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Catherine and Alistair Colston replaced a costly-to-retrofit property with a new home planned around their future needs. The design includes a ground-floor main bedroom, a generous walk-in shower, energy-saving systems and spaces that connect to the garden and valley views.
Catherine and Alistair Colston have built a home for their phased retirement, designing its layout around potential mobility needs without giving up tailored interiors or outdoor living. Featured in an Ideal Home house tour, the new-build project replaced their long-time Grade II-listed home after they concluded that retrofitting a different property would be expensive and require compromises on room sizes.
The couple, who had lived in their listed home for 26 years, wanted a property they could remain in as they grew older. Catherine, a property investor and owner of Black Door Stays, said they had seen mobility challenges among their elderly parents and wanted to plan ahead. “We wanted a home that was going to see us through our latter years,” she said in the report.
Their new home was developed with BPB Architects and interior designer Grace King of Studio Rey. The main bedroom suite is on the ground floor, and its en-suite includes a large walk-in shower and double vanity. The kitchen has ergonomic drawers and a dishwasher raised to waist height, features Catherine said were chosen to reduce bending.
Other design choices bring the home’s practical features together with its setting. A floating balcony runs along the house and can be reached from the living room and main bedroom. The house also has solar panels on its south-facing roof, an air-source heat pump, triple glazing and underfloor heating. The garden includes terraces, raised beds and an outdoor bath; an outdoor kitchen is planned, while the couple intend to plant fruit trees and wildflowers on land they bought behind the house.
Planning for Later-Life Living
The project offers a specific example of how a new home can address accessibility and comfort as well as appearance. Putting the main bedroom on the ground floor means the couple do not have to rely on stairs to reach their sleeping space, while the walk-in shower and raised kitchen appliances respond to everyday tasks that can become harder with reduced mobility.
Those choices matter beyond this individual house because the couple made them before a mobility change forced a move or renovation. Catherine described the aim as making the home “Zimmer-proof,” referring to the use of a walking frame. That is her description of the design goal, not evidence that the home meets a formal accessibility standard or will suit every future need.
The home also counters the assumption that planning for later life requires a purely functional aesthetic. The couple chose terrazzo, walnut cabinetry, coloured textiles and distinct room schemes, alongside large windows and direct access to outdoor space. The report presents these as personal design decisions, rather than as a prescribed model for retirement housing.
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From Listed Home to New Build
The Colstons’ previous home was a Grade II-listed property, where they had lived for more than two decades. They found a house and plot across the road, attracted by views across the valley. Their initial idea was to retrofit the existing building, but Catherine said the work would have been expensive and would have required compromises on room sizes.
They applied for permission to demolish and rebuild, with an extension onto the site of a small garage. The source does not specify the location, construction timeline, total project cost or the precise planning conditions. The couple’s account explains their reasoning, but the report does not provide an independent cost comparison between renovation and rebuilding.
Inside, the design pairs practical decisions with decorative details. The kitchen combines terrazzo, ribbed painted doors and walnut; the living room’s voile curtains soften a large picture window without obscuring the view. In the main bedroom, a mustard headboard and framed fabric add colour to a neutral scheme. Catherine said King helped connect the rooms through colour and timber finishes.
“We wanted a home that was going to see us through our latter years.”
— Catherine Colston, speaking to Ideal Home
Costs and Accessibility Details
The house tour does not give the project budget, energy bills or measured performance of the solar panels, heat pump, triple glazing and underfloor heating. Catherine said the systems were selected to make the home thermally efficient and inexpensive to run, but the report supplies no figures to verify those expectations.
It is also unclear whether the plans included formal accessibility assessments, step-free access throughout, or provisions such as wider doorways and accessible controls. The article describes selected design features and the couple’s intentions; it does not establish that the home meets a particular accessibility standard or will accommodate every future health need.
Garden Plans and Future Use
The couple plan to add an outdoor kitchen and plant fruit trees and wildflowers on the field behind the house. They have also created a pond intended to help with rainwater irrigation. The source does not set out a timetable for those additions.
Colston said the couple expect to travel for longer periods and included additional storage so others could use the home while they are away. The report offers no further details about how often they expect to share the property or whether they plan additional adaptations over time.
Key Questions
Who lives in the new-build home?
Catherine and Alistair Colston live there. Catherine is a property investor and owner of Black Door Stays; Alistair is a chartered surveyor.
What features were designed with future mobility in mind?
The main bedroom suite is on the ground floor, the en-suite has a large walk-in shower, and the kitchen includes ergonomic drawers and a waist-height dishwasher. The article does not say whether the home meets a formal accessibility standard.
What energy systems does the house have?
The report lists south-facing roof solar panels, an air-source heat pump, triple glazing and underfloor heating. It does not include energy bills or measured performance data.
Why did the couple choose a new build instead of renovating?
They initially considered retrofitting a house on the site but said it would be very expensive and require compromises on room sizes. They applied for permission to demolish, rebuild and extend.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
