Period homes ruined by 'modernisation'

[bohwen]

Anyone seen any gems of unrestored period properties? I don't mind the era of a house, so long as it's good quality and has good features. Every age be it Georgian or 50s Modern has its virtues.

I saw this beauty online a couple of years ago, and cheap sold for £200k in 2015. Art deco, really strongly so too.

Saw it back on the market, and it's absolutely ruined. Looks like the kind of place you'd think of a car dealer living in

And now they want £695k ! What a joke.

Before (scroll down):
www.zoopla.co.uk/property/shangri-la/bryn-road/pontllanfraith/blackwood/np12-2ey/16691658
After 'modernisation'/restoration:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76980103.html

Well, it's a bit ridiculous having it all black and white - for a moment I thought they'd used greyscale film - but it's no less Art Deco than the previous listing. Which had some VERY interesting kitchen and bathroom decor... I'm not an expert but it looked decidedly seventies to me.

To be fair, they've kept to the spirit of art deco - ultra modern and stylised, although not to the actual style.

Wow I’m astonished at the starkness of the improvements. I’m also quite astonished at the price as someone who used to know Gwent well, is that the Cardiff effect on prices?

It's a pity that it wasn't photographed in colour

They’ve really gone to town with the monochrome

It obviously needed some work but they’ve stripped any former life or soul from it

Its been on the market for quite a while. I'd say they are asking too much.

agree that although the colour scheme and decor choices are very much an acquired taste, the key period features are still there under all the black. Far worse goes on, particularly in London, where it's sad how many Victorian and Georgian properties are knocked through and extended beyond all recognition, leaving just the period frontage as a facade.

Absolutely gorgeous house though. Love the outside.

It wasn't excactly beautiful before to be honest. They have gone for art deco style which is in keeping with the building though. Hate black and white personally so it is not to my style but I am not offended by it.

I'm not a fan of Art Deco to start with, but you could hide a whole battalion of Star Wars Stormtroopers in there now.

WhoWouldHave

^^

The art Deco refurb isn't too my taste, but it could have been much, much worse. They've kept the gorgeous windows, made a feature of the stained glass and even put in a clean, curvy kitchen. The rest just looks like a dodgy colour scheme.

I don't understand the need for an outdoor swimming pool - is the weather really that good in the Welsh valleys?
To me, the outdoor swimming pool looks like it is more for show (can't imagine it'll be used much - the maintenance and refill costs of running a pool are high too) and in practical terms the space would be better off as a nice garden.

They have clearly worked hard to renovate the property and grounds - probably pumped a lot of money into. However, with a Zoopla price estimate of only a £65k growth from the original £200k sale, I'm not sure that they are going to recover the amount invested in doing the place up.

I'm not really sure who their target market is?

Ugh it's like something from beetle juice!!

Most of it would be easily removed though. Still a lovely house.

Well. I like the bathroom ...

Good idea for a thread Op, thanks. Sad though Not an art deco fan usually but could see the original beauty in the property. That luscious garden too & it's natural screening & copious wildlife.

Hate hate hate the new colour scheme. That is a lot of new concrete going on outside too

Good to see you looking for the positives @LemonPudding

Were you originally ALemonyPea who has finally moved on to the last course?

The thing that ruins period houses is replacing the windows with upvc double glazing and paving for parking. I realise why people want less drafty windows, but you can make improvements or get sensible replacements without going for a 1990s looking double glazed unit.

Victorian or Edwardian streets are spoiled as places by lots of cars parked on whatever's the front gardens, right in front of the windows. Realise that parking is at a massive premium in lots of places and that properties do need to be adapted to modern living though. It's a shame though because the whole feel of a Victorian or Edwardian street which would have had front gardens to all houses is spoiled by massive 4x4s right up to windows and creeping onto pavements as they are so large.

My parents are in their late 70s and when they see period features though, they see old-fashioned aspects which made life in their childhood uncomfortable - such as non-fitted kitchens, fires which nededed making and cleaning. To them, double glazing and tightly fitting doors which keep out drafts, and removing draughty fire places all makes sense.

I was holding my breath in case they’d fucked with those windows but they’ve not messed with the bones of the house (though I’d imagine they sunk a shed load into rewiring, sorting out the heating and plumbing and replastering to make it all sound.)

The decor is Not My Thing but they’ll take that with them when they move.

It's not that bad as when they take out their curtains and furniture it will be a mainly white canvas.

The main room to sort, will be the black room but it's just paint and flooring.

The bathroom, I'd paint the bath and immediately it's just a plain room.

The kitchen, well the units are inoffensive and look okay quality but I hate units that do not go up to the ceiling so that and the worktop I would be sorting out. The black worktop which I had before did not look so stark so maybe it could be left, if you didn't want white walls and chose a colour to soften the effect.

I'm most annoyed about the lovely wooden floors but hopefully they are still there under that black carpet. Which I would sell on ebay as can't stand carpet in rooms.

The swimming pool is a shame as the valleys are not exactly Florida, they cost a lot in upkeep and it takes up so much space.

However I wished more people decorated to their taste as maybe these people did, instead of beige soulless rooms unless that is your style of course.

If they decorated to sell then they are stupid.

The price is actually the worst thing about it, what a rip off as I'm sure they spent nowhere near £500k on it and if they did then they are very very stupid.

It’s like an 1980s idea of what Art Deco was. Problem is they have spent so much money it’s uneconomical to undo it. What a waste.

Who would want to live in a sterile environment like that? It's horrible.

It’s the colour scheme that kills it. All that glaring white and then the hideous black room, just awful. The layout is actually okay and the outside view is stunning.

It's a lovely house and the exterior of the building looks a lot better now. Remove the curtains, blinds, black carpets and the vendor's furniture and it won't look half as stark. The glossy white floor tiles are awful though. It could be beautiful.

Oh god, it's hideous. What I've noticed is, all houses that have been given this ultra modern, shiny floored butchering reatment, have those exact same style dining chairs with the big decorative ring handle. They are the red flag of poor taste.

I do really love Victorian terraces that have extended the kitchen or knocked through the dining room and kitchen and have those folding black patio doors though. I didn't realise that was a terrible overdone thing. It's what I want to do with a Victorian terrace, but other than that, I'd restore all the floors and other original features like architraves etc