IF BUILDERS had time machines, the Victorian artisan responsible for the smart, double fronted house at in Wincheap, Canterbury, might be in for a surprise.

The facade might have changed very little since he laid down his trowel. But if he walked through the back gate and saw the futuristic extension, it’s another story.

took a tour of this amazingly individual home.

Number 260 Wincheap is a house that simply exudes character. In many ways, it is a house that could sell itself and one that has certainly stood the test of time.

But this is no ordinary Victorian property. You could say that it has a split personality and would be ideally suited to anyone who has a love for the traditional, but a hankering for modernity.

Walk through this generously proportioned five-bedroom house and you slip seamlessly from the 19th to the 21st century. For at the back of the house is a jaw-droppingly stunning rear extension constructed of glass and steel. Even on a dull day, the newly created living space is bathed in light.

But as Lloyd Grossman might ask: who lives in a house like this? There are clues everywhere. The house is a shrine to art and objets d’art and clearly, the owners are very creative people.

Bold splashes of colour are daringly different but interestingly, work well in the Victorian part of the house, from dramatic reds to electric blues and the colours of the Sahara.

The owners are, in fact, architect Steve Skinner – whose practice is just down the road at no.23 – and wife Pam (who runs the Clothesline dress agency at 42 Wincheap).

The couple’s love affair with the area means that they will not be looking very far for their next house and, they are only upping sticks to downsize now that their four children have flown the coop.

Moving out of this much-loved home will be quite a wrench.

Estate agent Dominic Byers of Coutts Byers is marketing the property for £479,995. The contrast between the old and new parts of the house is dramatic, with an "amazing synergy", he says.

"None of the original character has been lost. There are stripped wood floors, open fireplaces and Victorian joinery throughout," he enthuses.

"The structural changes to the rear of the house have added a truly stunning living space that incorporates a kitchen, dining and living areas."

Full height windows and doors that open into a landscaped garden ensure that the room benefits from as much natural light and the sense that the outdoors is part of the living space.

"We’ve been here eight years," said Mr Skinner. "Initially, we went into the attic to create another bedroom upstairs and we built the extension four years ago.

"It was quite interesting to do," he continued. "The Victorian house stood very well by itself, but it didn’t really have any relationship with the rear garden. We thought it would be good to extend so that we felt we were living in the garden. The extension is modern but sympathetic."

The large kitchen/dining/living area is fabulous family room with three distinct areas for cooking, eating and relaxing. Despite its size, it still manages to feel intimate.

"It is great for parties," said Mr Skinner. "We had 80 people in there for our wedding two years ago."

The new build, he explained, has a steel frame and a copper roof. The slate floor has underfloor heating.

"The idea of the copper was to produce a low pitch roof but to give it a modern feel. It will last several hundred years. I had it brought over from Germany and it was pre-aged," said Mr Skinner.

The master bedroom is part of the modern area with a magnificent slate bathroom en suite. There are three further bedrooms on the first floor and a family bathroom, with a large, en suite attic room above.

In the original part of the house on the ground floor there are two reception rooms to the front, a utility room, and a further living room with a studio/study off.

The house was built about 150 years ago and once had an enormous garden, parts of which were sold off as building plots. Originally detached, the house is now a semi with an adjoining property. The garden has terracotta tiled walls and a slate patio. There is off-road parking for at least three cars.