A mother-of-two has hit-back at critics who slammed her for transforming her ‘beautiful’ 1930s period home into a £1.4 million ‘chav’ house.
Lucy Peck, 43, accused trolls of having a ‘sad lives’ after they called the family home in Chatham, Kent ‘gross’ and ‘ugly’ following its dramatic refurb.
The house, named ‘Peckingham Palace’ by Mrs Peck and her husband – has gone viral after its facelift was highlighted on an urban planning site on social media.
Its traditional look was replaced with a double-storey rear extension and an imposing two storey glazed porch with a large driveway.
Mrs Peck and her husband also added an outdoor swimming pool and huge triple garage.
Architects described it as a ‘large, light, contemporary home’ but critics were scathing after before and after pictures were posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
However, Mrs Peck is unphased by the criticism and told : ‘I don’t care what people say. We are very happy with it.
‘I love it. We love it and we’re proud of it.’
Lucy Peck, 43, accused trolls of having a ‘sad lives’ after they called the family home (pictured) in Chatham, Kent ‘gross’
The Pecks replaced the house’s traditional look with a double rear extension and an imposing two storey glazed porch with a large driveway.
Mrs Peck said while the house’s original look (left) was ‘beautiful’, its ‘modern’ refurb (right) is more her ‘style’
Hundreds of thousands of people viewed the before and after photos on X, with the caption: ‘Happy f*****g bright, shiny, stick-on, plastic, New Year everyone!’
One response said: ‘Does this school of architecture have a name yet? Belle Epoxy. High Chav. Anteapocalypse.’
Another said: ‘The lumpy concrete garden is a classy touch.’
Martin Sarker wrote: ‘Such a beautiful old house turned into a gross glass and plastic lump. I’m seeing it too often. Buy some land and build your carbunkle there instead.’
Another said: ‘That’s such an ugly upgrade.’
But Mrs Peck said she wanted to give the house a contemporary upgrade.
The mum told : ‘We applied for planning permission, got it, and turned it into what we wanted.
‘We wanted to move with the times. Don’t get me wrong, it was a beautiful house before. But modern is our style.
‘It’s what we like and go for and that’s what we have worked towards. And we’re very pleased.
‘I don’t care if people are unhappy or what they are saying on Twitter.
‘I wish I had the time to sit there complaining about other people’s homes on social media to be honest but I don’t.
‘If that’s all they have got to worry and comment on then they have got very sad lives.
‘It does not bother me at all.’
Mrs Peck (pictured, outside her home) said she ‘doesn’t care’ what critics on social media think of her home because her family ‘loves it’
Mrs Peck and her husband also added an outdoor swimming pool and huge triple garage
Mrs Peck and her family named their £1.4million home ‘Peckingham Palace’
Critics slammed Mrs Peck’s house transformation when before and after pictures were shared on an urban planning account on X
Mrs Peck, who lives in the home with her husband and three children, said it was valued at £520,000 in 2019.
After the work was complete, she said it was worth £1.4m.
She said she did not know how much the project itself had cost.
The couple, who run a scaffolding business, have worked ‘very hard’ on the project, she said.
She added: ‘It’s our happy family home. We designed it. It’s our project and we were involved in every decision.
‘The neighbours love it. We have never had any complaints from anybody.
‘I had no idea thousands of people were looking at it on Twitter and commenting.
‘That has taken me back. I can’t believe anybody would have such strong feelings about it.
‘But everyone can say what they like, it’s up to them.
‘We have worked very hard to be able to do it. And it has improved the value of the house.’
One neighbour, who did not want to be identified, said: ‘I think it’s great. I don’t see what the problem with it would be at all.
‘It’s up to them to do what they want at the end of the day.’
The architects described the property, which was completed in 2019, as: ‘The design incorporates a large open planned rear extension to create a generous kitchen/dining/living area with an extensive series of bi-fold doors and glazing which makes the most of the relationship with the rear garden and new external swimming pool.
Internal remodelling will transform the house into a beautiful 5-bed family home enabling the clients to both relax and entertain in their new dream home. ‘