The house was originally reached via a steep flight of narrow and hazardous steps rose to the existing front door making access difficult, especially with young children and any baggage or equipment. These steps and the existing front door were removed and a new reception vestibule formed at lower level. Now the building is entered at external ground level, where residents can remove and stow outdoor clothing and footwear in a warm, dry and sheltered space before ascending the internal steps to the main living space above. A new opening was formed between this new room and the principal living areas, linking the spaces together while retaining views from the upper living area to the front garden. The vestibule is largely glazed with bench seating around the perimeter making it ideal for use on sunny days as a play space for the children where they can be safely overlooked from a window seat in the new kitchen space above. The ground floor, which originally consisted of a series of cellular spaces, was largely stripped out to form a series of much brighter more open and flowing circulation and living spaces, better suited to the way the family live. A new extension was formed to the rear of the property containing a garden room and new en-suite facilities for the ground floor bedroom. Meanwhile a new stair was formed improving access to the first floor which was reconfigured to form a larger shared bedroom for the young children.