Case Study — 01

The
First
One

Victorian House Renovation

Residential · Walthamstow, London · 2017

As featured on BBC · Homes Under the Hammer
The finished living room: bay window seat, restored fireplace and Delft chandelier
Roma Road · Walthamstow · London2017

The Brief

Where It
All Began

Location
Walthamstow, London
Year
2017
Budget
£100,000
Discipline
Full structural renovation
Feature
BBC Homes Under the Hammer

A derelict Victorian terraced house on Roma Road — bought at auction, stripped back to its bones, and rebuilt from scratch. This was the project that started my journey into property development and interior design.

Every challenge arrived at once: structural surprises hidden behind the walls, a fixed £100,000 budget, and a commitment to source nothing off the shelf. The house was completely gutted and reimagined room by room.

A loft conversion added a new bedroom with an en-suite and bespoke fitted storage, while a rear extension made room for an entirely new kitchen. The result was a home returned to its character — and then some.

The finished kitchen and dining space in the rear extension, opening onto the garden

The Approach

Nothing Off
The Shelf

The design revived the home's character through salvage, restoration and a careful eye for detail. Each fixture had a history — found, restored, and given a second life.

  1. The fireplace surround

    An ornate surround found on Shpock, stripped back by hand and painted a soft duck-egg blue to anchor the living room.

  2. The Delft chandelier

    Sourced piece by piece and fitted by hand — a centrepiece that set the tone for the whole restoration.

  3. The clawfoot bath

    A roll-top bath and matching sink salvaged from a lord's estate in Surrey, restored for the family bathroom.

  4. The console table

    Found and painstakingly restored — proof that the right piece rarely comes new.

The original Shpock listing for the ornate fireplace surround, marked sold

The original listing — found on Shpock

The restored living room with duck-egg fireplace surround and Delft chandelier The family bathroom with salvaged roll-top clawfoot bath

The Work

Before & After

From bare brick to a finished family home in eight months — gutted, extended, and rebuilt room by room.

BeforeBefore: the living room fireplace opening, bare brick and peeling wallpaper
AfterAfter: the restored fireplace with duck-egg surround and original tiles
BeforeBefore: the derelict original kitchen
AfterAfter: the new kitchen with island and sage cabinetry
Before
Before: the original bathroom with red tiles and pink bath Before: the original bathroom fittings
AfterAfter: the family bathroom with marble-striped walls and clawfoot bath

The Result

Filmed By
The BBC

When the BBC filmed the renovation for Homes Under the Hammer — aired 3rd May 2018 — the transformation spoke for itself. A house bought derelict at auction had become a warm, characterful family home.

It was hard: structural surprises, budget pressure, and decisions I would make differently today. But it taught me the craft I still use on every project — how to see potential in a wreck, plan through to completion, and hold a clear concept from first site visit to final reveal.

Everything that Trofini Designs stands for now — considered layouts, honest materials, and enduring comfort — started here.

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"Stripped back to its bones, and rebuilt from scratch."Ana Trofin — Founder
The restored front door and original checkerboard tiled path