2026

A Rose By any Other Name

Completed

Herne Bay | Villa Renovation

This Herne Bay villa renovation is about continuity. The work was mostly inside the house, with the one change outside being a new swimming pool at the back of the garden. The aim was not to mark where the original villa ends and the new work begins, but to make the renovation feel like a natural next chapter in its life. From the street and from within, it reads as one cohesive home.

Repairing and extending what was already there

The villa’s original timber joinery was repaired rather than replaced, keeping the proportions and character of the house. The architraves were maintained and extended, so the detailing runs consistently through the old and renovated parts of the home. Shutters were added to the windows, a period-appropriate detail that adds depth and softens the light.

Oak floors and a brighter home

A new oak timber flooring overlay enhanced the original floors and brightened the whole villa. Together with the neutral, classic colour palette that runs throughout, it helps the rooms feel connected rather than divided into separate architectural eras. The new work supports the character of the villa rather than announcing itself.

The kitchen, scullery and bathrooms

The new kitchen is finished in warm beige tones that sit comfortably with the oak floor and the original features. It is complemented by a scullery and laundry, an ensuite and a bathroom, all designed to suit the villa’s proportions and detailing and to work for how the family lives.

The garden and pool

The living area opens directly to the lawn, and the lawn leads on to a new swimming pool at the back of the garden. This sequence from house to lawn to pool strengthens the connection between the home and its garden, and it gives the family an outdoor space that suits how they live.

A different approach to the same question

Not every villa renovation should look the same. For our Ponsonby Villa project, The Stage and The Cave, we took the opposite approach, with a deliberate contrast between old and new. In Herne Bay, old and new sit comfortably together, and there is no strong moment of transition. If you are weighing the two, our guide to villa renovation design: in keeping or contrasting explains how to decide.

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