Our Dorset Life

When we first stepped (virtually) into our home, we knew it needed work. Every wall was wallpapered, the carpets were worn, the kitchen layout was dated, and the electrics needed a complete rewire. But it had something we couldn’t ignore – potential.

We didn’t plan to take on a full renovation, especially with three young children, but once we got the keys, the list grew quickly. The parking was originally in the back garden, so one of the first things we did was create a driveway at the front with beautiful Dorset stone retaining walls. It completely changed the way we approached the house and gave us a safe and private garden out back.

Next came the big part: an extension. We added a one-and-a-half storey addition to transform the original 3-bed into a 4-bedroom home, creating an open-plan kitchen, dining and snug space downstairs and a fourth bedroom upstairs. Every room was touched, rewired, replastered, redesigned. We added a new ensuite in the main bedroom, carved out a dedicated utility, replaced all the windows and doors, and reworked the layout to suit how we live as a family.

We naively thought we could live through it all. But once the rewire started and floors came up and we were dodging plaster dust while trying to parent, it quickly became clear we needed a break. Luckily, my parents and a friend with a holiday let stepped in to give us breathing space during the messiest months. It was definitely an adventure for the children, they loved the rental house as it was so close to the seaside!

There were moments of stress, definitely. I had never taken on a project like this before and suddenly found myself choosing floor plans, chasing builders, and making decisions I barely understood at the time. But I learned so much and weirdly enjoyed it once we got into a rhythm.

Seeing it all come together was incredibly satisfying. We now have a modern, light-filled, practical family home that works for our day-to-day life. It still isn’t completely “finished” (I’m not sure any family home ever is), but it’s ours, shaped around how we live, filled with our choices, and a space we genuinely love.

You can find more on our renovation at https://www.instagram.com/our.home.in.dorset

Love Sarah x