4 bedroom cottage

It has been five years since the current owners of Swiss Cottage moved into their impressive Edwardian home set on desirable King Edwards Road. Since then they have transformed the property, updating and extending it to give it a bright, contemporary interior, which still retains some period character. “We loved the whole feel of the house, including its fireplaces, when we first saw it,” one of them remembers. “We wanted a home with character that we could also make our own and this one ticked all the boxes. It was also in a great location, close to the racecourse, good schools, shops and parks, and it was on a very quiet road, which appealed to us.”

EXTRA SPACE

The semi-detached house already offered accommodation over two storeys, but the couple decided to enhance this further by extending out over the kitchen to create a fourth bedroom. “We lifted the roof in the kitchen and added this new room, which is lovely as it has a vaulted ceiling. It has built-in storage and makes a great spare bedroom, with room for a double bed if necessary. It has been ideal for my husband these past few months as somewhere to work from home.”

SPECTACULAR FAMILY LIVING

At the same time as increasing the bedroom accommodation at Swiss Cottage, the couple upgraded and remodelled much of the space at ground-floor level. This saw them open the whole area right up to create one splendid living, dining, kitchen and family room. Everywhere was replastered and redecorated; underfloor heating, in two separate zones, and Amtico flooring were laid throughout. “We added bi-folding doors across the back of the house and completely renovated the kitchen. This now has modern, shaker-style units, granite work surfaces, an induction oven and a central island, with breakfast bar,” she adds. “We decided to integrate the fridge-freezer, washing machine and tumble dryer to keep it looking minimal.”

BRIGHT, WARM AND INVITING

Like the rest of the house, the space is decorated in very neutral shades, allowing the fireplace at the drawing room end to stand out as something of a feature. “This whole downstairs area has become a wonderful family space,” she observes. “Opening everything up has made it into a bright, warm place for us to spend time together. It has also been great for having friends and family over, especially in the summer, when we can open the bi-folding doors up on to the garden. In the warmer months, this allows the garden to become a true extension of the house, with space for the children to play and us to sit out in the sunshine.”

BEAUTIFUL BEDROOMS

Upstairs, there are now three bedrooms on the first floor, together with the family bathroom, which has also been refurbished and offers a roll-top bath, with shower above. The new bedroom and a smaller bedroom look out over the garden, while the bedroom to the front of the house, which has an original fireplace, features generous built-in storage. The master bedroom is situated on the top floor of the house, in what would have originally been loft space. With a generous dormer window, red-brick, feature wall and contemporary en suite shower room, this makes a sumptuous sanctuary. “This is a really lovely room, which is extremely light because it has a skylight to the front as well as the large window to the back,” she adds.

SUNNY GARDEN

In the last six months, the garden at Swiss Cottage has been landscaped, creating a low-maintenance space, ideal for family life and entertaining friends. The bi-folding doors now pull back on to composite decking, which is flush to the kitchen floor, and there are flower beds and an artificial lawn. “We also have some large planters and a nice raised terrace at the back, where have our barbecue and can dine outside. This catches the sunshine throughout the day.” On warm days, when they are not out in their own garden, the owners enjoy strolling over the racecourse or nearby duck pond. “This is a great place to live because we have everything close by,” she agrees. “We are in the catchment areas for Ascot Heath and Charters School and are well-placed for travelling into London by train or picking up motorways. We do hope to stay in this area when we leave – it couldn’t be better for us.”

SETTING THE SCENE

Set back from the road by a gravel drive, the property on King Edwards Road offers parking for up to four cars. To the rear it opens on to its recently landscaped garden, with its composite deck and rear raised terrace for outside dining, entertaining and relaxation. There is a low maintenance artificial lawn, plus a shed, planted and flower beds.