From excavating the basement, to removing two six-ton lorries’-worth of rubble from the kitchen, renovating Sami Attia’s beautiful Bath Georgian town house has been quite the adventure

 

Nearly 13 years ago Sami Attia, a property developer, bought a run-down Georgian town house in one of the oldest parts of Bath. But it would take him more than two years of work and he went way over budget in the process. 

‘It was structurally sound but in a poor state of repair,’ he explains. ‘However, I loved it for its age and charm.’ 

An elderly couple had lived there for years in just part of the house which had an impressive history. As one of a terrace of Grade 2-listed houses, it had been designed and built by architect John Wood the Younger between 1771 and 1773; he also designed and built the Assembly Rooms and the Royal Circus.  

It took Sami four months to get planning permission, during which he found Emery Building Contractors and decided he would be his own project manager. 

Great British Life: All the houses are built with thick Bath stone facades, with brick underneath and brick-built sides and rear. They often have vaults going under the road. The original door was repainted All the houses are built with thick Bath stone facades, with brick underneath and brick-built sides and rear. They often have vaults going under the road. The original door was repainted (Image: William Goddard)

Great British Life: All the houses are built with thick Bath stone facades, with brick underneath and brick-built sides and rear. They often have vaults going under the road. The original door was repainted All the houses are built with thick Bath stone facades, with brick underneath and brick-built sides and rear. They often have vaults going under the road. The original door was repainted (Image: William Goddard)

‘We stripped the house right back to a “shell and core” condition,’ he says. ‘This meant taking down partition walls and removing the old plaster to reveal the original brickwork. Then we put on a new roof of Welsh slate and felted and insulated it with Triso Super 10 to achieve maximum energy and insulation performance.’ 

The façade was then given a good “face-wash” by pressure-cleaning it. ‘It was covered in black soot, thanks to many decades of air pollution,’ he says. ‘Now they could see the lovely honey-coloured stone beneath.’ 

But there were more challenges than Sami expected. For instance, the kitchen and sitting room were on the second floor – and the kitchen was so full of rubble he had to hire two six-ton lorries to lug it away. ‘I still can’t quite believe there was so much,’ he says. ‘Then I moved the kitchen to the basement where it would have been originally.’ 

But first the basement had to be excavated and the original stairs leading from the ground floor into it needed to be completely rebuilt. 

Great British Life: The kitchen door with very old original hand-blown glass panels. Sami had them cleaned up to give the kitchen an added period feature. The basement stairs also needed repairing The kitchen door with very old original hand-blown glass panels. Sami had them cleaned up to give the kitchen an added period feature. The basement stairs also needed repairing (Image: William Goddard)

Great British Life: The kitchen door with very old original hand-blown glass panels. Sami had them cleaned up to give the kitchen an added period featureThe kitchen door with very old original hand-blown glass panels. Sami had them cleaned up to give the kitchen an added period feature (Image: William Goddard)

Another problem was the range cooker he’d ordered which wouldn’t fit through the front door when it arrived. ‘So, I had to remove a basement window to bring it in by crane,’ he says. ‘But I love the kitchen now as it’s very light despite being in the basement.’ 

On the top floor there had been two small bedrooms and a cloakroom. So, Sami and his team rebuilt the space as a big master bedroom and a luxurious wet room with marble walls and floor. He put in a new skylight which fills the room with light, and in order for anyone to get access to the roof terrace Sami created hatch doors over the stairway. 

Great British Life: The basement used to be a workshop, but Sami has transformed it into a bespoke Mark Wilkinson “New England” kitchen. He chose a Lacanche gas range cooker with three cooking chambers and six gas hobs The basement used to be a workshop, but Sami has transformed it into a bespoke Mark Wilkinson “New England” kitchen. He chose a Lacanche gas range cooker with three cooking chambers and six gas hobs (Image: William Goddard)

Great British Life: The basement used to be a workshop, but Sami has transformed it into a bespoke Mark Wilkinson “New England” kitchen. He chose a Lacanche gas range cooker with three cooking chambers and six gas hobs The basement used to be a workshop, but Sami has transformed it into a bespoke Mark Wilkinson “New England” kitchen. He chose a Lacanche gas range cooker with three cooking chambers and six gas hobs (Image: William Goddard)

Sami then tackled the second floor where there had been a sitting room and the rubble-filled kitchen. In here he created another double bedroom with luxurious wet room. 

Finally, they reached the basement where Sami had planned his kitchen. ‘I chose Mark Wilkinson “New England” units for a timeless look and a La Canche Range cooker – the one that had to be craned in!’ 

Once done this room has now become Sami’s favourite. ‘Even though it’s in the basement it’s very light yet warm and cosy, thanks to the underfloor heating we put in.’ 

They then installed a new central heating system along with a Keston boiler, as well as a number of Classic radiators from Bisque – an updated version of the old school radiators of the past. 

Great British Life: The front entrance hall features one of the Classic range of column radiators supplied by Bisque The front entrance hall features one of the Classic range of column radiators supplied by Bisque (Image: William Goddard)

They also restored all the sash windows. For this they used Wessex Restoration based in Nailsea who are specialists in timber sashes, using the Ventrolla draught-proofing system. Then they sanded down the old floorboards, stained and sealed them. 

