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Catherine and Alistair Colston replaced a long-time listed home with a new-build designed around phased retirement and changing mobility needs. The house combines a ground-floor main suite and practical features with a balcony, tailored interiors and a lower-maintenance garden; running costs and long-term accessibility have not been independently verified.
Property investor Catherine Colston and her husband, chartered surveyor Alistair Colston, have built a new home intended to support their phased retirement, replacing a Grade II-listed house where they had lived for 26 years. In a report by Ideal Home, Catherine says the couple planned for future mobility needs while shaping the house around valley views, comfortable interiors and a garden that requires less tending.
The couple initially considered retrofitting a house on a site they knew, but Catherine said the work would have been expensive and would have required compromises on room sizes. They instead applied for permission to demolish and rebuild, with an extension to the side incorporating a small garage. The source does not give the location, project cost, build timeline or planning decision details.
Working with BPB Architects and interior designer Grace King of Studio Rey, they placed the main bedroom suite on the ground floor. Catherine described the layout as “Zimmer-proof,” referring to their aim of planning for possible mobility limitations, and said the arrangement would avoid needing a stair lift to reach their bedroom. The suite also opens onto a full-length floating balcony, which is accessible from sliding doors in both the bedroom and living area.
Other reported features include a large walk-in shower, a double vanity, ergonomic kitchen drawers and a dishwasher set at waist height. The home has solar panels on its south-facing roof, an air source heat pump, triple glazing and underfloor heating. Catherine said the measures were chosen to improve thermal efficiency and keep the house warm at low running cost, but the report provides no energy-use or cost figures.
Planning for Later-Life Living
The house offers a specific example of how downsizing can involve building for future needs rather than moving into a home designed for someone else. A bedroom and main bathroom on the ground floor, wider-use storage and kitchen features that reduce bending may help the couple stay in the property if their mobility changes. These are design choices, not evidence that the home will meet every future care or accessibility need.
The project also brings together practical planning and personal style. The couple chose a balcony overlooking the valley, a kitchen mixing terrazzo, ribbed cabinetry and walnut, and distinct room designs linked by consistent colours and timber finishes. The story’s relevance is not that it establishes a model for all retirement housing, but that it illustrates how accessibility aims can sit alongside preferences for views, entertaining and a tailored interior.
Energy systems and garden choices form another part of the plan. The couple report installing several efficiency measures and creating terraces, raised beds and a pond intended to support rainwater irrigation. Actual savings, maintenance demands and the long-term performance of those features are not reported.
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From Listed House to New Build
Catherine and Alistair had spent 26 years in their Grade II-listed home before deciding to downsize. The source says they were entering phased retirement and had seen mobility issues affect their elderly parents. That experience informed their wish to plan ahead and avoid having to move again, though future circumstances cannot be predicted by a home layout alone.
The site they selected was across the road from their existing home and appealed to them for its views across a valley. Their first plan was to adapt the existing house, but Catherine said the cost and limits on room sizes led them to pursue demolition and a new build instead. The report credits BPB Architects and Studio Rey with helping develop the layout and interior scheme.
The garden is designed to require less tending than the couple’s previous one. It includes several terraces for sitting and dining, raised beds intended to be easier to reach, and an outdoor bath beneath a pergola. Catherine said they also bought part of a field behind the property, which they plan to plant with fruit trees and wildflowers; an outdoor kitchen is also planned.
“We wanted a home that was going to see us through our latter years.”
— Catherine Colston, speaking to Ideal Home
Costs and Accessibility Still Unreported
The profile does not state the property’s build cost, how long construction took, or what the couple’s former home sold for. It also gives no measured energy performance, utility bills or evidence to quantify Catherine’s expectation that the house will cost little to run.
The couple’s design aims should not be read as a guarantee of future suitability. The article does not report an accessibility assessment, whether the home complies with any particular accessibility standard, or how it could accommodate changing care needs. The source also does not specify the planning permission outcome or provide technical details about the proposed rainwater irrigation system.
Garden Plans and Long-Term Use
According to Catherine, the couple plan to add an outdoor kitchen and plant fruit trees and wildflowers on the field they purchased behind the house. The report gives no dates for that work. The couple also intend to travel for longer periods and designed extra storage so the space can be shared more easily when guests stay while they are away.
How well the home serves them over time, and whether its energy measures deliver the running costs Catherine expects, remain matters for the years ahead. Ideal Home’s profile records the couple’s plans and reported features, rather than an independent assessment of performance.
Key Questions
Who lives in the new-build retirement 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 for later-life living?
The main bedroom suite is on the ground floor, and the en-suite includes a large walk-in shower. The kitchen has ergonomic drawers and a waist-height dishwasher. The couple say these choices reflect their aim to plan for possible changes in mobility.
What energy measures does the home have?
The reported features are south-facing roof solar panels, an air source heat pump, triple glazing and underfloor heating. The article does not provide energy bills or measured performance data.
What is planned for the garden?
The garden includes terraces, raised beds, an outdoor bath under a pergola and a pond. Catherine said the couple plan to add an outdoor kitchen and plant fruit trees and wildflowers on nearby land they bought.
Does the report say how much the home cost?
No. The Ideal Home profile does not give the build cost, project timeline or the couple’s running costs. Catherine describes the home as intended to cost little to run, but the article does not provide figures to verify that expectation.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
