June 2018
AmAziNg
BEfoRE +AfTERS
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realhomes.com
The besT garden buys AlfRESco fuRNiTuRE BRighT AccESSoRiES ouTdooR PAiNTS
PAgES of STuNNiNg homES
colouR coNfidENcE Paint your way to a bold new look
gARdEN RoomS
Modern retreats to solve your space dilemmas
glazed extensions Conservatories and orangeries
Transform your kiTchen for less complete makeover ideas for under £5,000
EXPERT ANSWERS
Can I turn my garage into valuable living space? What are the dos and don'ts of a bathroom renovation? realhomes.co.uk november 1 How do I design an 2017 outdoor living area for summer?
The statement pink door in this modern new-build has inspired my latest decorating project. Step inside the Scandi-inspired house on page 18
Turn to page 64 to discover how a modern extension has turned this terrace into a family-friendly home
This patterned drawer unit has caught my eye – find it on page 42
Welcome
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It’s fair to say that I’m driving my husband slightly mad at the moment as I’m in one of those moods where I want to tweak the décor in our house on what seems like a daily basis. Whether it’s a new rug for the living room, open shelves in the kitchen for extra display space, or a gallery wall of mirrors for the hallway, I know these small changes will give each space a fresh feel for the summer months. A visit to our cover house (page 18) meant I added another item to the ever-increasing wishlist this month, as one look at homeowner Rhiannon Payne’s coral pink door has convinced me to update my front door in a similar attention-grabbing shade. Perhaps constantly badgering my husband for his opinion on these changes is why he’s retreated outdoors and is planning his own house update by building a new shed (or should that be man cave) at the bottom of the garden. Reading this month’s guide to garden rooms on page 89 may well inspire him to enhance his grand plans but, one things for sure, we’re both going to be kept busy in the weeks ahead. I hope this issue gives you just as much inspiration to add a few things to your own wishlist.
Brighten up your garden with our round-up of vibrant outdoor buys on page 85
YOUtUBE Handy how-to videos. Search ‘Real Homes’
InstAgrAM See what we’re up to. @Real_Homes
Beth Murton Acting Editor @BethMurton
This transformed space on page 80 has me dreaming of lazy days outside
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CASE STUDIES 18
ON THE COVER
New beginnings
See how an unexpected turn led to Rhiannon and Joel Payne creating a Scandi-inspired home
30 Down by the lake
Richard Goodwin and Egon Walesch turned a run-down holiday cabin into a retreat for all seasons, plus shop patterned pieces
44 A sense of drama
Discover how Jess and Gav Reoch’s extended home proves luxurious interiors can be child-friendly, too
56 Reclaimed living
Ben Arkell and Fahmida Bakht furnished their kitchen extension with reclaimed treasures, plus shop kitchen storage
64 Seamless link 6
By adding a modern extension, Ian and Jenny Voyce have blurred the boundaries between indoors and out
june 2018 realhomes.com
DESIgn IDEAS 72 A brighter future
Hilbre and David Peters reused original fittings to update a dark en suite with a contemporary scheme, plus shop statement freestanding baths
79
106 Ask the designer
Architect Gabrielle Omar suggests how to turn an old, low-ceilinged extension into a smart kitchen-diner
80 Urban garden
Guillaume and Sylvie Huteau’s garden is now a colourful, low-maintenance space, plus shop zingy alfresco buys
98 Garden retreat
Jane and Martin Peace replaced their dilapidated garage with a luxurious garden room featuring a sauna and bar
102 Upside down
Architect Adam Benns explains how he transformed a neglected cottage into a stunning beach home
104 Inspiring design
Architect George Bradley has made a bright, wheelchair-friendly space for the owners of a London home
ON THE COVER Garden special All-weather paints, furniture and a guide to choosing the perfect outdoor room for you
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ON THE COVER
Colour blocking
Take your paint choices to new levels with the latest two-tone trend and create your own statement scheme ON THE COVER
Kitchens under £5k
Find out how to get your dream units and layout without spending a fortune ON THE COVER
Prime numbers
Multiply your home’s kerb appeal with our pick of the most stylish house numbers ON THE COVER
Let in more light
The best in orangeries and conservatories to help you gain extra living space
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Hotlist
The latest product news and reviews
135 Save!
Get 20 per cent off unique accessories and beautiful furniture at Audenza
136 Sneak preview
Your first look at the July issue
137 Project planner
A guide to extension construction
153 Stockists
Find all the suppliers from this issue
162 Take five
Features Editor Ellen Finch shares her favourite design days out this month
frEE gIfT…
and six issues for £18 when you subscribe – see page 123
Real Homes
EVErY MOnTH
The latest expert advice for your home transformation dilemmas
140
140 Can I repurpose The garage InTo my home? Jude Tugman, managing director at Architect Your Home, on turning an underused garage into an asset
145 how do I make an ouTdoor lIvIng spaCe? Landscape and garden designer Paul Hervey-Brookes on how to create more usable space outside
147 whaT are The dos and donT’s of a baThroom renovaTIon Bathroom designer Caroline Cooper offers her advice
149 how do I repaIr plasTer? Self-builder Sian Astley looks at how to fill holes and repair cracks for perfectly smooth walls
151 whaT are The besT opTIons for refreshIng my drIve? Renovator Michael Holmes advises
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Builds
Renovations
Conversions
Photograph: Simon Maxwell
Extensions
2 FOR 1 TICKETS* QUOTE RHJUN
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Find out how at the Homebuilding & Renovating Show Visit the Homebuilding & Renovating Show 16 –17 JUNE
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*Saving based on standard door price tickets. £1.50 transaction fee applies. **Calls cost 7p per minute plus network extras for novemberGlasgow 2017 realhomes.co.uk and 13p per minute plus network extras for Surrey. Offer expires 3pm 15 June for Glasgow and 3pm 29 June for Surrey.
What I need for my summer garden project Future PLC, Units 1 & 2, Sugarbrook Court, Aston Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B60 3EX
‘A barbecue and woodburner in one, this Heat 400 is the perfect finishing touch for my garden terrace redesign. I can imagine the parties already…’ £2,484, Chesneys e!
how
t cu
‘A friend of mine has just bought one of these and it’s amazing. I’d love one in my garden, too.’ From £7,950 for a 7m2 cabin, Arctic Cabin
Editorial Editor Laura Crombie acting Editor Beth Murton assistant Editor Alison Jones Features Editor Ellen Finch Style Editor Anna Morley deputy Style Editor Amelia Smith realhomes@futurenet.com 01527 834456
‘I’m buying a new shed that just happens to be disguised as a 1960s London police box.’ Troughton Pertwee Baker Tardis, H2.8xW1.3m, from £4,995, thisplanetearth. co.uk
art Head of art Billy Peel Senior art Editor Emily Smith designer Karen Lawson advErtiSing and ExHibitionS SalES Media packs are available on request Commercial director Clare Dove clare.dove@futurenet.com Print & digital Sales director Jackie Sanders jackie.sanders@futurenet.com 01527 834426 Print & digital Sales Manager Rebecca Vincze rebecca.vincze@futurenet.com 01527 834415 Key account Manager Debra Greer debra.greer@futurenet.com 01527 834424 Exhibitions Sales director Hellen Roche hellen.roche@futurenet.com 01527 834418 intErnational Real Homes is available for licensing. Contact the International Department to discuss partnership opportunities international licensing director Matt Ellis matt.ellis@futurenet.com
‘My six-year-old son has a tree house that I want to paint bright orange.’ Cuprinol Honey Mango Garden Shades matt wood paint, £11 for 1ltr, B&Q
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‘The cold snap cracked my terracotta pots. Now I need some durable ones to fill with ranunculus, forget-menots and lavender.’ Malmesbury steel planters, from £30, Garden Trading
‘I want to create a tropical outdoor dining area, and plan to paint my old bench and dress it with cushions.’ Ramphastos plant print outdoor cushion, £20.69, Maisons du Monde
MagazinE and digital ProduCtion Head of Production Mark Constance Production Project Manager Clare Scott advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Manager Vivienne Calvert digital Manager Tom Burbridge digital Production Executive Nicholas Robertson Production assistant Aimee Bradley-Davies rEalHoMES.CoM Email delivery Manager Alison Nash Web operations Manager Laura Sturgess Senior Web Editor Lindsey Davis video Producer Matt Gibbs ManagEMEnt Managing director of Magazines Aaron Asadi Commercial Finance director Dan Jotcham Commercial and Events director Nick Noble director of Content & Product development Michael Holmes Editorial director Jason Orme
‘I want roses climbing over the metal arched trellis at the end of my path.’ Gloriana climbing roses, £17, David Austin Roses
PrintEd by William Gibbons & Sons diStributEd by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU, marketforce.co.uk Tel: 020 3787 9001
‘I’m looking forward to adding decking outside my sliding doors, so I have a level threshold from inside to out.’ Value timber decking, £4.49 per board, Wickes
ISSN 1464 - 4061 We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation All contents © 2018 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.
