and cookbooks.
Modern wooden staircase with built-in step lights and a glass balustrade, flanked by cozy living rooms on either side.