September 10, 2026 / By rachel
The right setting and generous rooms do not automatically make a property feel like home. If the routes between everyday spaces feel awkward, the lighting is gloomy and black timber beams make the atmosphere oppressive, even a promising country house can feel unwelcoming.
For Week 27 of our #40Projects40Weeks series, we are looking at how improving house layout transformed a tired Gloucestershire country property into a warm, welcoming home designed around its new owner, complete with a bar on the upstairs landing.
When our American client found the property in Apperley for her UK residence, she could see its potential, but its neglected condition and awkward floor plan did not suit the way she wanted to live. The challenge was to retain the character while reshaping the interior around her everyday life, initiating a complete remodel that resulted in the house feeling calmer, warmer and genuinely her own.
Room to Live Better
RRA looked at the 3000+ sq ft house as a whole to rework the room layout and flow through the building, so movement felt natural and the main living spaces connected more comfortably. Structural repairs, new floor finishes, renewed heating and lighting, a fresh kitchen and completely remodelled bathrooms, including an additional ensuite, all formed part of the work.
These changes are easy to summarise as a list, but their real value is experienced in ordinary moments: carrying food to the dining table without taking the scenic route, moving easily through the hall and finding that each room is where it ought to be.
Letting the House Lighten Up
The timber beams had all been painted black, giving them a weight and darkness that dominated the rooms. Abrasive blasting revealed the natural timber beneath, changing the atmosphere throughout the house and allowing the structure to bring warmth rather than heaviness.
The staircase was refurbished, while the indoor inglenook was rebuilt around a new wood burner, creating the sort of welcoming hearth that helps a living room feel comfortably settled.
A Landing Worth Lingering On
Most landings exist simply to move people between rooms, but the generous first-floor space beneath the eaves offered an opportunity to do something much more sociable. The client wanted an informal place for people to gather, so together we developed the idea of a fitted bar. It gives a previously overlooked area a reason to linger and proves that rooms do not have to be limited by the labels on the original floor plan. Not every landing needs its own drinks menu, but this one had the space and character to earn it.
RRA provided full architectural services from the first design ideas through contract administration and completion, with Leckhampton Builders carrying out the work and Lansdown Bathrooms and DeVOL Kitchens adding their expertise in the respective areas.
The completed house feels calmer, lighter and far more personal, with a layout and atmosphere shaped around the person who lives there. Sometimes making a house feel like home begins with removing a wall, and sometimes it begins with building a bar upstairs.
See more of the completed country house remodel on our project page.
This project is Week 27 of our #40Projects40Weeks series, celebrating 40 years of RRA Architects and the people and ideas behind our work. Catch up on previous weeks on our News page.
About RRA Architects
Established in 1986, RRA Architects provides architectural services from initial feasibility and design through to completion, working nationally with projects across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, the Cotswolds, the West Midlands, the South West and South Wales.