Andrew moved into his London apartment a few years ago, and did quite a makeover. The ceilings had been lowered in places and a beautiful fireplace had been covered with a fake wall. He ended up turning an average looking apartment into a gorgeous home.
The most important thing with older apartments in the UK is their poor energy performance. So once Andrew had taken the apartment apart, he started making it more energy efficienct. He insulated the walls, replaced the water tank and got heat activated electric fans for his heaters (that help circulate the air better). He also equipped himself with some energy saving tools like a remote plug controller, low flow water taps, A+ rated white goods and in the end has managed to reduce his energy use drastically. It will still be some time however, until the investments will give a financial return, but that was not the only motivation for Andrew to embark on this project. Next up, getting a better insulating window in his living room.
The materials used for floor, furniture, kitchen etc. are all carefully thought out, and everywhere one looks there's the proof that a combination of second hand, and upcycled products can make for a very stylish place.