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Emma and Peter Molyneux have balanced Victorian tradition with cutting-edge contemporary in their renovation and extension of this listed Surrey home Words Caroline Foster Photography Darren Chung

Some would say that planning a wedding at the same time as embarking on a complicated building project is a touch ambitious and, with hindsight, Emma Molyneux and her now-husband Peter, a

computer-games developer, would agree. ‘Looking back, I’m not sure why we decided to pack so

much into that year – it all just happened,’ remembers Emma. ‘Peter and I were living in London, with our son Lucas, and we decided that it would be more sensible to buy a house close to Peter’s business in Guildford. We were very open-minded about the type of property we wanted, though it was always on the cards that we’d go for a refurbishment project, as it’s rare to find a house that suits you perfectly.’

So in between writing invitations and ordering flowers, Emma and Peter began viewing potential properties, until they stumbled across a large Victorian house just a mile away from Peter’s work. ‘I found it while doing a search on the internet, and we were both blown away by the beautiful 20-acre garden and the fabulous views,’ says Emma. ‘We made an offer, which was accepted, and it all went through very quickly. The house still had lots of original features, but needed a thorough update. There was also an Eighties

Act of unionabove Paul and Emma’s new extension is based on the proportions of the existing Grade II-listed building. They chose smooth white render to create a visual link between the two

far right The glazed addition is set back to differentiate old from new, with its height scaled to match the horizontal projection of the original facades. The indoor swimming pool opens on to the outdoor space

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this picture The upper floor of the extension houses a large open-plan kitchen-diner and family room, providing stunning views over the garden

extension with narrow corridors and small rooms, a bit of a rabbit warren. Lucas loved playing hide and seek in it, but it didn’t suit our love of open-plan living.’

Choosing to stay in their London house while the project took place, the couple immediately pushed forward with plans to transform their new home, asking several architects to draw up designs to include a contemporary, glazed extension. ‘We went for Gregory Phillips because he was most in tune with our vision of how the building should look and the way we wanted the open-plan interior to flow,’ explains Emma. ‘He initially came up with a three-storey design, which we loved, but the planners rejected it as they were concerned that it would overshadow the existing house. After some negotiation we decided to compromise and agreed to lose a storey.’

With the revised plans approved, the builders moved in and began demolishing the Eighties extension to make way for the new addition. To comply with the planners’ demands for subtlety, a basement level was created to accommodate a swimming pool by excavating into the sloping lawn. ‘The main house was completely gutted while the extension was being built and it seemed that there was a never-ending list of decisions to make,’ says Emma. ‘One day Peter and I went straight from a wedding-planning meeting to a house

‘We wanted the large open-plan interior to flow and, more importantly,

relate to the existing house’

left Throughout the house Emma has used furniture and accessories to add colour to the all-white interior, choosing green Ghost bar stools and bright food-themed art for the kitchen

below A marble-topped Tulip dining table by Eero Saarinen poses a striking centrepiece in the light and airy kitchen-diner

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meeting, and our heads were buzzing from all the decision-making. I got really stressed over little things like bathroom tiles and electrical sockets.’

After 15 months of hard graft, the couple now has a fully-refurbished Grade II-listed Victorian residence, with a contemporary extension that both complements and contrasts with the existing house. ‘The extension is subservient to the main building, as a large proportion of it is sunk below ground, within the slope of the garden,’ says Emma. ‘The interior of the Victorian wing has been opened up, and the rooms have been enlarged so they are in proportion with the high ceilings. I particularly love the dining room, which I’ve furnished with a mixture of traditional and modern pieces, including an 1840s table which is the same age as the house.’

Although the reconfiguration of the original home is a resounding success, what really stands out in this project is the striking new steel and glass structure. ‘We wanted a large, open-plan area that would relate to the main house and take advantage of the views across the countryside,’ says Emma. ‘Choosing white render for both buildings gives a real visual connnection between the old and new parts of the house.’

Inside, the spaces flow beautifully into one another, thanks to the engineered walnut flooring that has been laid throughout, while the white-painted walls help to unify all

first floor

Basement

n

Ground floor

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bed

ro

om

Bedroommaster Bedroom

dressinG room

Pool

worksHoP

Games room

dininG room

Boot room

kitcHen

ter

ra

ce

ter

ra

ce

livinG room

study

Playroom

The layout: 700sqm

above The formal dining room is a successful blend of traditional and modern – the table is the same age as the house and surrounded by Mr Impossible and Victoria Ghost chairs from Kartell

left Original Victorian bay windows have been fully restored and allow plenty of light into the living room

this picture Full-height sliding doors allow the living space to flow out on to the terrace, ideal for summer entertaining

Pla

ns: E

dgar

Hof

fman

n

en suite

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the rooms. The theme is largely monochrome with accents of bold colour and period shades.

