Classic dovetails contemporary

Designed by Lee Turner, Turner Road Architecture

From the renovating architectural designer:

Owner brief / design rationale 

The owners approached Turner Road Architecture with a clear vision for their historic homestead, a century-old Arts and Crafts style residence originally designed by noted architect James Douce. 

Their brief was to sympathetically restore and modernise the property, retaining its character and heritage detail while enhancing functionality, flow, and comfort for contemporary living.

Fulfilling the owner brief 

The homeowners were passionate about maintaining the home’s architectural integrity, while ensuring it could adapt to their lifestyle. 

Key requirements included creating better connectivity between rooms, introducing light and openness, and improving the entrance, kitchen, dining and bedroom spaces. 

Turner Road Architecture responded with a considered reconfiguration that respected the home’s historic bones, while thoughtfully reworking the interior layout.

Design response to site & surroundings

Located in rural Cambridge, the homestead sits within landscaped grounds with views across to newly built stables. 

The renovation embraced this setting by re-orienting spaces to maximise northern light and outlooks, particularly in the new master suite, which captures serene garden and stable views. 

The southern elevation, once the service entry, was elevated to a gracious new front entrance, complete with plastered plinths, timber columns, and restored leadlight doors. 

A covered patio extends entertaining spaces, strengthening the connection between home, gardens, and surrounding countryside.

Functionality, creativity & space design

The project balanced practicality with creativity. 

The once small, isolated galley kitchen has been opened up to form a bright, social hub linking dining and outdoor entertaining spaces, supported by a functional new scullery and pantry. 

Upstairs, awkwardly shaped rooms have been reworked into generous, free-flowing bedrooms, with improved bathroom and storage layouts. 

A second living room was reimagined as a master suite, ensuring the home now works seamlessly for modern family life. 

Externally, structural interventions have realigned walls and repositioned windows to enhance symmetry and light, while raising the garage roof pitch brings visual coherence to the front elevation.

Aesthetic response – style, detailing & materials

Preservation of detail was central to the renovation. 

Original design features were reinstated and celebrated, with all new walls re-stuccoed to match the heavily textured plaster finish. 

The owners sourced period-appropriate stained-glass windows and timber doors from a dismantled Arts and Crafts house in Timaru, ensuring authenticity. 

Interior finishes, including Morris & Co wallpapers, oak herringbone flooring, and antique furnishings, were carefully selected to reflect the era while delivering enduring elegance. 

These touches, combined with architectural detailing that blended seamlessly with the original structure, ensured a result that feels both timeless and rejuvenated.

Overcoming challenges

Working with a solid concrete structure required careful structural engineering and precision detailing to maintain integrity while introducing new openings and alignment. 

Ensuring modern convenience while protecting the spirit of James Douce’s original design demanded a close collaboration between designer, builder, and homeowners. 

The owners’ design eye and commitment to detail complemented the architectural vision, resulting in a home that is not only restored but future-proofed for another century.

Conclusion

This renovation demonstrates the power of sensitive, owner-focussed design. 

Turner Road Architecture, together with GD Pringle Building and the owners’ design-led contributions, has revived a significant heritage home with creativity, respect, and craft. 

The project preserves its legacy while delivering a home that is beautiful, functional, and ideally attuned to contemporary living.

Story by: Trendsideas