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realhomes.com june 2018
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Real Homes
HOTLIST Your one-stop guide to the latest design ideas, product launches and decorating trends
norska latte mugs, £8.95 each; norska latte mugs with side plate, £38.95 for two, Grace & Grey
TIME FOR TEA
may size 2 pendants in orange, £275 each, original BtC
Pour yourself a brew in a one-of-a-kind speckled cup and saucer. each new norska latte mug is unique; made from porcelain, they’re covered with chalky paint, then a reactive glaze technique is used on the top half to create a mottled effect.
MAD ABOUT THE HOUSE
feature AnnA MOrLey
Shining light Introduce a splash of colour with the classic bone china May pendant light in a range of hot-right-now colourways. The white shades, which come in two sizes, are hand-painted with stripes in orange matched with grey and black, or shades of navy and bright cobalt. Use singly, or group several together for maximum impact.
How to decorate your Home witH style Kate Watson-smyth, £20, Pavillion
Expanding on her blog with the same name, Kate shares a wealth of experience in doing up and styling every home, demonstrating how to make the most of the space you have – however much or little that is. Taking readers on a tour around the home, she shows off ideas for every room to ensure it reaches its potential. ➤
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. Ibiza
.
Sleep in style
hi-macs® Concrete Collection in ebony, £300 per metre, lG hausys
Design classic
COnCrETE SUrfACE
Cord hanger in natural and black, £8.50 each, nisi living
Love the raw simplicity of a concrete finish? The new Concrete Collection of Hi-Macs® has the same texture but with a smooth non-porous finish. It comes in five shades and can be thermoformed, allowing for curved shaping and seamless surfaces, so it can be used to create rough-luxe pieces for the kitchen, bathroom or living spaces.
Located on the island famous for its cool vibe and high style is the Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay. Launched last year, the five-star resort has a crisp palette of traditional limestone floors, whitewashed walls and light-coloured wood beams. Think rattan and macramé mixed with comfortable sofas. The 152 rooms have been finished with tasteful details like painted headboards framed in bronze and woven rope oversized armchairs; even the kids’ club is beautifully styled. Prices start from €490 (£430) per night in low season. For more information go to nobuhotelibizabay.com. ➤
Save vS Spend Be transported to far-flung places with a tribal-inspired cushion – perfect for a touch of global wanderlust
hAngIng TOugh Turn a humble plant pot into a statement accessory with woven cord hangers. Hanging plants are an ideal way to give any scheme an instant injection of boho style, and they’re perfect for rooms with limited surface space.
Butterfly home by matthew Williamson multicoloured crewel cushion, £26, Debenhams
embroidered havana cushion, £45, french Connection
moroccan tasselled cushion, £125, raj tent Club
realhomes.com JunE 2018
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New range
frESH HUES Hazy pinks, mint greens and powder blues are perfect colours to create a relaxing interior. use them as a tranquil backdrop or add pops of your favourite with accessories like these from A by Amara. For a twist on a traditionally sophisticated scheme, pair these sweet shades with brushed metallic accessories to toughen up the look.
Greenhouse living: morab mirror, £80; escot applique cushion, £30; northe Birds cushion, £30; Gibberd crochet cushion, £35; Carclew pot, £25; exbury frog trinket box, £30; Deanery lantern, £100, all a by amara
terrazzo blue wallpaper in cobalt, £50 per roll, Graham & Brown
set of three terrazzo tins in rose finish, £30, ferm living
materialism terrazzo medium candle, £65, tom Dixon
Mini trend
Terrazzo Inspired by the intricate flecks found in concrete, terrazzo finishes keep popping up on our radar, so here’s a quick look at how to work this effect into your scheme ➤
terrazzo concrete pendant lamp in natural finish, h14xDia.12cm, £69, Bloomingville
imaGe DuLwIcH pAvILIOn by AgneSe SAnvITO AnD JOAkIM bOren
terrazzo cotton rug in marble, W140xl200cm, £239, nubie
lOnDOn fESTivAl Of ArCHiTECTUrE | save the date 1-30 June, London Europe’s biggest annual architecture festival is back in the capital with this year’s theme being ‘identity’. taking place across London and with the majority of events free of charge, it aims to celebrate the city as a global hub of architectural experimentation, practice and debate. find out more at londonfestivalofarchitecture.org
for stockists See pAge 153
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Wonderland wallcovering, from £60 per m2
Tried & tested
Methven Rua shower handset £105 from Methven UK THE prOMiSE Providing a rejuvenating shower experience using aurajet technology, delivering a full-bodied spray with maximum contact for all-over warmth, all within a compact and smart-looking design. THE vErDiCT the rua’s stylish square design certainly looks good in the bathroom with its clean lines and robust feel. With only one spray option, the head really does provide an ample spray where water is dispersed in larger areas, rather than droplets. it’s a different showering experience to my usual three-flow spray option, but one that i really enjoyed. THE rATing i was pleasantly surprised by this design. not only is it aesthetically striking, it’s also an easy update for the bathroom and provides a comforting shower. 3.5/5
TuRn IT On The Union luxury brassware collection from Crosswater is a hot new look for the bathroom. Wheels or levers replace more conventional handles on the basin mixers, bath fillers, and exposed valve showerkits, and includes a fabulous fiery red option. Engineered in Italy, the range comes in four finishes – Brushed Nickel, Brushed Brass, Chrome and Brushed Black Chrome. Above: union Basin monobloc chrome tap with red lever, £390, Crosswater
Hot new designers
Kyoto-Cool wallcovering, from £60 per m2
Who... Modern Love are textile designer Sarah Arnett and ex-fashion editor turned creative director, Kim Hunt Need to know... They joined forces more than 10 years ago, and after four seasons working with Liberty of London, founded lifestyle brand Modern Love. From there they turned to furnishings and interiors. Inspiration... People and places. Every design is a collage of hand-drawn elements, mixing modern influences laced with nostalgia, creating fantastical landscapes and dreamlike scenes. Look out for... The nine exclusive murals they’ve done for Tektura Wallcoverings. Each one showcases their unequivocal style: leaves and fronds hide tiny animals; delicate damasks backdrop oriental trees and distant mountains; a make-believe cabinet houses artefacts from exotic lands. Designs are made to measure with prices from £60 per square metre. For details, see tektura.com or modernlovestudio.co.uk
Jungle Palm Pale wallcovering, from £60 per m2
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wORDS karen wilson phOtOgRaphS katie lee
vintage mix the shabby-chic kitchen dresser was a great secondhand find at an antiques fair; find similar at Maisons du Monde. Rhiannon has teamed it with a formica-topped table from her local charity shop and vintage Ben chairs from Ebay. the exposed bulb lights and cables over the table are from Creative Cables. Flowers, Bloom & wild
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Real Homes modern build
new When the renovation of a run-down bungalow took an unexpected turn, Rhiannon and Joel Payne had the chance to create a Scandinavian-inspired home
beginnings
wORDS beth murton phOtOgRaphS rachael smith Styling anna morley
PoP
in for a cup of tea at Rhiannon and Joel’s home in the evening and chances are you might bump into a university professor, a student, or even an Olympic swimmer. With two of their bedrooms available for rent on Airbnb, there’s always someone interesting at the house. ‘We never set out to use our house as a business, but it’s allowed us to turn what was a development project into our family home,’ explains Rhiannon. Rewind to 2011 when Rhiannon and Joel returned to the UK to live with her parents following a stint volunteering in Peru, and the couple were keen to start making plans for the future. ‘I inherited some money, and because we weren’t sure where we’d end up living long term, we chose to use the money to fund a renovation project, with the aim of selling it on for a profit to give us a bigger deposit for our future home,’ says Rhiannon. After a six-month search, the couple came across a dated bungalow boasting views across countryside to the Loughborough skyline. ‘It had been empty for five years, so was in need of extensive work,’ says Rhiannon. The couple planned to retain three walls of the bungalow, stripping back the space and then rebuilding the property with the addition of a second storey to create extra bedrooms. Rhiannon drew up plans for a modern
