Inside The Residences at Val D’Or luxury apartments one year after the demolition of Christine Yorath’s family home
Christine Yorath picks her way carefully across puddles that have gathered on the concrete floor at The Residences at Val D’Or construction site.
She pauses inside what will be the entrance hall to the nine luxury apartments that will replace the Art Deco mansion she called home for more than 40 years.
Today it is an exposed shell. Soon, she says, it will feel like walking into a boutique hotel. “There will be a big porch outside so visitors can step out of the weather before coming in,” she explains, gesturing around the skeletal space. “Inside there will be a sofa, coffee tables and the mailboxes. It will feel like a nice reception area.”
This plot in Shadwell, north Leeds, was once occupied by the original Val D’Or, a 10,000 sq ft house where Christine raised her children, including Match of the Day presenter Gabby Logan and her siblings Louise, Daniel and Jordan. The property, built in the 1930s, had long been a familiar landmark in the area but last spring it was demolished to make way for something new.
Christine decided to redevelop the site after concluding that the house had become too large for one person to maintain. Unable to find a property nearby that matched what she wanted, she opted instead to design a new version of Val D’Or – this time as a collection of large, high-spec apartments.
The scheme, designed by Den Architects, is being built as a joint venture with Torsion Homes.
The two and three bedroom apartments range from around 1,600 to 2,300 sq ft. Christine herself will occupy the penthouse, which will take up the entire top floor.
Besides the penthouse, two of the other apartments have been sold off-plan and Christine says there is strong interest in a further two of the properties.
For now, though, the building remains open to the elements. Rainwater gathers on unfinished floors and temporary wooden boards cover gaps where terraces will eventually sit.
The next milestone is to make the building watertight, something the team hopes to achieve by the end of April. Before that can happen, Christine’s 4,000 sq ft penthouse - complete with a 3,812 sq ft wraparound terrace - must be added on top of the two existing floors, followed by the installation of the roof and the windows.
Walking through one of the ground-floor apartments, Christine points out where double doors will open into a large living space. At the moment, it is simply a rectangular room framed by scaffolding and raw blockwork. Through the unfinished window openings, fields and woodlan are visible.
“These are proper apartments,” she says. “You’ve got three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two sitting areas and a guest cloakroom. They’re really spacious.”
Christine has spent decades renovating, designing and developing property across Leeds and York, and she has been closely involved in every detail of the Val D’Or plans – from the layout of rooms to the positioning of doors and windows.
“I can live in plans,” she says with a smile. “When you walk into a space you have to think about how people will actually use it.”
Outside, large terraces will extend from the apartments, taking advantage of the surrounding greenery.
One ground-floor property will include a terrace measuring more than 2,500 sq ft – larger than the 1,938 sq ft apartment itself.
Beneath the building, a large basement was constructed to house an underground car park, storage rooms and building services. The parking bays have been deliberately designed to be generous in size.
“I told the architect I wanted Bentley-sized parking spaces,” Christine says. “I can’t stand tiny bays where you can’t open the car door.”
Beyond the construction zone, some parts of the old Val D’Or landscape remain. Christine was determined to preserve as many mature trees as possible, including a weeping willow planted in memory of her son Daniel, who died suddenly in 1992 after collapsing while playing football in the garden.
The tree still stands near the back of the plot, its branches visible from several of the future apartments.
Fragments of the original house have also been saved. Decorative metalwork, architectural panels and other pieces were carefully removed before demolition and will eventually be incorporated into the new building.
Christine also plans to move some of her favourite furniture into her penthouse rather than replacing everything, including a collection she bought in the 1990s from an interior designer who had originally sourced the pieces for a home belonging to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Completion is expected at the end of this year. For Christine, the project represents both a personal transition and the continuation of a long career in property.
“What I’m really looking forward to,” she says, looking across the site, “is living in a community. Having your own beautiful space but also knowing your neighbours.”
Apartment prices for The Residences at Val D’Or range from £995,000 to £1.395m. Visit monroeestateagents.com for details of the available apartments at the development.