All the woodwork inside is new, from the skirting boards to the bespoke cabinetry throughout. 

Great British Life: The wallpaper in Alexander’s bedroom came from Zoffany. Plenty of storage space has been included, thanks to a carpenter who hand-built fitted oak-veneered cupboards and wardrobes throughout the house with integrated LED lighting  The wallpaper in Alexander’s bedroom came from Zoffany. Plenty of storage space has been included, thanks to a carpenter who hand-built fitted oak-veneered cupboards and wardrobes throughout the house with integrated LED lighting  (Image: William Goddard)

Great British Life: The master bathroom used to be on the third floor, but Sami moved it down to the second floor. This luxury ensuite includes a Matki shower and curved shower screen. The walls are of St Adrien Italian marble with Piatza amber porcelain tiles for the floors and shower cubicles, supplied by Mandarin Stone The master bathroom used to be on the third floor, but Sami moved it down to the second floor. This luxury ensuite includes a Matki shower and curved shower screen. The walls are of St Adrien Italian marble with Piatza amber porcelain tiles for the floors and shower cubicles, supplied by Mandarin Stone (Image: William Goddard)

Sami was very particular about even the smallest details – not only reinstating the old cornicing and replacing the old Victorian fireplaces with limestone surrounds but also fitting non-lacquered brass ironmongery for door handles and light switches. ‘Over time the brass will have a patina to it, making it more authentic-looking,’ he says. 

Great British Life: Ground floor drawing room: In here Sami installed the Reeded Bullseye Carrara marble surround with the ornate arched register grate. All the soft furnishings are from Bo Concept and Swoon Furnishings Ground floor drawing room: In here Sami installed the Reeded Bullseye Carrara marble surround with the ornate arched register grate. All the soft furnishings are from Bo Concept and Swoon Furnishings (Image: William Goddard)

Great British Life: Bella’s bedroom also has a fireplace with a marble surround – a Chesney’s York fire grate with a Langley marble surround from Mendip Fireplaces. ‘It’s so elegant, and just the sort of design the original owners would have chosen!’ says Sami Bella’s bedroom also has a fireplace with a marble surround – a Chesney’s York fire grate with a Langley marble surround from Mendip Fireplaces. ‘It’s so elegant, and just the sort of design the original owners would have chosen!’ says Sami (Image: William Goddard)

Great British Life: Bella’s bedroom also has a fireplace with a marble surround – a Chesney’s York fire grate with a Langley marble surround from Mendip Fireplaces. ‘It’s so elegant, and just the sort of design the original owners would have chosen!’ says Sami Bella’s bedroom also has a fireplace with a marble surround – a Chesney’s York fire grate with a Langley marble surround from Mendip Fireplaces. ‘It’s so elegant, and just the sort of design the original owners would have chosen!’ says Sami (Image: William Goddard)

However, when the house was finished – which took two years – Sami decided against living there. Instead, he rented it out as he and his wife Kate had by then moved into another Georgian place they had renovated. 

But that was then. For last September (2022) Sami, Kate, with children Alexander and Bella, decided to at last move in. But not without a few changes. The master suite on the top floor is now their son’s bedroom and the couple have moved down to the second floor. ‘I also refurbished two of the four bathrooms,’ he says. ‘I partially re-tiled two wet room bathrooms and made them into conventional shower rooms. This is because the marble wet room and shower floors of the bathrooms installed ten years earlier were starting to leak. I chose porcelain tiles this time as they don’t need sealing after installation, unlike marble.’ 

Many of Sami’s design ideas come from his mother. ‘She turned an uninspiring B&B business into a wonderful country house hotel,’ he says. ‘I grew up there – it’s in Wookey Hole – and I learned so much from her.’ 

Great British Life: One of the luxurious wet rooms with shower, Bette bath tub and an Italian Catalano sink unit One of the luxurious wet rooms with shower, Bette bath tub and an Italian Catalano sink unit (Image: William Goddard)

Great British Life: This is now the master bedroom which has moved down to the second floor. The fireplace with its limestone surrounds was supplied by Mendip Fireplaces in Bath. The walls are painted in F&B’s Cornforth White, and the wallpaper is from Zoffany This is now the master bedroom which has moved down to the second floor. The fireplace with its limestone surrounds was supplied by Mendip Fireplaces in Bath. The walls are painted in F&B’s Cornforth White, and the wallpaper is from Zoffany (Image: William Goddard)

Great British Life: This is now the master bedroom which has moved down to the second floor. The fireplace with its limestone surrounds was supplied by Mendip Fireplaces in Bath. The walls are painted in F&B’s Cornforth White, and the wallpaper is from Zoffany This is now the master bedroom which has moved down to the second floor. The fireplace with its limestone surrounds was supplied by Mendip Fireplaces in Bath. The walls are painted in F&B’s Cornforth White, and the wallpaper is from Zoffany (Image: William Goddard)

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