open-plan interior with a spacious kitchen-diner, separate living room, home office and four bedrooms. With planning permission approved, work soon got underway, but a phone call from their builder meant the project took a new direction. ‘He explained that having stripped the house right back it ➤
before
all change Right and below the dated bungalow has been replaced by a modern design featuring larch cladding, dark grey aluminium windows and an impressive doubleheight entrance. For similar cladding, try Bennetts timber
after
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Bespoke style Left ikea units have been given a more personalised look with bespoke doors and drawer fronts from Matt antrobus. the couple’s kitchen fitter, tim May Services, made the island unit, complete with a storage niche at the rear that’s ideal for toys. Rhiannon fitted the wall tiles from tons of tiles in a classic herringbone pattern for a striking effect. the albert pendant lights are from Made.com
the owners
Rhiannon payne, a designer (mydesignerfriend.co.uk) and illustration tutor, lives here with husband Joel, a songwriter, and son huck, three the property
a four-bedroom new-build in loughborough, leicestershire, available to rent through airbnb (airbnb.co.uk/rooms/7905961) rhinannon loves
Comedy show Arrested Development Flowers, particularly Billy Buttons (Craspedia) Chloé Eau De parfum Bargain hunting Musician Ben Folds total project cost
£187,500
was obvious that the walls weren’t strong enough for what we’d planned,’ says Rhiannon. ‘The suggestion was to demolish the entire bungalow and start a new house from scratch. As new-builds are zero-rated for VAT, we’d make huge VAT savings, so our builder estimated it would only cost us an additional £3,000 compared to our original budget.’ Decision made, the walls were swiftly demolished and Rhiannon and Joel were left with an empty plot. ‘I did panic that we’d paid £160,000 for the bungalow and suddenly all we had to show for it was a scrap of land,’ she adds. Undeterred, the couple pressed on, and with planning permission for a new-build in place, Rhiannon finalised the details. ‘We went for a barn-style design with a pitched roof, as this was the cheapest option,’ she explains. ‘To stop it looking like a boring white box, we clad it in larch to give it more of a Scandinavian feel.’ As time progressed and they became more involved in the ➤ 20
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monochrome scheme Above Oversized artwork by Kai and Sunny takes centre stage in the openplan living area. the sofas are from ikea and the cushions are from h&M and ikea. Find a similar vintage Ercol children’s chair and mid-century coffee table on Ebay
Family Friendly the layout of the house revolves around making the most of the countryside views, with the main living space set at the rear of the house. For similar bi-fold doors, try Eco-haus glazing Solutions. the power-floated concrete floor gives the space an industrial feel
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relaxed living with its large nockeby corner sofa from ikea and mix of colourful cushions from amara, the family’s living room has a cosy, welcoming feel. the wood flooring is from Floors of Stone, the rug is from Urbanara and the armchair is vintage Ercol
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in the details Below and below left a vintage copper light, cushions from amara and artwork by Deborah pook add colour to the neutral backdrop. For a similar light, try the louis poulsen metal pendant from houseology
plans
First Floor
living area
kitchendiner
home office
Ground Floor utility
18-month project, Rhiannon and Joel found themselves getting attached to the house, imagining what it would be like to live there. ‘I can’t remember the exact point we decided we didn’t want to sell it,’ she says, ‘but as soon as I stopped being conservative with my design choices, I had an inkling that we might end up moving in.’ Rhiannon’s natural flair for design is clear to see throughout the finished house. From the light-filled hallway with its colourful coral-pink door that greets you as soon as you walk into the house, to the way she’s mixed inexpensive Ikea buys with vintage and charity shop finds, the whole house has a Scandinavianinspired vibe that instantly makes you feel at ease. ‘I’ve gone for a neutral palette of grey, white and oak so I can quickly change the look of a space by adding new accessories,’ she says. Working to a tight budget meant being creative with fittings, too. The ➤
hall
bedroom
living room
modern layout the doubleheight hallway is in the centre of the house, with large open-plan living areas on the ground floor
bath en room suite
bedroom
master bedroom
dressing room
bedroom
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Ikea kitchen units are teamed with bespoke doors and an island unit to create a unique look; inexpensive white wall tiles have been fitted in a herringbone pattern for a designer finish, and second-hand chairs add a splash of colour to a vintage table. Rhiannon’s best buy, however, is the kitchen dresser, which she snapped up for just £400. ‘I found it at an antiques fair at the end of a very cold day,’ she says. ‘I think the seller was just relieved not to have to load it back in their van. I had no idea where it would fit in the house, but I knew I’d find space somewhere!’ With the arrival of son Huck in 2015, the couple know they made the right choice to make this house their home. ‘It works so well as a family space,’ says Rhiannon. ‘The ➤
guest space Below the ground-floor bedroom and en suite are rented out to airbnb guests. the dressing table is from homeSense and the chair is a vintage find from newark antiques & Collectors Fair
make an entrance Above and right the central hallway is double height to increase the feeling of space as you walk in the house. the door to the understairs wC is painted in Silken Sunrise 2 from Dulux to add a splash of colour. ‘it’s great on a practical level, too,’ says Rhiannon. ‘when people ask where the toilet is i just tell them it’s the pink door.’ the rug is a vintage design; try the tapestry Flower Emerald rug from Designers guild for similar. the pendant light and coat hooks are from John lewis 24
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master Bedroom ‘with white-painted walls, it’s easy to mix up the décor with a new rug or cushions,’ says Rhiannon, of her light-filled bedroom. the mid-century bench seat – try Ercol for similar – is a stylish match for the bed and bedside tables; try John lewis for similar. the monochrome rug is made from an upholstery fabric off-cut; try Modern Rugs for a similar patterned rug
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costs & contacts Build cost £142,800 landscaping and garden £18,300 Flooring £8,700 Bathrooms £8,600 Kitchen and utility room £5,300 Decorating £2,450 Fixtures and lights £1,350 tOtal £187,500
luxurious en suite Below the shower room is part of the master bedroom suite. wall-mounted taps and a shower from Crosswater, plus a countertop basin from Flaminia and tiles from tons of tiles complete the scheme. the mirror was made to fit the length of the side wall to maximise light and space
purchase/plot price £162,500 Estimated current value £600,000 profit potential £250,000 interior design Rhiannon payne, mydesignerfriend.co.uk builder Ellis & hughes, 0116 270 3079, ellisandhughes.com kitchen and bathroom installation tim May Services, 0116 230 1324, timmayservices.co.uk tiles tons of tiles, 01752 785623, tonsoftiles.co.uk
soFa space Above the far end of the master bedroom is a cosy reading nook; try loaf for a similar love seat. the hanging pendant was made by Rhiannon’s sister and the vintage chest is from a charity shop. the colourful painting is by amy Blackwell For stockist inFormation see page 153
