This classy renovation in the historic city of Bath oozes practicality and personality – homeowner Emma Bowman tells us all about it. Fancy a tour?

“When we viewed the house, we famously declared that it just needed some superficial updating having not been touched in 30 years,” says Emma, who lives with her husband James and two young children Darcey and Phoebe. How wrong this brave statement turned out to be…

“The décor was very ‘90s, complete with metallic lilac paint. The ceilings, however, were all cracking, so we decided to undertake the horrible job of pulling the plaster down and then reboarding them. During this process, we found a number of structural, electrical and plumbing issues… and a couple of leaks, too.

“This led to us ripping out the plumbing and electrics and taking most rooms back to brick. We also replaced guttering, rotten soffits, and all the windows. We then took out a structural wall to remove a corridor from the entrance hall, which allowed us to open up the kitchen. Fireplaces were rediscovered, coving and ceiling roses were reinstated. There’s not an inch of this house that hasn’t been touched to some degree.”

Now that it’s all complete, after renting a property down the road while the most significant work was being done (with Emma visiting daily with Phoebe in the sling in order to manage the project), they finally moved in late last year.

Here, she tells us all about the design process, and how it came together…

What was the kitchen like previously?

It was a very orange pine number – cupboards everywhere, with very little character or light. There were doors either side of the room, meaning that it became a thoroughfare to get to other rooms in the house. We knew it wouldn’t work for us, and it seemed such a shame to have so much dead space in the middle of the room.

We, therefore, removed a structural wall that led from the kitchen into a hallway corridor, and we moved windows and doors around to allow for an island. This also allowed us to consider the best ergonomics, and make sure that walkways were away from the cooking zones.

Who helped with your kitchen design?

We went to a number of high street kitchen companies to help us design the space, but none were right. They all wanted to sell as many units as possible, and none of the designs came close to what I was asking for. By the time we actually got to the critical decision point for the kitchen, we were over a year into major renovations and both struggling with decision fatigue.

So, we enlisted the help of Somerset-based Emily Lukes, from The Kitchen Lady UK, to give us some objective advice and draw up our design, so that we could use it to go out to bespoke kitchen makers. We had a recommendation for Browns Woodworking who did a fabulous job converting these initial sketches into reality. Nothing was too much trouble, and they were brilliant at supporting us as we navigated some tricky scheduling with various trades.

Did you have any musts and must nots for your kitchen design?

I knew I wanted open shelves for visual interest (and to make the room feel less like a series of rectangles). I had also been coveting a green island, with turned legs and brass hardware, from early on. We asked for integrated appliances and bin storage, too, to keep the kitchen in keeping with the age of the house as much as possible.

We also installed a food waste bin that is recessed into the worktop, as I was really keen to avoid having a grubby food waste tub sitting on our new countertops.

Can you talk us through the layout?

We decided to lay the kitchen out based on how we expected to use it, both on a daily basis, and at busier times such as Christmas. We put the food waste at the end of the run of units, nearest the back door for ease of emptying. Next to this are the dishwasher, sink and bins – the ‘cleaning zone’. We allowed enough room to open the dishwasher fully so that clean dishes can be put straight in the large island drawers opposite.

The wall and island sockets are all near the range, as we figured this is where appliances are likely to be put while cooking. Then, we put the food larder at the closest end for ease of access. Seating was kept on the far side of the island to keep the children out of the way while dishes were being done, plus this still allows us to chat and mingle in the same space.

What about the kitchen island design?

Our eldest’s only (sensible) request for the renovation was for her to have a breakfast bar to sit at. Our previous kitchen was designed in such a way that it was impossible to socialise or have a relaxed family breakfast in, so the island was really important for us.

To make up for not having any wall units, we have put a lot of storage in the island, so it is a bit of a workhorse. It houses all our cutlery, crockery and serving dishes. The children also have a drawer with their cups and plates at an accessible height.

When we were designing the island, I knew that having a sink or hob on it wouldn’t work for me, with the likelihood of dirty dishes left in the middle of the room – especially due to the fact that it is in your eyeline from each end of the house.

So, we decided that a large surface for preparing and serving food would work best. It gets used a lot for big puzzles, too. Plus, it was important to us that it had some elegance about it (given its size), so the chaps at Browns helped me to incorporate a couple of newel posts for the turned leg posts. Finally, we chose a traditional Scotia edge profile for the quartz.

It seems that details are important to you…

I love details; for me, it’s the details that make the house our home. From things like the pot filler to the wall-mounted wine rack, they are both functional and beautiful additions so the practical engineer husband and the design-oriented wife are happy.

What’s inside the run of kitchen cabinetry?

Storage was hugely important, as it is to most families. It’s easier to keep a space tidy and organised when things are easy to put away. The large unit, therefore, houses our larder cupboard, with drawers underneath for fruit and vegetable storage.

We have integrated individual fridge and freezer side by side, and then there is an appliance ‘garage’ at the end for all the gadgets. The top cupboards are great for vases and any cookbooks that we don’t need often. We designed the unit with a view to adding a rolling library ladder in time, too, so I can reach all these one day!

Can you talk us through the rest of your home?

We were lucky to have the experience and advice of Portishead Group on hand throughout, as they ripped out and installed both the main bathroom and the ground-floor shower room. Trying to understand the art of what’s possible when it comes to plumbing and soil pipes was key to the room layouts, and the guys were great at coming up with the most practical and aesthetic solutions.

I had my heart set on brass fixtures and fittings, so I set about sourcing all the parts individually – I researched for hours to find the best prices and matching (or close enough) finishes. Bathrooms were a steep learning curve.

The bedrooms were more straightforward; all the old ‘90s in-built wardrobes were ripped out, ceilings dropped, and floors lifted. All were re-wired, insulated and plastered. In the master bedroom, Browns Woodworking installed two bespoke wardrobes in the alcoves, as we were struggling to find anything ‘off the shelf’ that would fit.

They humoured my request to continue the wall panelling James had installed on the walls over on to the wardrobe doors, and did a marvellous job. The profile of the original skirting and picture rail was also copied and continued around the wardrobes to make them appear as unobtrusive as possible.

Was it all worth it?

We spent most of the renovation saying ‘this isn’t worth it, let’s just burn it down’. But having our first Christmas here was special. It helped us to move on from the stress and fall in love with the house – thankfully, it is better than I imagined it would be.

Our house seemed to belong to the tradesmen more than us for a long time, but now it’s very much ours and we’re looking forward to turning our attention to the garden this summer (not that James knows this yet!).

Photography: Kayley Trippick | Styling: Sophie Veale

This house tour was featured in the April 2025 issue of Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine.

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