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Interior Designer: Claire Totman Designs

Architect: Claire Totman Designs

Photography: Sarah Griggs

Claire Totman Designs has completed a striking ground floor renovation that transforms a once dark and disconnected layout into a bright, functional, and stylish living space. Tasked with creating more room for family life without extending the footprint of the home, Claire Totman Designs approached the project with a focus on light, flow, and reimagining underused areas.

A key element of the brief was to maximise the available space by rethinking the role of the double garage, which had previously served only as storage. Claire Totman Designs reallocated this space, allowing for a more generous and open plan layout that improves connectivity throughout the ground floor. By knocking through two rooms at the rear of the property, the design opened up the kitchen area and strengthened the visual and physical relationship with the garden. This intervention has created a central hub that feels expansive and welcoming.

One of the most transformative aspects of the project is the dramatic increase in natural light. Claire Totman Designs introduced floor to ceiling crittal style doors leading off the entrance hall, instantly creating a sense of openness and giving a direct view to the garden from the moment of entry. Where the house was once dark and compartmentalised, it now feels airy and alive with daylight.

Despite these major changes, the layout remains highly functional. Claire Totman Designs successfully maintained four reception rooms as well as a guest loo, utility, and plant room, ensuring practicality alongside visual impact. The result is a home that now delivers on both form and function, offering the family the living space they needed with a sense of flow and modern elegance that brings the wow factor to everyday life.