open-plan layout means I always know where Huck is.’ But staying here has inevitably meant being creative with their finances. ‘The house is beyond what our salaries can afford, so it has to pay for itself,’ says Rhiannon. From companies hiring the house as a location venue to university visitors who need a place to stay and book a room through Airbnb, it’s opened up a different way of life for the family. ‘The house is such a sociable space that it really lends itself to having guests here,’ she adds. Despite the changes to their initial plans, the couple have no regrets. ‘I never dreamed that our first-ever home would be as special as this place,’ says Rhiannon. ‘We feel very lucky to be living here.’ Looking at the beautiful home they’ve created, it would be hard to disagree. realhomes.com june 2018
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Design edit
Scandi style Team retro-style furniture with monochrome accessories and pretty pastels to recreate Rhiannon and Joel Payne’s modern home
the eSSeNtIALS From left: Jaffa natural cotton and linen mix fabriC, £34.99 per m, The Swedish Fabric Company. Simply Oak SO21 natural oak flooring, from £60.99 per m2, Kersaint Cobb. Hydrangea Flowers PainT, from £21.50 for 940ml, from the Regal Select Flat Range at Benjamin Moore 5 1
2
3
4
7
6 9
1 Scandi sprig cotton fabriC in Noir, £21 per m, iLiv 2 Chesil Collection Peg rail, three sizes available, four-peg H10xW65cm, from £120, Oggetto 3 Hübsch large green and white Ceiling lamP, H29xDia.35cm, £189, Printer + Tailor 4 Cranbrook four-drawer solid poplar ChesT, H99xW42xD80cm, £550, Soak & Sleep 5 Moderno Collection Kennedy Angelo Chair in yellow, H82xW50xD58cm, £269, Willis & Gambier 6 Collect Scotland Halcyon cotton Cushion, £49, Heal’s 7 Cactus V6 framed PrinT by 83 Oranges, H42xW30cm, £47, Red Candy 8 Evolve fabric corner Chaise in Denbigh Ecru, H83xW217xD154cm, £1,335, Furniture Village 9 Groovy black vases, £25 for three, Haus of Hyde
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for stockist information see page 153
COMPiLED By sophie warren-smith
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June 2018 realhomes.com
Words and styling Penny Crawford-Collins PhotograPhs PhiliP lauterbaCh
Real Homes house makeover
down by the lake
Egon Walesch and Richard Goodwin turned a run-down cabin into a stylish retreat with a stunning waterside location realhomes.com june 2018
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‘Internal walls were knocked down to create a large kitchen/dining/living space, and the ceilings removed to expose the rafters and create a sense of height and light’ Bright Kitchen Right the ceiling supports in the new-look room catch the eye and make the space seem bigger. a new skylight along with the picture windows give a feeling of being embraced by nature. the bespoke kitchen by Jim Kelly is painted in down Pipe by Farrow & Ball. orange louis Poulson pendant lamps, Finnish design shop. Butler sink, Chambord
old looK Below the original units were functional but had begun to look dated, and the space felt dark and uninviting
before
after
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go for an odd numBer of lights to ensure a more Balanced looK
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W
ith fond memories of childhood visits to this pretty lakeside wooden cabin, Egon was determined to keep hold of the property when he inherited it back in 2010. ‘As a child, I loved this cabin, but remember thinking it was a bit dark and cramped, and the windows weren’t big enough to enjoy the magical views,’ he says. Egon and Richard knew that maximising the connection with the surrounding landscape was key to the success of any improvements. ‘We wanted the place to feel cosy, warm and inviting – a real home,’ says Egon. ‘I felt it should be a place you would yearn to return to.’
Planning the changes
‘It took a few years to plan the layout and find the right builder,’ says Egon. ‘Most of those we approached didn’t understand what we wanted and thought we should knock down the cabin and build what they described as a “proper house”.’ A family friend eventually recommended Egon contact Liam Clancy, a local builder. ‘As soon as we met him, we knew he was the right person for the job,’ says Egon. ‘We had a sense that achieving a good result would be as important to him as it was to us.’ To oversee the 12-month project, Egon divided his time between London and Ireland, visiting the cabin once a month and staying on at critical times when he knew decisions would need to be made, and when the workmen needed an extra pair of hands to help on site.
Improving the layout
the oWners
Egon Walesch, an interior designer, and richard goodwin, a management consultant the ProPertY
a two-bedroom log cabin on the shores of lough ree, Co. West Meath, ireland egon loVes
drinking a cup of tea in bed Shopping at Skandium for Scandinavian pieces Modern architecture Designer Paul Smith for his great sense of colour his vintage washstand in the bathroom Multicoloured designs total ProJect cost
£141,500
Redesigning the interior of the property was essential to make the most of the views. A small hallway and lots of doors into separate rooms meant a great deal of space was wasted within the house. ‘We felt an open-plan living area would be best,’ explains Egon. ‘The internal walls were knocked down to create a large kitchen/dining/living space, and then the ceilings were removed to expose the rafters and create a sense of height and light.’ All the original floorboards were sanded and repaired where needed, and the whole cabin was rewired and replumbed to bring it up to modern standards. For a smart finish, the walls were clad in tongue and groove panelling, and a new kitchen was fitted to make a more modern centre to the house.
Adding space
Extending one side of the house made it possible to create space for two en suite bathrooms. ‘The original bathrooms had been between the two bedrooms, and were impossibly narrow,’ says Egon. ‘By adding the new extension we transformed the bedrooms, which have views into the new bathrooms,’ he adds. ‘I’m a great believer in making interesting viewpoints through rooms rather than always closing them off with doors.’
Energy efficient
Making the cabin cosy all year round was an important factor in the revamp, so the roof, walls and floors are ➤ realhomes.com june 2018
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useful unit an oven and hob from the Miele outlet store are housed in a simple freestanding unit, painted in Farrow & Ball’s down Pipe to match the rest of the kitchen; for similar, try Unfitted. Metro tiles from Fired Earth decorate the walls
freestanding Kitchen furniture sets the tone for a modern countrY looK
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dining area Left the originals Plank dining table by Ercol and the Eames dsr chairs by Vitra are from heal’s. For a similar dresser, try the Kitchen dresser Company. For a similar rug, try land of rugs
focal Point Below the newly fitted wood-burning 2B Cove stove from Charnwood ensures the cabin is cosy in the cooler months. the chimney breast is plastered in storm by Clayworks natural Plasters. the vintage armchair was an Ebay find. the cushion is Mondo spot from Melin tregwynt. lumiere grande floor lamp, Foscarini. Vintage Beni ouarian Moroccan rug, Beldi rugs
sofa sPot Bottom left shades of green in the furnishings reflect the lush landscape. the Mistral sofa is from heal’s. the Mistral footstool is covered in luna apple fabric and the cushions in Madison grey, both by Melin tregwynt. the Peggy wall lights are from holloways of ludlow
Plans before
after
bedroom bedroom
living room en suite en suite
bedroom
kitChendiner
shower room
bath room wC
kitChen/ living/ dining room
bedroom
neW laYout the living room and kitchen are now open plan, making the space feel brighter and bigger. the extension accommodates the new bathrooms, freeing up more room in the bedrooms
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heavily insulated and all the newly fitted windows and full-length sliding doors are triple glazed. ‘The new glazing is on the side of the house facing the lake, so we can enjoy the views from the master bedroom and main living space,’ says Egon. The couple fitted an energyefficient heating system and a wood-burning stove. ‘We also installed some electric radiators and a remote access system so we can control the heating and lighting when we are away,’ says Egon. ‘We can turn on the heat and lights before we arrive from London, so we never have to turn up to a cold, dark house.’
