Renovating a Period Home? What to Keep, What to Change and What to Restore
There’s something special about a period property.
Original windows that aren’t quite perfectly straight. Old floorboards with decades of wear. Decorative plasterwork, fireplaces, deep skirting boards and doors that were made for the house rather than ordered from a catalogue.
They’re often the details that made you fall in love with the property in the first place.
But period homes also need to work for modern life.
Around Sevenoaks and across Kent, we work on plenty of older properties where the challenge isn’t simply what should we renovate? It’s knowing what to leave alone, what can be restored and where change will genuinely make the house better.
Here’s how we approach it.
5 Jobs to Get Your Home Ready for Winter
September is a useful month for your home. Summer isn’t quite over, the really wet weather hasn’t arrived yet, and there’s still time to tackle those jobs that become much harder once winter sets in.
It’s also the perfect time to think ahead. If you want your garden, patio or decking ready to enjoy next summer, now is the time to start planning.
Here are five jobs worth putting on the list.
Dulux Colour of the Year 2027: Why We’re Ready for Soulful Sage
Soft, calming and incredibly easy to live with, Dulux has named Soulful Sage its Colour of the Year for 2027. And we think this could be one colour trend with serious staying power.
What Does an Insurance Reinstatement Contractor Actually Do?
Insurance reinstatement is the process of restoring a property after it's been damaged by an insured event. This could include escape of water, fire, impact damage, storms or other incidents covered by an insurance policy.
Unlike a standard renovation, reinstatement requires careful coordination between homeowners, insurers, loss adjusters and contractors.
Paint vs Wallpaper: What’s Right for Your Space?
Some rooms call for calm, colour-drenched walls. Others need drama. Texture. Pattern. Personality.
So when you’re refreshing your home, one question always comes up: Paint or wallpaper?
The truth? There’s no single right answer. It all depends on the mood you want to create.
Here’s our take.
Why Respraying Your Kitchen Could Save You Thousands in 2026
There’s a common assumption that if your kitchen is looking tired, dated or worn out, the only option is to rip it all out and start again. But in reality, a full kitchen replacement often comes with huge costs, weeks of disruption and a lot more stress than most homeowners anticipate. That’s exactly why more homeowners across Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells are choosing kitchen respraying instead. At Stagbrook Ltd, our professional spraying service gives kitchens, wardrobes, uPVC, commercial spaces and exterior surfaces a completely refreshed, factory finish look, without the mess, cost and upheaval of replacement. If your kitchen cabinets are structurally sound, respraying can completely transform the space for a fraction of the cost.