Oving

“Westmount, with Dan Dodd as project manager, carried out a modernisation/refurbishment on our 1980s bungalow in spring-summer 2021. The work involved gutting most of the existing interior living space including removing several internal walls and re-arranging the space to create an open plan flow whilst retaining defined areas including big living/music room opening into central hall, in turn opening into kitchen/breakfast room leading through to isolatable home-office/consulting room. The aim was to make spaces which would fit our particular uses and interests revolving around music, food, sociability as well as tranquility, and working from home.  We also wanted to bring a lot more light into the house. We hoped for all this on a fairly modest budget.

We can’t sing the praises of Westmount enough! The works, which took three months to complete, turned out to be a process we actually enjoyed, much to our surprise and delight. Dan and his talented team were a real pleasure to work with, and to have around for those three months.

Dan made it possible for us to continue to live here while the work was carried out, including managing to keep our internet, washing machine, and dishwasher working throughout! We had the use of our bedroom, study, bathroom, back garden and a camp kitchen in the back garden with electricity. The rest of the house, and the front, became a building site. Dan’s team were always thoughtful, patient and aware that we were living in the space at the back, which made it possible to go about our own daily lives. In turn it meant that one of us was usually on hand to discuss options and choices as they arose.

This created a process which felt like it became a genuine collaboration. Many of the details had been left open with just suggestions provided by the architect. Dan worked with us to make choices and develop a particular style which emerged as the spaces took shape. We ended up with some lovely touches which I don’t think could have arisen any other way, as ideas led to suggestions, research, and outcomes which sometimes surprised all of us. Such as seeking to find interior doors which would match the birch ply banquette in the kitchen. Dan sourced some birch ply solid timber fire-doors from Canada which his magician joiner Colin finished and fitted to produce a really lovely bespoke style running through the whole house. Likewise after initially thinking we’d need to compromise on LVT flooring, discussion led to research which led to the discovery of a ceramic option which was affordable enough. A simple pale modern ceramic floor flows peacefully through the whole space, beautifully laid by Dan’s colleague Bobby. An original plan to save on costs by retaining the existing UPVC windows and matching them where new windows were being installed, was superseded by Dan’s discovery of an affordable option for anthracite grey aluminium windows and doors. We were able to replace all the windows and doors in the refurbished part of the house and are delighted with the result, as are many neighbours and passers-by, who comment on how lovely the building is now looking from the lane.

Dan has a real talent for coming up with stylish, affordable and creative solutions. Our unsightly front porch was removed to reveal some old render on the brickwork around the front door. Restoring the external wall back to its original brick would have been impossible, so Dan suggested a red cedar cladding panel around the front door - which looks really lovely. Likewise, we were able to use some irregular rectangular landscaping slates we had leftover from a pond project, and Dan’s colleagues John and Pat created with these a beautifully proportioned bespoke slate paved area to replace the old porch floor.

Dan is a very skilled project manager. He was committed to this project full-time, and would always keep us informed of his movements, what would be happening in the next few days, who would be here, how it fitted in. So we always had a sense of knowing what to expect, and understanding if there were quiet days, e.g. when the latex floor base needed time to harden before they could do anything else. We never felt abandoned!

Dan was also very skilful in managing the flow of materials into, and out of, this small site. Skips would appear, and disappear, doors, windows, timber, flooring, kitchen units, plumbing materials etc. would arrive at just the right time, and there was always a very reassuring sense of logic to what we could see happening around us.

Dan clearly creates a happy and close-knit team around him. We had the sense that Dan and his team were able to settle in and enjoy the project, make it their own, and express themselves and their creativity through what they were doing. Graham who decorated with great skill throughout brought his artistry and perfectionism into what he was doing, and it was lovely to have the sense that he was really enjoying the process of bringing the beauty of new spaces to their full potential. Dan and Graham talked of their satisfaction in creating something they knew ‘the customer’ would be happy with, and their awareness of thinking about what we, as ‘the customers’, would like.

We learned from them, and they perhaps also learned from us, in terms of the style which eventually emerged, which seems to be genuinely a joint effort that neither of us would have come up with without the others - really much more than the sum of the parts.

We were sad to see Dan and his team go - it all felt a bit quiet without them!

We are absolutely delighted with the result which has truly transformed the experience of living here, every moment of every day.”

Amanda and Nick, Oving, September 2021