Décor choice
When it came to the décor and furnishings, Egon chose a fairly neutral palette, and then mixed in lots of natural tones, textures and a few bright pops of colour. ‘I’m a big fan of mid-century architecture and design. Seeing as the cabin was built in the mid-1960s it made sense to furnish it with pieces from that period,’ he explains. ‘I love the mix of old and new. It was great to match pieces from auctions and antique shops with contemporary art and design.’ The transformed cabin is somewhere the pair now look forward to spending time in. ‘There is something very rewarding about making something beautiful with a small sustainable footprint,’ says Egon. ‘It’s a home that offers us everything we need. It’s so relaxing, as soon as you arrive here, you can feel the stresses of modern life fade away.’
guest Bedroom to keep this room lovely and light, the walls are painted in Cornforth White by Farrow & Ball. the Chiltern bed by Ercol is from John lewis. task short wall lights, original BtC. duvet cover and rug, Zara home realhomes.com june 2018
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‘It’s a home that offers us everything we need. It’s so relaxing, as soon as you arrive here, you can feel the stresses of modern life fade away’
Wet room the new shower room is made watertight with Walls2floor waterproof plaster; for similar, try sphere8. the brass shower and rose are from Barber Wilsons & Co
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sPace to soaK Left the tivoli bath and taps from aston Matthews are positioned below the window to make the most of the view. the Ellipse floor tiles are by lindsey lang. the old washstand was sourced from Ebay and fitted with a basin by duravit. the mirror is from John lewis
master Bedroom Bottom left and below large sliding doors open onto a pretty decked area. the desk and stool are from ikea and the orange lamp is from habitat. the bed and round mirror are from John lewis. the tarva chest of drawers is from ikea
costs & contacts Building work £101,000 Furniture £12,500 Bathrooms £10,000 decorating £7,000 lighting £5,750 Kitchen £5,250 total £141,500 Purchase cost in 1976 around £11,000 Current value around £165,000 Profit potential £12,500
for stockist information see Page 153
interior design Egon Walesch interiors 07739 009778, egondesign.co.uk sliding doors Exclusive Wood Company, +353 87 657 8590 shower room Barbara Wilsons & Co, 020 8888 3461, barwil.co.uk bath aston Matthews, 020 7226 7220, astonmatthews.co.uk
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Design edit
Print and pattern Be inspired by Egon Walesch and Richard Goodwin and introduce retro prints for a fun, colourful home
the eSSeNtIALS From left: Dashwood studio flock birds print fabric, £12 per m, John Lewis. Andalucia patterned porcelain wall and floor tile, W29xL33cm, £32.49 per m2, Tile Mountain. Layla Faye Ripple wallpaper in Buttercup Yellow, £39.50 per roll, Wallpaper Direct 4 3
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pattern, colour blocking and midcentury style is a winning combo
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1 Alta lampshade, H21xDia.30cm, £55, Grace & Favour 2 Betty armchair in Gail Bryson trill yolk, H77xW65xD74cm, £490, Sofa.com 3 Eichholtz abstract chevron cotton cushion, £90 for two, Sweetpea & Willow 4 Eclectic wooden chest of drawers by I Love Retro, H90xW80xD40cm, £479, Not On The High Street 5 Pin’up wooden stool with triangle pattern blue cotton, H45xW36xD36cm, £43.19, Maisons du Monde 6 Orla Kiely medium big spot flower pot, H13.5xDia.13cm, £22, Trouva 7 Axle cotton bedlinen, £55 for a double set, Made.com 8 Londress sideboard, H69xW147xD45cm, £830, Pib 9 Eichholtz Maxwell sofa, H89xW130xD91cm, £1,015, Houseology
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for stockist information see page 153
cOMPILED BY amelia smith
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Real Homes house renovation
A sense of
THE OWNERS
Jess Reoch, an hR director at a bank, her husband gav, a stay-at-home dad and writer, and their son, Louie, two THE PROPERTY
a three-storey, five-bedroom Victorian house in Clapham, London JESS LOVES
her kitchen, snug and library Shopping at Viaduct, Nest, Made.com and West Elm a moody palette Weekends in the country Fashion house Chloé TOTAL PROJECT COST
£225,500
drama Jess and Gav Reoch’s extended home proves luxurious interiors can be child-friendly, too
wORDS karen wilson phOtOgRaphS fiona walker-arnott
Using
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an interior designer pushed my boundaries and made me bolder,’ reveals Jess, who’d taken on the styling herself in previous homes but brought in nina Maklin to oversee the redesign of her London home. ‘she helped me create a place that’s child friendly yet also luxurious with a bit of drama.’ Jess and gav lived in nearby Earlsfield for seven years before buying a Victorian terraced house in Clapham in April 2011. ‘Although it had already been extended into the loft, the décor hadn’t been touched in years and there were moths in the carpets,’ says Jess. ‘We spent around £60,000 just to make it liveable – replacing the carpets and bathrooms, as well as replastering and redecorating. However, we only painted the kitchen walls and cabinets as we planned to extend.’ in 2013, the couple temporarily relocated to new York for Jess’s job, so rented out their home for almost three years. Keen to get the new addition built before they came back to the UK in 2016, they contacted the Royal institute of British Architects and started talking to members the year before they returned. ‘We decided to stop renting out the house and give ourselves six months to transform it,’ says Jess. The couple chose architects Holland and green who drew up plans to extend into the side return and rear garden to create a bigger kitchen-diner/family room with a glazed sloping roof and sliding doors. ‘i needed to hire an interior designer, too, as, with a new baby and a busy job, there wasn’t time to pull everything together myself,’ Jess explains. ‘i contacted interiordesigners.com who matched me up with suitable designers by looking at my Pinterest page. nina just instantly got my style. i trusted her to create an entertaining space with wow factor that didn’t make people feel uncomfortable.’ With Jess in new York, planning was done via skype with the odd face-to-face meeting when she visited the UK. ‘i once met with nina at the airport between flights,’ she says. ‘And my brother brought decorating samples when he came ➤
June 2018 realhomes.com
‘I completely trusted our designer to create a stylish entertaining space with wow factor’
STYLiSH ExTENSiON a fully glazed sloping roof and sliding doors to the garden more than compensate for losing the window on the side wall. Glazing, Reynaers. Kitchen cabinetry, Vialle & Co. MicroCrete floor, the Resin Floor Co realhomes.com June 2018
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LiNkiNg THE iSLANd ANd diNiNg AREA CREATES SOmEWHERE fOR iNfORmAL mEALS THAT CAN bE dRESSEd uP fOR ENTERTAiNiNg, TOO
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VERSATiLE SPACE In the kitchen-diner, an island with bar stools is great for snacks and breakfast, while the dining table attached to it has a matching work surface. Bespoke cabinetry and handles, Vialle & Co. walls painted in peignoir by Farrow & Ball. gubi Beettle Velluto chairs and petite Friture Vertigo grand pendant light, both Viaduct
after
before
OPENEd uP Left the kitchen was ripped out and the house extended to the side and rear for a more useable and luxurious space with improved links to the garden
SNug Above Dark walls painted in Railings by Farrow & Ball create the perfect atmosphere for movie nights. pink corner sofa in De La Quona fabric, Loungin. Ceiling light, tom Dixon. Coffee table and grey diamond cushion, west Elm. Vertical radiator, Castrads. Rug, Stepevi
to visit us.’ nina’s aim was to create clear, separate areas for every aspect of Jess and gav’s life, including adult zones like the library and master bedroom, a snug/ TV room for movie nights, and a kitchen-diner which would be the main family area. ‘Too many people are afraid to have a luxurious home for fear of their children destroying it, but choosing the right materials can solve this issue,’ explains nina. ‘ For example, using wipeable velvet on the dining chairs, which even tomato sauce can’t destroy, or fabrics with a slight pattern so you can’t see the dirt. We put inexpensive rugs in areas prone to mess, as well as using dark paint that hides sticky fingers but still provides that glamorous feel.’ in the kitchen, everything’s hidden away behind floor-to-ceiling cabinets along one wall. ‘it looks more like furniture than a typical kitchen as it has floating units on one side and a dining area that extends from the island,’ says Jess. ➤ realhomes.com June 2018
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ORigiNAL fEATuRE the characterful Victorian fireplaces were retained. Jess has dressed this one up with artwork by Richard Baldock from Northcote gallery and accessories from west Elm
