Meeting Jake on site we felt a real connection. One of us is an artist working in a (broadly) sculptural capacity and we felt there was a shared aesthetic appreciation that would bring energy to our collaboration. We recognised our restricted finances would be a challenge but felt immediately that Jake shared our ambition of creating wonder on a budget.

 Moving from a flat in a shared building, there were three key tenets as part of the brief: that we had our own front door, that there was a studio space and that there was a garden.

 All three were as vital as each other and we wanted to avoid the velvet trap of ‘maximising the development value of the plot’ (i.e building as large as possible). Fortunately, the team immediately understood each element was an active part of our envisioned life and even the earliest sketch showed how that would come together.

 We knew as a small building it would be details that mattered and it was when Ben and Tina proposed a ‘nib’ which created a front yard and provided an anchor for the railings that the whole really became greater than the sum of its parts. This concept met so many objectives in its simplicity: It formed the perfect vehicle for the art tiling, gave a nod to the surrounding Victorian architecture and provided a framework for climbers and therefore for the garden to become further integrated with the building. It’s a perfect example of the listening, creativity and collaboration that made working with Edgley Design so exceptional, and a real testament to how they took a house and made it a living part of the street.

 As anyone who has poured their heart, soul and finances into a project knows, the planning process is months of anxiety-inducing waiting. We can only imagine the diplomacy and negotiation that went on behind the scenes – Edgley Design struck the perfect balance of keeping us informed and managing our expectations. The importance of professional empathy is often overlooked but we do not think that particular skill can be underestimated.

 Our budget – sadly – did not stretch to continuing to employ Edgley Design as project managers. The way they talked us through the tender process, the advice they gave us on managing the relationship with the builders and the suggestions we received for minimising costs and maximising the result were invaluable for us to realise our dream.

 The pandemic proved to be a real test of how successful Edgley Design had been in interpreting our brief and how this translated to our lived experience. Whilst – like many others – our lives had been impacted by Covid-19, the house, gardens and studio worked holistically as a nurturing environment that has far exceeded our expectations and continues to delight. We still have a steady stream of people who stop us outside, or even knock on the door, just to say how much they love the house.

 We instructed Edgley Design to design a modern house that would stand out yet also feel comfortable in the more traditional context. Edgley Design were able to secure planning permission for this and procured the preparation of the tender package which made our life simple. As is often the case tender prices came back prohibitive so we had to work together to bring these costs down, whilst retaining the main features which were so important to the house. This for me was the most difficult part of the pre construction stage.

Because I project managed the whole process and instructed the various sub contractors as well as sourcing a lot of the materials myself, I was heavily involved and on site most of the time. But I had no previous experience of building a house, so was very reliant on Ben Kirk at Edgley Design to “hold my hand” throughout the whole process. All the complicated and difficult construction decisions, which no one sees the results of, he was able to make. He also ensured all the architectural merits of the house were built correctly so it looked perfect – not even minor decisions were left to chance. There was also many a time when I would have just said on design decisions “that will do” and/or make a wrong architectural decision when being pushed by the contractors to make a quick choice. It was only because of Ben’s experience and knowledge, with him saying “lets just hold off and consider” or “lets mock it up and take a look”, that we have been able to create a home and not just a house that is absolutely perfect in every way for us.

There is truly nothing we would change about it for which we feel very thankful and appreciative of Ben. We set out to create a unique house for the area, that we couldn’t just purchase, that had all the characteristics of a contemporary property but most importantly was warm and homely for the family to live in and felt special. Ben and the team at Edgley Design were able to make that dream a reality.