The environmental performance of the existing house has been improved wherever possible, working within the restrictions of its listed status. ‘The loft was extensively insulated, as were any new floors and, although the original sash windows had to be kept single glazed, they have been refurbished to reduce heat loss,’ says Emma. ‘We discussed a ground source heating system, but didn’t make any progress; I regret it now as we have to rely on liquid petroleum gas central heating, which is expensive. I’ll be looking at more eco-friendly systems in the future,’ says Emma.

One of the planning department’s concerns was that the family wouldn’t use the old house once the new wing was in place, but Emma insists this is not the case. ‘The extension is a great space and we do spend a great deal of time here as a family, but we divide our time between both parts. The main living room has an original Victorian fireplace, which is wonderful in winter, and our office is in the main house, too.’

Emma confesses that she felt a great sense of responsibility as they began renovating a listed house, and now that the project is finished, she’s both pleased with and proud of the results. ‘This was a wonderful home that felt like it was just waiting for the next chapter of its life to begin, and for another family to come in and bring it up to date,’ she says. ‘When I look at my house with its new, modern wing, I no longer see something that is either traditional or contemporary, but rather a wonderful fusion of the two.’

SuppliersProJect team architect gregory Phillips architects (020 7724 3040; gregoryphillips.com) structural engineer Ramboll uK (020 7631 5291; ramboll.co.uk) contractor Koru Build (01737 845 425; korubuild.co.uk)structure timber-clad concrete staircase ardern Hodges (020 7263 3882; ardernhodges.co.uk) external render and insulation system sto (0141 892 8000; sto.co.uk) eco feature windows Fineline aluminium (01934 429 922; finelinealuminium.co.uk)fiXtures and fittinGs kitchen Boffi Lt Range from alternative Plans (020 7228 6460; alternative-plans.co.uk) sanitaryware Design space London (020 7228 8088; designspacelondon.com) underfloor heating Wirsbo (01455 550 355; uponor.co.uk) wood flooring Walnut engineered flooring from ardern Hodges (as before) external paving stone age (020 7384 9090; stone-age.co.uk) light fittings shomei from the Light Corporation (01442 216 200; lightcorporation.com) rubber floor Dalsouple (01278 727 777; dalsouple.com) specialist joinery DHJ Furniture (020 7263 7744; dhjfurniture.co.uk) shower screens Majestic shower Company (0844 800 1500; majesticshowers.com) Bathroom tiles stone age (as before) furniture dining-room chairs Mr Impossible by Philippe starck and Eugeni Quitllet and Victoria ghost by Philippe starck, both for Kartell at Coexistence (020 7354 8817; coexistence.co.uk) dining table tulip dining table by Eero saarinen for Knoll at Coexistence (as before) Bar stools Charles ghost high stools by Philippe starck for Kartell at Coexistence (as before) kitchen-diner chairs urban dining chairs in green from Ikea (0845 358 3363; ikea.co.uk) sofas in extension Nicoletti L-shaped sofa, Mac and Mac Interiors (01252 717 771; macandmacinteriors.co.uk) small sofa BoConcept (boconcept.co.uk) office chairs Orbital by Christophe Pillet for Modus at Nest (0114 243 3000; nest.co.uk) office coffee table BoConcept (as before) chaise longue scala black velvet daybed, Maisons du Monde (0808 234 2172; maisonsdumonde.com)

left Lucas’ playroom has replaced the original kitchen, with durable rubber flooring and functional seating with built-in storage cupboards designed by Emma

below left and below Previously a dressing room, the master en suite features his-and-hers cylindrical washbasins. ‘I chose dark slate to create a moody, cave-like feel in the bathroom,’ says Emma

this picture The master bedroom is minimally decorated with white bed linen, rattan furniture and vintage-inspired details

‘This wonderful home felt like it was waiting for the next chapter of its life to begin’

Update your home in Emma’s stylish mix of contemporary classics and eye-catching accessories with the buys on p57