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SiTTiNg ROOm Above Bespoke bookcases and alcove shelving by Vialle & Co have provided a home for gav’s extensive collection of books, while the walls and woodwork have been painted in Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue for an opulent look. Jess had the two chairs in Brochier fabric shipped over from american store ModShop. Chaise sofa in De Le Quona fabric, gubi. Ceiling light, Roll & hill. Floor lamps, Mullan Lighting. Rug, Kasthall. Curtain fabric, Dedar
‘i wanted a concrete floor but nina suggested MicroCrete which has added polymers, so it’s very durable, slip resistant and less prone to cracking. she also matched the patio tiles and kitchen floor for a seamless flow between the spaces.’ Although most of the budget was spent on the ground floor, upstairs nina changed the flooring to match the rest of the house, added storage and helped Jess redesign the bedrooms. ‘i wanted a hotel-luxe look in the master bedroom and a new York theme in Louie’s room since he was born there,’ says Jess. ‘nina also sourced some amazing hexagonal tiles for the first-floor bathroom, and beautiful fabrics which i got made into curtains and blinds by nicola Hayes.’ Lighting designer Aimee Penny from Q Lighting planned a scheme which included large statement pieces to suit the high ceilings and spotlights with brass inside for the bedrooms and bathrooms. Despite the upheaval and the challenges of staying in the loop while abroad, the couple are delighted with the new space. ‘We’ve probably spent twice as much as i’d planned,’ admits Jess. ‘But it’s more than paid for itself and i can imagine us staying here long term now.’ realhomes.com June 2018
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mASTER bEdROOm Jess wanted a hotel-luxe feel which has been achieved with a plush headboard made by Vialle & Co for a V Spring bed from and So to Bed. walls painted in Mole’s Breath, Farrow & Ball. Bedside lamps, John Lewis. grey cushions, west Elm. Full-length mirror, Loaf
PLANS
Ground Floor
before
after
living room
Dining room
beDroom beDroom kitchen-Diner
sitting room
kitchen snug
June 2018 realhomes.com
bath room
beDroom
beDroom beDroom
Dining/living area
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First Floor
bath room
beDroom
NEW LAYOuT the extension into the side return and rear garden has created a much larger kitchen-diner and family room, which opens to the garden and can also be accessed from the hallway and snug. a corridor between the kitchen and old dining room has been absorbed into the design and used to create a guest cloakroom
bATHROOm Above a floating vanity enhances the sense of space. Sandlot wall unit and mirrored cabinet, Vialle & Co. walls painted in Strong white by Farrow & Ball. Basin, west One. Tap, tapwell. Towel radiator, Castrads. horse artwork, Northcote gallery
LOuiE’S ROOm Above right New York wallpaper from wallpaper Direct reminds Louie of the city he was born in. the Oeuf taxi cushion also came from there. Chair, hay. Blind in Romo fabric, John Lewis. Silver grey carpet, the Carpet Bureau. Fire surround painted in Citron 74 by Farrow & Ball. wooden letters, Etsy. Montana shelving, twenty twenty One
For stockist inFormation see page 153
COSTS & CONTACTS Building and refurbishment work £150,000 glazing £30,000 Kitchen £30,000 MicroCrete flooring £8,500 appliances £7,000 tOtaL £225,500 purchase cost in 2011 £800,000 Estimated current value £1.8m potential profit £774,500
architect holland and green, 020 8099 6112, hollandandgreen.co.uk interior Design Nina Maklin, 07891 775918, ninamaklin.com bespoke joinery Vialle & Co, 07980 570540, vialleandco.com lighting Design Q Lighting, 01634 313671, q-lighting.co.uk
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Design edit
Fancy flourishes Take inspiration from Jess Reoch and add some Art Deco glamour to your space with elegant modern accessories and furniture
the eSSeNtIALS From left: Alabastro chevron engineered oak wood flooring, £70.74 per m2, Havwoods. Anais white marbleeffect hexagon tiles, £33.95 per m2, Walls & Floors. Pitch Blue Estate emulsion, £45 for 2.5ltrs, Farrow & Ball
matt black fixtures are this season’s must-have
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1 Normann Copenhagen Craft pestle & mortar in oak and white marble, £75, Black By Design 2 Cooke & Lewis Katiki matt black kitchen pin side lever tap, £47, B&Q 3 Broste Copenhagen Pernille cotton velvet chair in Chinois Green, H77xW60xD53cm, £320, Amara 4 Coy blue ceramic plant pot with gold coloured stand, £9.50, Red Candy 5 Birdy table lamp, £279, Pib 6 Oxford compact dresser painted in Moondust Grey, H191xW96xD44cm, £1,139, The Painted Furniture Company 7 Amelie modern six-arm globe chandelier in brass and white glass, £365, Mink Interiors 8 Omara black marble coffee table with brass legs, H35xW110xD55cm, £695, Habitat 9 Daan marble and metal bowl in white and gold, £55, Made.com 10 Zyla emerald cushion, £35, Furniture Village 54
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COMPILED By anna morley
a statement light is an easy way to glam up your space
Real Homes kitchEn ExtEnsion
reclaimed living
WORDS EllEn Finch PHOTOGRAPHS chris snook STYLING JEmma Paugh
Ben Arkell and Fahmida Bakht furnished their kitchen extension with vintage treasures to create a unique family space
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dinner time A 1930s handme-down table and Wishbone chairs add a modernist edge; for similar, try The Conran Shop. The chairs were upholstered by Wendy West Upholstery. Splashback tiles, Fired Earth. Extractor, Sebastian Conran
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daring design The asymmetrical angles of the roof set this extension apart from any other. Glazing by SDS London opens the kitchen up to the garden in the summer, giving the children plenty of space to run around. The furniture was found at an antiques market
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C BeFore
hildren’s graffiti isn’t usually a desirable trait for kitchen furniture, but for Ben and his wife Fahmida, it’s the knocks, scratches and ink splodges on the units that give their kitchen its charm. Like much of their home, the units are reclaimed, built by hand by Ben – and their quirky second-life nature sets the scene for the rest of the room. Ben had not long finished restoring his old flat, which he then sold, when he and his family moved into their 1850s terrace in south-east London. While the exterior still boasted its original GeorgianVictorian features, the interior had been stripped of its history. ‘There was no sense of a house, of what it was in the 1850s, so we made a deliberate decision to go for the complete opposite of that,’ Ben explains.
Planning the space
The house came with an outdoor bathroom and toilet. Ben and Fahmida decided to use that space to better effect by creating a kitchen extension. They found Tom Gresford of Gresford Architects through Architect Your Home and were impressed with his previous projects. ‘We knew we wanted an interesting small space Above Before work began, the kitchen was cramped and dated, with none of the house’s original GeorgianVictorian features
the owners
Ben Arkell, a theatre production manager, lives here with his wife Fahmida Bakht, who also works in theatre, and their children Islah, 7, and Laith, 3 the property
A three-bedroom, early-Victorian terrace in south-east London Ben and Fahmida love
Retrouvius Their angled rooflights Reclaimed pieces Modernism Aquamarine Architect Frank Lloyd Wright total project cost
£100,100
design with architectural merit and Tom jumped out at us,’ Ben explains. Tom drafted a design for a rear extension and side-return infill, and with builders on board, the project went ahead. Because the house lies in a Conservation Area, planning permission required them to sit the property lower down to prevent it impinging upon the views from the houses next door, and the neighbours had to sign Party Wall agreements as the build would extend wall-towall across the garden.
Project DIY
The family used money from remortgaging the house to fund the project, but seven months later, they had spent their budget. With the extension built and the floor laid, Ben and Fahmida decided to finish the interior themselves using their experience from design college. Having initially trained as a carpenter, Ben made the kitchen himself. Using the skeletons of Ikea units as a foundation, he crafted new designs with reclaimed wood from Retrouvius, which was sourced from a school. ‘I love that it shows the life of those kids,’ he says of the graffiti and ink splodges.
Light work
Despite the work that went into the kitchen furniture, the rooflights are Ben’s favourite part of the room. He and Fahmida worked with Tom to create the design, which consists of angled rooflights that run along the corridor into the front of the property. ‘It was Tom’s idea to create that style, and we added some angles in,’ Ben says. ‘I love what Tom came up with – it’s incredibly inventive for the money we had and it’s very unique.’
