Award-Winning Refurbishment of a Derelict Cottage in Carmarthenshire

When Luke Thomas bought his little Welsh cottage, it had been sat derelict for 5 years and was rapidly deteriorating. Little of the original stone construction was left, having mostly been replaced by brickwork with a drab pebbledash render. Despite being in a conservation area, the original sash windows were long gone, with brown uPVC casements in their place. These combined with the pebbledash render left the cottage looking, all in all, a little gloomy.

Luke was determined to rejuvenate the property, giving it a modern twist whilst respecting its character and history. To this end, he decided to replace the uPVC casements with timber sash windows that are typical of this type of building. He opted for white sash windows, with a single vertical glazing bar in each sash and satin chrome ironmongery to suit his contemporary interior.

“I think the vertical bar adds a somewhat cottage feel to the sash window. The 16mm bar was recommended to me by Bereco and I am glad I proceeded with this choice as it’s very elegant in appearance.”

Luke subsequently decided to paint the exterior of the property white to match the windows, brightening up his whole corner of the street, whilst the traditional touches such as the exposed stone wall and beautiful new sash windows keep the cottage connected to its history.

Luke’s hard work saw him win ‘Best Renovation’ in the Daily Telegraph’s Home Building & Renovating awards 2021, with the judge saying “This renovation exemplifies everything there is to appreciate about delivering your own personal refurbishment project; it shows just what’s possible with a modest budget, energy, passion and creative endeavour”.