Bath’s sandstone townhouses conjure up images of sophisticated living for a good reason. Our Georgian forebears knew how to build in the city, creating homes that have ample spaces both for quiet retreat and for socialising. Sadly, over the years many townhouses have been unsympathetically converted, stripped of period features and even neglected, but at Flying Pig we’ve learnt time and time again that the essence of these buildings endures, ready to be reenergised.

Grand words, but renovation is a practical business, and the first step involves working out what needs to be done, before getting any necessary listed building consent and planning permission. One of the townhouses we restored to its true glory, for example, was subdivided into a nursery, a maisonette and a separate flat that wasn’t accessible from anywhere else in the building.

Inevitably, many original features had been damaged or lost, but we carefully restored cornices, fireplaces and doors, and reinstated staircases. On most projects, we also expect to overhaul plumbing and electrics, meaning that what you can’t see is done to the same high standards as what you can.