Reclaimed charm
Almost everything in Ben and Fahmida’s kitchen can be traced back to a former life, including the East German railway clock, which was found at an antiques fair. ‘We always try and use reclaimed items when we can,’ Ben explains. The couple’s tight budget kept Ben and Fahmida from achieving ➤ realhomes.com june 2018
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‘There was no sense of a house, of whaT iT was in The 1850s, so we made a deliberaTe decision To go for The compleTe opposiTe of ThaT’
light and airy Angled rooflights along the side return extension help brighten the darker areas of the house. Exposed brick and a 1950s Conran sofa give the space a cosy feel. Mirror, Ikea. Cushions, Sonya Winner
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plans costs & contacts BeFore
aFter
storagE Bath room
kitchEn
the finish they wanted, but it’s the quirky handmade style of the kitchen that makes it so homely. By combining their love of clean lines and modernist style with the vintage items that they’ve collected, Ben and Fahmida have created something that’s entirely unique to them. Now the project is finished, Ben’s had plenty of time to reflect on the changes the extension has brought to their family. ‘We love living with our new kitchen and it never ceases to be a delight,’ he says. ‘The kids have so much space now, and when the doors are open in the summer, they can run straight into the garden, too. It’s completely changed our lives.’
timeless pieces A roll-top desk from Ebay sits alongside a 1950s shelving unit, which was used as fuse storage in a theatre. For similar flooring, try Luxury Flooring & Furnishings. Lamp, Bestlite
kitchEndinEr
Bath room
Construction and glazing £84,000 Professional fees £11,000 Kitchen furniture £4,100 Appliances and taps £1,000 TOTAL £100,100 architect Gresford Architects, 020 7249 1855, gresfordarchitects.co.uk Builder London & Sons, 07773 341751, londonandsons.co.uk glazing SDS London, 020 7228 1185, sdslondon.co.uk
new layout By extending into the side return and out to the rear of their property, the family can now enjoy a large communal space
for sTockisT informaTion sEE PagE 153
historic Finds Ben made the kitchen units with reclaimed wood from Retrouvius, teaming them with leather drawer handles from Design Studio Nu. The original railway clock from London Time Piece is a talking point. Oven, Smeg. Tap, Tapstore
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Design edit
Quirky storage Store and display your kitchen accessories on a statement unit or novel shelf to make a feature in your kitchen, like Ben Arkell and Fahmida Bakht have 1
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1 Clink iron cabinet in black, H108xW90xD43cm, £549, Swoon Editions 2 Trellis copper wall grid, H45xW50xD7cm, £47, Red Candy 3 Tall black iron display cabinet, H184xW97xD44cm, £1,200, Cox & Cox 4 String triple wall cabinet with shelves in walnut finish, H75xW78xD30cm, £1,674, John Lewis 5 Ferm Living round dorm hanging shelf in beech with leather strap, Dia.55cm, £129, Amara 6 Honeycomb gold-finish metal wine rack, H27xW29xD15cm, £35, Habitat 7 Hambledon small shelf ladder in oak, H180xW48xD35cm, £275, Garden Trading 8 Stainless-steel kitchen rack, H76xW61xD25cm, £180, Ian Snow
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CompILED by AnnA Morley
A Mix of vintAge And Modern, this rAck will suit Any scheMe
after
modern addition Left and below Extending the kitchen and landscaping the garden has transformed the rear of this house into a sunny indoor-outdoor living space. the doors are from Mcalister Brown. the landscaping was designed by granit architects and completed by PsK development
Words Laura Crombie PhotograPhs DaviD WooLLey styling Sara emSLie
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Real Homes kitChen extenSion
SeamleSS link By replacing a dated extension with a sleek, contemporary design, Jenny and Ian Voyce have blurred the boundaries between indoors and out
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pared-back deSign Jenny chose hard-wearing digitally printed ceramic floor tiles from Blueprint Ceramics for her extension. the wood-effect style softens the sleek handleless kitchen units and contrasting grey island from leicht, supplied and fitted by Evoke interiors. Appliances, Miele
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tHe oWnerS
Jenny Voyce, who owns a childrenswear company, lives here with husband ian, a programmer, children lily, 13, and Jasmine, 11, and cats Boomer and atticus tHe propertY
a four-bedroom, Victorian terraced house in Battersea, london JennY loVeS
heal’s Pinterest her narrow-frame glazed doors Walking Board games Slow-cooked pulled pork with black beans total proJect coSt
£229,000 dining area Right the Cross extending dining table from Case Furniture can be placed across the full width of the new space when the family has guests. Black slab chairs, tom dixon. the light is bespoke from dyke & dean. the vintage print on the wall was bought in Berlin; for similar, try Ebay
and Ian took their time replacing the dated extension at the rear of their four-bedroom terraced house, so when they finally came to take the plunge, it was crucial to get it just right. ‘We knew we’d need to replace the existing side-return extension at some point as it was looking really dated,’ explains Jenny. ‘We had these grand plans to create a new kitchen extension, but then we had the girls and suddenly they were eight and 10 and we still had the same kitchen!’ It was the large garden that had attracted the couple to the house, but the old ground-floor layout simply didn’t flow or link to the outside space. When the side-return extension had been built, the exterior wall had been left to support the ceiling, dividing the dark kitchen-diner in two. ‘The previous owners used the extension as an office, so the dividing wall made sense, but it didn’t work for us,’ explains Jenny. ‘We wanted a big, open-plan space that was flooded with light.’ Jenny and Ian knew they wanted to work with Granit Architects, a local firm whose designs they had admired over the years. ‘We’d held off for so long that we wanted an architect who would help us create something original and
interesting,’ says Jenny. ‘These buildings are quite narrow so we wanted a design that would create a sense of width.’ Architect Ben Hawkins suggested demolishing the existing side-return extension and then building a new one that would be 60cm further out from the rear of the property. ‘We were initially cautious about grabbing a little bit of the garden as we were mindful of the cost implications,’ adds Jenny. ‘But once we’d seen the plans we knew it was the right thing to do. It meant we could have the kitchen, a dining area and a TV all in the one space.’ The size of the extension meant planning permission was needed, but this was swiftly granted. The couple put the project out to tender with a number of local builders, and costs for each element of the extension were agreed upfront. There were, however, some unexpected additions as the build progressed, including the need for extra insulation when it was discovered there was nothing but earth beneath the floorboards, and a new boiler when the old one packed up during its relocation. The family were keen for there to be lots of light in the kitchen and the design of the roof, with its large skylight above the dining table, was inspired by a former factory ➤ realhomes.com june 2018
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garden link Left slim-frame black steel sliding doors create the perfect indoor-outdoor link Below Pale blue savoy tiles from Johnson tiles add colour to the splashback. Tap, dornbracht
cHooSe tHe Same flooring for indoorS and out to ViSuallY extend Your liVing Space
warehouse opposite their home. ‘Everybody warned us that if we had too much glass the space would get too hot, but we knew that wouldn’t be a problem because the house is shaded for most of the day,’ explains Jenny. The construction work took 17 weeks to complete, with the family setting up a makeshift kitchen in a spare bedroom. They worked with their architect on the overall layout and used Evoke Interiors for the kitchen itself. ‘The original designs had the island facing the other way because that looked best from an architectural point of view,’ recalls Jenny. ‘But once we explained that we wanted to be able to cook and watch the children or chat to guests at the same time, it was moved the other way. It works perfectly for us.’ As it was the first time they’d chosen a new kitchen, Jenny says they played it safe, choosing sleek, white, handleless units that are easy to clean. ‘Originally I wanted green units but Ian is a little more conservative and persuaded me to go with the white,’ she says. ‘I’ve added interest and texture with accessories and furniture, and I’m currently looking for some more chairs for us to sit in when we’re watching TV. It’s such a light, bright sociable space and it was most definitely worth the wait.’ 68
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planS
before
after
WC kitChen kitChen
Dining area garDen
neW laYout replacing and expanding the existing side extension has given the family the open-plan layout they wanted
