A dilapidated 1920s home has been put on the market for £1.75 million after it was transformed from the epitome of architecture’s Art Deco past into a ‘rusty orange’ US-style Ranch.
Madams Mead was abandoned for 12 years and left to fall into a state of disrepair before Jes Thomas-Day, 40, and her family bought it almost four years ago.
The property, in Weymouth, Dorset, is now unrecognisable after a complete transformation.
The once-pristine white walls and wrap-around conservatory were knocked down and replaced with a ‘rusty orange and brown’ facade. An American-style veranda surrounds the building.
Jes said: ‘It had been pretty vandalised and was completely boarded up. I had this romantic idea about restoring this old house that had once been one of the most beautiful houses in Weymouth, but I underestimated the size of it. It wasn’t quite so romanticised living in it.’
Madams Mead was abandoned for 12 years and left to fall into a state of disrepair (left) before Jes Thomas-Day, 40, and her family bought it almost four years ago. Pictured right, the home after four years of renovation
The family-of-five all slept in the same room when they first moved in. They set to work renovating the building themselves with husband Paul, 50, and sons Tai, 21, and Jet, 17, doing lots of the DIY, while Jess ordered materials and was in charge of the interior design. Daughter Icy, 11, was too young to help
The house had been vandalised and was completely boarded up when the family moved in three days before Christmas four years ago
The seven-bedroom home has been put on the market with Symonds & Sampson with a listing price of £1,750,000. It has an indoor swimming pool, games room, cinema room and gym. Pictured, one of the bedrooms
It is not known why the house was not listed, but MailOnline has contacted Historic England for comment.
The seven-bedroom home has been put on the market with Symonds & Sampson with a listing price of £1,750,000. It has an indoor swimming pool, games room, cinema room and gym.
Its brochure reads: ‘This fine well-appointed and versatile family home has been transformed by the current owners who have created a truly exceptional space ideal for modern family living and entertaining.
‘Originally built in 1929 this home has been brought into the 21st century from its American Ranch styling outside to its delicate blending of original features and modern needs on the inside.’
The building’s design was typical of the Art Deco movement of the 1920s – which featured simple, clean shapes, often with a ‘streamlined’ look. Geometric shapes and angular corners were often broken with ornamental motifs.
By the Second World War the style was out of fashion.
The house had no gas, water or electrics when the family-of-five moved in three days before Christmas 2016. Jes said they ‘lived like the Waltons’ – an American drama television series about a large family – in one room.
Jes was inspired by American mountain or sea lodges to create a ‘rusty orange and brown’ look for the house, adding: ‘Something that would blend in a little more than the white Art Deco did before’. Pictured, the gym
The house was empty for 12 years and once had building permission to be turned into a block of flats. It is now a large seven-bedroom home
The master bedroom ensuite looks out onto a balcony with sea views. The house has 9,819 sq ft of accommodation with an open plan kitchen/family room, a sitting room, games room, office, cinema, library, gym, seven bedrooms, some with dressing rooms and en suites, and a large loft space, which could be another bedroom, a studio or office space
The house is up for sale because Jes wants to take on another project after ‘bringing it back to life’ over four years of renovation work with her family. Pictured, the dining room sits in between the kitchen and a sitting area
The project was a family effort, with husband Paul, 50, and sons Tai, 21, and Jet, 17, doing lots of the DIY, while Jess ordered materials and was in charge of the interior design. Daughter Icy, 11, was too young to help.
Jes said: ‘I fell in love with it about ten years ago, but our circumstances were different, it was out of our price range and the owners had planning permission to build flats.
‘But then nothing was done with it. When we moved in three days before Christmas it had no gas, no water, no electrics, no doors. The beds all went into one room, the most liveable one, it was like the Waltons.
‘But I saw the potential – it was a beautiful site and a lovely-sized home. We did it in stages, but only completely finished with the swimming pool up and running about a month ago.
‘It had a wrap-around conservatory, so I thought a wrap-around veranda would be great.’
The family made the most of cheaper materials with flooring ripped up from a sports court. The open space was filled with a kitchen island and large doors let light into the room, contrasting with the dark cabinets
One of the smaller rooms in the house has been transformed into a cinema room fit with a projector screen and leather sofa. Jes said: ‘I fell in love with it about ten years ago, but our circumstances were different, it was out of our price range and the owners had planning permission to build flats’
The house boasts large, light and airy rooms with wide doors allowing its occupants to flow easily throughout the building. The walls have been left exposed with various types of brickwork on display – creating an artsy loft effect
A wide hallway leads into a games room that is currently kitted out with a pool table and multiple machines. A large window shows a glimpse of the ornate staircase
The house was modelled after an American ranch (pictured) after Jes was inspired by US mountain and sea lodges
She was inspired by American mountain or sea lodges to create a ‘rusty orange and brown’ look for the house, adding: ‘Something that would blend in a little more than the white Art Deco did before.
‘You can see Chesil Beach from the veranda and as you move round, you can see Portland Harbour.
‘We actually get better views in the winter, when the trees are bare, and in the summer you get privacy.
‘I’m really proud of how it turned out. We moved here to stay, but part of me loved the challenge of bringing it back to life and now I want to bring somewhere else back to life.’
Outside it has a large, wraparound veranda and sits in about 1.3 acres of gardens. The entire home enjoys sea and coastal views with trees creating added privacy during the summer months
On the other end of the games room is another sitting room with floor-to-ceiling windows allowing light to flood into the room. Jon Summers, partner at Symonds & Sampson, told MailOnline: ‘The house was owned by a family for a number of years. When it became vacant there was a planning application made that was approved. It was quite a grand loking building’
The loft space has been left empty because the current owners wanted to leave it up to the person who buys the house to choose whether to put in another bedroom or use it as a study
A veranda flows around the edge of the building where there was once a wrap-around conservatory. A covenant meant the house could not be turned into flats, according to the estate agent
The house has 9,819 sq ft of accommodation with an open plan kitchen/family room, a sitting room, games room, office, cinema, library, gym, seven bedrooms, some with dressing rooms and en suites, and a large loft space, which could be another bedroom, a studio or office space.
Jon Summers, partner at Symonds & Sampson, told MailOnline: ‘The house was owned by a family for a number of years. When it became vacant there was a planning application made that was approved. It was quite a grand loking building.
‘They got consent but there was a covenant on the land that meant they couldn’t build flats on there. During that period the property was left and it had been broken into and grafitied.’
Outside it has a large, wraparound veranda and sits in about 1.3 acres of gardens. The entire home enjoys sea and coastal views with trees creating added privacy during the summer months.
MailOnline has contacted Dorset Council for comment.