“There were either texts or emails or phone calls”, explains Helen. “That was really important because we carried on working during the project. And I know, talking to other people who have done projects, they didn’t have that and would be getting very frustrated because builders wouldn’t be getting back to them, project managers wouldn’t be getting back to them, and they didn’t know what was going on. We knew every single day everything that was going on and that was really good.”

During the renovation, Kim faced a lot of challenges. The large A-frame room structure, typical of the time, had no insulation. The floor had dropped off towards one corner and needed to be re-levelled - although, structurally, it was sound. The guttering needed upgrading as well, in order to cope with the large volumes of water the roof collected. A-frame homes also restrict the flexibility of water, waste services, and venting, so Kim had to create central ducts to accommodate this in areas that required it, i.e. the bathrooms and kitchen, and positioned them for the best access to these services while considering the angles and height constraints imposed by the A-frame roof and ceiling structure.

Additionally, new compliant stairs were installed with glass screen balustrading to maximise light. The team installed four skylights to help with the light, which simultaneously increased the views and assisted with ventilation in the apex of the home.