Hurley to build a baby extension

Finding the space to house the mountain of nappies, bottles and toys that come with a baby is a problem for almost every first-time parent.

Now it seems that even an occasional Hollywood actress like Liz Hurley finds it a struggle: the nation's most famous single mother has just applied for permission to build a baby-wing extension to her Chelsea home.

While she recovers from the recent birth of Damian Charles at Sir Elton John's Windsor home, the 36-year-old has employed a firm of architects to design an extension for her £2million townhouse. This will transform a dressing room into an elaborate nursery for her month-old baby.

Hurley has applied to the planning department of Kensington and Chelsea council to have the 14ft wing built at the rear of her Victorian terrace house off the Fulham Road.

The dressing room is being stripped of floortoceiling mirrors and wardrobes, ready to house 14 boxes of sky-blue furniture, clothing and toys Hurley had delivered from the Babylist boutique a few days before Damian was born. The creche is to be built on the same floor as the other two bedrooms.

LGH Architects, of Chelsea Wharf, submitted drafts of the proposed changes to the council - at a cost of £95 to Hurley - two weeks before Damian was delivered by Caesarean section at the Portland Hospital.

The room is expected to be painted sky-blue to match the baby accessories. These include Christian Dior baby rompers and cashmere cardigans and a carved cherrywood changing unit and cot. The actress is also believed to have bought the Simon Horn nursery collection, designed in Louis Philippe style. This costs £1,299 for a changing unit, £1,899 for a cot and £1,799 for a baby armoire. In addition, she is said to have bought a Bill Amberg leather sling, a Dior baby bottle and a Gucci bottle carrier (£130).

Much of the cost of bringing up Damian could be met by US film producer Steve Bing. Hurley has agreed to allow Damian to undergo DNA tests to decide whether her wealthy former lover is the baby's father.

Mr Bing, 35, who is heir to a £400million property empire, earns about £1.5million a year and, under Californian law, he would have to pay up to 30 per cent of this in child maintenance. Miss Hurley could be entitled to as much as £40,000 a month.

She originally said DNA tests would not be necessary but Mr Bing cast doubts on her claims he fathered the child and threatened legal action, so she was left with no choice. Hurley is adamant Bing is Damian's father but the producer has said the actress had other partners while she was dating him.

Hurley has been coming to terms with life as a single mother while she prepares for a potentially humiliating legal fight.