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Property investor Catherine Colston and her husband, Alistair, replaced a listed home they had lived in for 26 years with a new build designed for their phased retirement. The house includes a ground-floor main suite, accessibility-minded details, renewable-energy equipment and a low-maintenance garden; running costs and long-term performance have not been independently reported.
Catherine Colston and her husband, Alistair, have built a new home designed for their later years, replacing the Grade II-listed property they had lived in for 26 years. In an Ideal Home house tour, Colston describes a ground-floor main bedroom suite, energy-efficiency measures and carefully designed interiors intended to make the house practical for retirement without sacrificing views or style.
The couple, who are both moving into phased retirement, chose to build rather than move into a ready-made home. Colston is a property investor and owner of Black Door Stays; Alistair is a chartered surveyor. Their aim, she told Ideal Home, was to create a home that could accommodate changing needs and reduce the likelihood of another move. Seeing mobility issues experienced by their elderly parents helped shape the plans.
The project began with a house site across the road from their previous home, selected for its views across a valley. Their initial idea was to retrofit the existing building, but Colston said the work would have been expensive and required compromises on room sizes. The couple instead sought permission to demolish and rebuild, with an extension taking in a small former garage. BPB Architects and interior designer Grace King of Studio Rey worked with them on the layout and finishes.
To plan for mobility changes, the main bedroom suite is on the ground floor, and the en-suite has a large walk-in shower and double vanity. The kitchen has ergonomic drawers and a dishwasher positioned at waist height, which Colston said helps avoid bending. Sliding doors connect the living area and bedroom to a full-length floating balcony. The couple also installed solar panels on the south-facing roof, an air-source heat pump, triple glazing and underfloor heating. Colston said these were chosen to make the home thermally efficient, but the report provides no measured energy use or running-cost figures.
Planning for Ageing in Place
The house shows how retirement planning can shape a new build from the ground up, rather than relying on later alterations. Putting the main suite on the ground floor and choosing an accessible shower may help the couple manage changes in mobility. These design choices do not establish that the home will meet every future need, but they make those needs part of the initial brief.
The project also joins practical decisions with personal design choices. The couple wanted a lower-maintenance garden than the one at their previous home, while retaining outdoor space for relaxation and growing food. Terraces, raised beds and a pond are part of that plan; an outdoor kitchen is still to come. The result is a home framed as both a long-term residence and a place suited to the couple’s current routines.
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From Listed Home to New Build
Colston and Alistair had lived in their Grade II-listed house for 26 years before deciding to downsize. They considered adapting a house on the nearby plot, but Colston said the cost and compromises over room sizes led them to pursue demolition and a new build instead. The source says they applied for permission; it does not provide details of the planning decision or construction timeline.
Inside, the design combines practical specifications with decorative details. The kitchen pairs terrazzo surfaces with ribbed painted doors and walnut cabinetry. In the living room, voile curtains soften a large picture window without blocking the valley view. The main bedroom uses a mustard headboard and framed fabric, while the guest suite has sliding doors and a slatted wall panel. Colston said King helped create distinct rooms tied together by colour and timber finishes.
Outside, the couple created several terraces for sitting and dining, added raised beds, and plan to plant fruit trees and wildflowers on a section of field they bought behind the house. A pond is intended to support rainwater irrigation, and an outdoor bath sits beneath a pergola. These features reflect the couple’s stated preference for a more manageable garden, though the report does not quantify its upkeep.
“We’re both moving into a phased retirement, and we wanted a home that was going to see us through our latter years.”
— Catherine Colston, speaking to Ideal Home
Costs and Performance Still Unreported
The house tour describes the couple’s design choices and intentions, but leaves several practical details unanswered. It does not report the total build cost, construction duration, planning outcome in detail or how the finished home performs in use. Colston said the energy systems mean it costs little to run, but the article supplies no bills, energy-consumption data or comparison with the couple’s previous house.
The report also does not specify accessibility standards, whether any adaptations are planned beyond the features described, or how much maintenance the garden requires. The outdoor kitchen remains a future project, and the proposed planting on the field has not been described as completed.
Further Garden Work Is Planned
The couple plan to add an outdoor kitchen and plant fruit trees and wildflowers on the field behind the home. Colston also described the pond as part of a rainwater-irrigation plan. The source does not give dates for those projects or report a later update on the house’s energy costs, accessibility or maintenance.
For readers considering a similar project, the confirmed example is a set of choices tailored to one couple’s plans—not a guarantee of cost savings or suitability for every household. Any assessment of the home’s long-term performance would require information beyond the house tour.
Key Questions
Who lives in the new home?
Catherine Colston, a property investor and owner of Black Door Stays, lives there with her husband Alistair, a chartered surveyor.
What features were designed with ageing in mind?
The home has a ground-floor main bedroom suite, a large walk-in shower, a double vanity and kitchen equipment positioned to reduce bending. The couple said they planned for possible future mobility changes, but the report does not identify a formal accessibility standard.
What energy systems does the house have?
The couple installed south-facing roof solar panels, an air-source heat pump, triple glazing and underfloor heating. The report does not provide energy bills or measured performance data.
Why did the couple choose a new build?
They initially considered retrofitting a house on the plot, but Colston said the work would be expensive and would require compromises on room sizes. They pursued permission to demolish and rebuild, extending into a small former garage.
What remains to be completed outside?
The couple say they plan to add an outdoor kitchen and plant fruit trees and wildflowers on land they bought behind the home. The report gives no schedule for that work.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
