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Founder led project experience

Projects that built the foundations of SEAM.

SEAM is a new advisory practice, but the experience behind it has been built through eight years of firsthand project delivery. These homes were developed and delivered by Karl French before the formation of SEAM Advisory.

8years of firsthand experience
3deep renovations completed
1complete new build commencing

Selected experience

Evidence, not simply aspiration.

These three case studies show different kinds of complexity: a dramatic Mediterranean transformation delivered across language and market boundaries, the careful renewal of a listed Guernsey farmhouse through the disruption of Covid, and the complete rethinking of a substantial house whose potential had previously been overlooked.

01

Marbella, Spain · Completed 2019

Villa Mia

1970s Andalusian villa
220 m²
Complete renovation

Villa Mia after renovation, with new terraces overlooking the pool
Completed exterior and pool terraces

The transformation

Villa Mia was taken back to its bare walls and comprehensively redesigned and refurbished. The lower ground was excavated to create an additional bedroom and games room, while the relationship between the house, pool and hillside was completely reconsidered to provide generous new terraces and outdoor living spaces.

The project included a full interior refit, major spatial alterations, new glazing, landscaping and a cohesive architectural language throughout.

The challenge

Delivering a deep renovation in Spain without speaking Spanish demanded persistence, clear communication and close coordination across local contractors, specialists and suppliers.

OutcomeThe villa was sold on the day the renovation was completed.

Before

A tired 1970s villa with fragmented outdoor areas, dated interiors and significant unrealised space below the house.

Villa Mia exterior and pool before renovation
Original villa and pool
Villa Mia side terrace before renovation
Original side terrace and hillside
Villa Mia bedroom before renovation
Original interior

After

A cohesive contemporary Mediterranean home with new accommodation, architectural clarity and a completely transformed relationship with its setting.

Villa Mia entrance staircase after renovation
New entrance sequence
Villa Mia principal bedroom after renovation
Principal suite
Villa Mia illuminated at dusk after renovation
The completed house at dusk

02

St Martins, Guernsey · Completed 2023

La Grange

Listed Guernsey farmhouse
Approximately 4,500 sq ft
Complete renovation

La Grange after renovation, including the restored farmhouse entrance and completed living room
Completed farmhouse and principal living room

The transformation

La Grange was stripped back and completely renewed, including new electrical, plumbing and heating systems. The kitchen was relocated, every bathroom replaced and the previously underused roof space converted into additional accommodation.

The wider project included a new 1,000 sq ft triple bay garage with an independent apartment above, substantially expanding the flexibility of the property.

The challenge

The work continued through Covid, bringing programme, procurement and supply chain pressures alongside the responsibilities and constraints of altering a listed Guernsey building.

OutcomeWhen the property was sold, viewers consistently remarked on the quality, the finish and, most importantly, the fact that it felt like a home.

Before

A substantial historic farmhouse with traditional character, but dated services, interiors and underused areas that no longer met the needs of modern family life.

La Grange living room before renovation
Original living room
La Grange family room before renovation
Original family room
La Grange bathroom before renovation
Original bathroom
La Grange bedroom before renovation
Original bedroom

After

A technically renewed and highly finished family home in which the farmhouse character remained visible, useful and warm.

La Grange kitchen and dining spaces after renovation
Relocated kitchen and renewed interiors
La Grange principal suite, dressing room and bathroom after renovation
Principal suite
La Grange loft conversion after renovation
Loft conversion and ensuite

03

St Martins, Guernsey · Completed 2025

Meadowview

Large five bedroom 1980s house
Approximately 6,000 sq ft
One acre plot

Meadowview after its complete exterior remodelling
The remodelled house and entrance

The transformation

Meadowview was comprehensively renewed inside and out. Revised room layouts unlocked the scale of the house, while a new kitchen, new bathrooms, flooring, bespoke joinery and considered lighting created continuity throughout.

The exterior was remodelled and the landscaping reconsidered, giving the house a more composed identity and a sense of arrival appropriate to its scale and setting.

The challenge

The challenge was to see beyond a substantial but dated 1980s house and make it feel like a coherent, high end executive home. The solution did not depend on unnecessary complexity. It came from reconsidering how the spaces connected, how the details related and how the whole house should feel.

OutcomeWhat nobody had previously recognised became clear in the finished home. Visitors repeatedly said the transformation felt so simple. The potential had always been there. The house only needed to be rethought.

Before

A generous house with strong proportions and a mature setting, but dated finishes, disconnected rooms and an exterior that gave little sense of the quality or potential within.

Meadowview exterior before remodelling
Original exterior and entrance
Meadowview entrance hall before renovation
Original entrance hall
Meadowview kitchen before renovation
Original kitchen
Meadowview kitchen and living connection before renovation
Original kitchen and living connection
Meadowview principal bedroom before renovation
Original principal bedroom

After

A calm and cohesive home whose generous scale is now matched by considered planning, refined detailing and a consistent architectural language inside and out.

Meadowview entrance hall after renovation
Reconsidered entrance hall
Meadowview kitchen after renovation
New kitchen and bespoke joinery
Meadowview principal bedroom after renovation
Reworked principal bedroom
Meadowview open living and dining room after renovation
Connected living and dining space

The next chapter

A complete new build,
documented as it develops.

The fourth founder led project will extend this experience from deep renovation into a complete new build home. Its brief, design development, specification, procurement and construction will become a live demonstration of the SEAM approach.

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