What got you interested in energy improvements to your home?

Hugo and I had talked for years about wanting to buy something neglected and breathe life into it again. As we were just about to become parents for the first time we decided to buy our house and turn it into a home that would grow with us as a family, whilst also doing what we could to protect our environment for our children to enjoy in the future. 

When we bought our house in Easton we knew it was going to need a whole heap of love and attention to make it comfortable and energy efficient. Damp and mould was rife, insulation was minimal, and there was no central heating system in the house at all. 

We decided that we wanted to go back to brick as much as was necessary and put the house back together in the way it deserved whilst also future proofing where we could. The Victorians who built these wonderful houses were true craftsmen and we believe our homes should be treated with respect: for how they were made, and for how they were intended to be lived in; in this case, of course, this building needed to breathe again. 

We both love learning new skills and also enjoy taking time to do things right. We knew that by putting in the time and effort to do what we could ourselves (e.g. Hugo taught himself to plaster with lime and hemp/chalk) that we would then be able to invest in more sustainable and energy efficient materials. We wanted to get as close to Passivhaus standard as we could but definitely did not have the budget to tick all the boxes.

What got you interested in the green open homes events and opening your own home?

Since starting our retrofit journey three and a half years ago we have done a huge amount of research and learnt so much; in terms of skills and knowledge. In places, we struggled to find the right information and we wished we could have had some shortcuts. So when we had the opportunity to take part in the Green Open Homes event we thought it was the best way to share with others what we had learnt and allow others to see the outcome for themselves. 

What were people interested in most about your Open Home?

The feedback from people visiting our home was hugely positive. One sentence mentioned frequently was: “it is inspiring”. There were a lot of comments on the “feel” of the space; the warmth, the tactile nature of some of the materials we had used, and the general design. People were really interested in the cork cladding we had used on the rear of the house, as well as in the front bedroom where we had used the same product as wall panelling. But the stand out thing was the heated skirting boards. The product is called Thermaskirt and basically is aluminium skirting boards with three pipes of hot water running through it. They work really well with air-source heat pumps, they distribute warmth evenly through the room and have the added bonus of freeing up wall space where you would otherwise have to accommodate huge radiators. We are just entering into our second winter with these as our heating method for the upstairs and so far so good. Although it is sold as a DIY product, Hugo would advise against fitting them yourselves unless you’re already quite savvy with plumbing!

How do you think Green Open Homes is useful for the attendees?

It was undoubtedly really useful for attendees to see different things in action and to ask all manner of questions. People were really appreciative to hear of the different trades people we had used and even some frank discussions were had over the cost of different materials and how we made certain decisions.

Our home renovation is definitely not finished e.g. during the Green Open Homes event we still had scaffolding up, a newly finished but undecorated loft conversion, and a wooden pallet as a front doorstep. But I think that was actually a positive, as it showed people the process, and that often to do things in the right way, with a tight budget, can be more time consuming. But it is also worth it, to take the time, as we’ve ended up with a cosy, fun, unique house that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to run. 

Have you taken something away from the event?

The main take-away for us was that the “materials board” was a great thing to do! It sparked so many interesting discussions and gave something tangible to refer to when talking about what we had done. We will, however, have to make another one that can be easily stored and transported!

But mostly, this was a very validating experience. It was my first piece of interior design work and we've made some unusual choices (both visually and functionally). Seeing the enthusiasm and hearing the compliments from the visitors was both reassuring and flattering.

Would you host an event again?

We absolutely loved taking part in the Green Open Homes event and particularly enjoyed meeting so many people that were interested in what we had done: whether it was just to have a nosey around or whether they were themselves about to embark on making their own homes more energy efficient. We were absolutely exhausted after the weekend event but we can’t wait to do it again next year!

You can find out more about Mary and Hugo’s journey over on Instagram at @ecoeastonreno. Do sign up to our newsletter if you’d like to be informed or involved in our future Green Open Homes events.