for stockist information See page 153
SunnY Spot Rooflights from Mcalister Brown open up the space and transform the kitchen into a light-filled room. the units are topped with Corian worktops
coStS & contactS Building work £160,000 glazing £28,000 Kitchen £15,000 Professional fees £14,000 Flooring £9,500 landscaping £2,500 total £229,000 architects granit architects, 020 7924 4555, granit.co.uk builders PsK development, 020 8843 2178, pskdevelopment.co.uk glazing Mcalister Brown, 01843 825573, mcalisterbrown.co.uk kitchen Evoke interiors, 0118 449 2131, evokeinteriorsltd.co.uk Flooring Blueprint Ceramics, 0121 268 3240, blueprintceramics.com realhomes.com june 2018
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Design edit
Glass act Take inspiration from Jenny Voyce and brighten up a neutral kitchen with colourful glassware and bold furniture
the eSSeNtIALS From left: Opera compact surface worktop with velvet touch finish, from £450 per m2, Dekton. Attingham powder blue ceramic tile with gloss finish, £45 per m2, Topps Tiles. Isalenia whitewoodeffect matt vinyl flooring, W200xL300cm, £48, B&Q
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dress this minimalist table up with plenty of pattern and colour
1 Imperia four-light pendant, £89.99, Wayfair 2 Kew botanical prints, £95 for two, Sweetpea & Willow 3 Bobby red glass vase, £45, Pib 4 LSA International amber pleat vase, £50, Black by Design 5 Crux Bake and Blend stand mixer with blender jug, £199.99, Lakeland 6 4861 Oberon chrome mixer tap with C-spout and lever handles, £335.88, Perrin & Rowe 7 Deauville oak dining chair, H84xW46.5xD56.5cm, £159 for two, Made.com 8 Wedgwood Wonderlust bowl in Oriental Jewel, £35, Amara 9 Black slab table, H75xW200xD90cm, £1,600, Tom Dixon
june 2018 realhomes.com
for stockist information see page 153
COMPILeD By ellen finch
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Real Homes bathrooM Makeover
brighter
future
By reusing original fittings, Hilbre and David Peters have updated a dark en suite with a fresh, contemporary scheme
Words and styling Jo Messenger PhotograPhs Fiona Walker-arnott
buying
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The owners
hilbre Peters, an office manager, lives here with her husband, david, an engineer The properTy
a five-bedroom barn conversion near sevenoaks, Kent hilbre loves
Patterned tiles Modern country schemes shopping at amara Watching Ugly House To Lovely House rural life Understated styling Fresh linen ToTAl proJeCT CosT
£22,087
june 2018 realhomes.com
a house from a property developer might mean that everything is clean and new, but the downside is you don’t always get the fixtures and fittings that you would have chosen yourself. That’s the situation Hilbre and David Peters found themselves in when they bought a converted farm building back in 2015. The former agricultural site had been transformed into a stunning property, but internally, some of the spaces, particularly the bathrooms, were just not to the couple’s taste and jarred with the rest of the interiors they were planning. ‘There were elements of our en suite that we liked,’ says Hilbre, ‘but the fully tiled walls made the room feel gloomy and closed in.’
updated scheme
The couple contacted local company burlanes interiors and asked them for ideas on how they could update their bathrooms while still retaining some of the fittings. ‘First, adding underfloor heating was a must,’ says designer Lindsey Durrant, who visited the house and created schemes that were in keeping with its age, style and feel. ‘Hilbre and David also had a real vision for their en suite.’ Lindsey’s team had already turned the main bathroom into a luxurious shower room that Hilbre and David used ➤
sTATemenT look the stunning Cloud cast stone bath by Waters Baths of ashbourne from Burlanes interiors is the centrepiece of the couple’s redesigned en suite. the elaborate patterned Ca’ Pietra Marrakech floor tiles, also from Burlanes interiors, add personality to the monochrome scheme
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spACe enhAnCing adding a mirror on the wall opposite the window reflects light back into the room and makes the overall space feel larger. a slender sapphire floorstanding tap by Clearwater from Burlanes interiors looks elegant and understated in the corner behind the bath
inCreAsed sTorAge Right and middle right the couple reused the existing square Villeroy & Boch basins and taps but replaced the dark wall-hung unit with a new larger tailor-made design and Cosentino lagoon quartz work surface from Burlanes interiors. For a similar mirror, try Wayfair
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aFter
‘this space has a completely different feel now; it’s where i head for a long soak at the end of the day’ in the morning when they were both rushing to get out of the house to work, so Hilbre’s idea was to turn their en suite into more of an evening space where they could relax and unwind. With this brief in mind, Lindsey suggested removing the fussy wall tiles and dark furniture, and replacing them with a softer, more soothing colour palette.
budget saving
‘We agreed to work to the same layout, partly because it worked quite well, but also due to the fact that the central heating manifold is boxed in at the end of the bath and it would be really costly to move it,’ explains Hilbre. To reduce costs further, the couple also looked at what fixtures and fittings in the room could be kept and reused. They liked the square countertop basins and taps, and they felt the toilet and towel radiator were in too good a condition to be discarded. However, they were both keen to swap the fitted bath with a modern freestanding model featuring a softer, more organic shape.
Stylish storage
Lindsey then designed a bespoke hand-built drawer cabinet with a practical quartz work surface to run the length of the room, as well as replacing the dated boxing in at the end of the bath. This created a sleek new surface for the basins as well as providing plenty of storage space for everyday essentials. ‘i also replaced the dark wall tiles, swapping them for classic wall panelling at a height to suit the dimensions of the room,’ she explains. The project took around five weeks to complete with Hilbre choosing a decorative patterned floor in a soft monochrome colourway as the finishing touch to her new room scheme. ‘it really pulls the whole look together,’ she says. ‘This space has a completely different feel now and it’s where i head for a long soak at the end the day.’
beFore
mATeriAl mix Above left the painted panelling is more sophisticated than regular tongue and groove cladding. open shelves with country-style baskets add interest and break up the run of units; for similar, try the Basket Company
CosTs & ConTACTs installation £10,200 Cabinetry, panelling and concealed cistern £5,746 Worktops £2,400 Bath £2,195 Floor tiles £996 Brassware £550 total £22,087 Design and installation, Burlanes interiors, 01732 605001, burlanes.com
previous dÉCor Left the bathroom that came with hilbre and david’s home was new but just wasn’t to their style, however they were able to reuse some of the fittings for stockist information see page 153
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Design edit
Beautiful baths
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1 Origine single Iso-Enamel bath, H60xW64xL162cm, £2,299, The Albion Bath Company 2 Boat bath with aluminium plinth, H71xW75xL170cm, £2,293, Ripples 3 Charlotte Edwards Titan black freestanding bath, H68.5xW79.5xL174.5cm, £2,199, Drench 4 Astonian Hanover cast-iron bath, H69xW81xL170cm, £1,609, Aston Matthews 5 The Bath Co. Camberley freestanding bath in Storm, H57xW72xL150cm, £749, Victoria Plum 6 Camden cast-iron bath in taupe, H69.5xW68xL170cm, £4,162, CP Hart 7 Solid surface Jura bath, H65xW69xL160cm, £1,775, Pure Bathroom Collection 8 Hylton copper-effect bath, H75xW73xL173cm, £2,250, Heritage Bathrooms 9 Avantgarde bath with chrome claw feet, H63xW75xL170cm, £1,258, Burlington Bathrooms 10 Knightsbridge freestanding bath, H70xW74xL170cm, £2,750, Frontline Bathrooms 11 Soho freestanding bath with surround panel, H59xW75xL170cm, £269, Bathstore 12 Duke blue roll-top bath with chrome claw legs, H62xW75.5xL169.5cm, £539.95, Victorian Plumbing
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COMPILED By amelia smith
Be inspired by Hilbre and David Peters’ bathroom and make a focal point with a freestanding design
for stockist information see page 153
Real Homes
gardens Embrace the outdoors with our brilliant ideas for everything from bold furniture and vibrant accessories to outside retreats furnish with flowers Cultivate a home-meets-horticulture style by upcycling old drawers with weatherproof paints – this original planter is perfect for an outdoor room. Line the inside of the drawer with plastic to protect it and put holes in for drainage, then fill with your favourite flora. Chest of drawers painted in 10-Year exterior gloss in Hot Mustard; Iron chair and small crate painted in 10-Year exterior satin in Bay Tree, both from £17.99 for 750ml, Sandtex. Cladding painted in Non Drop woodstain in Ebony, from £36.99 for 2.5ltrs, Sadolin
Purple Pansy Garden Shades, £28.13 for 2.5ltrs, Cuprinol
Hansel and Gretel exterior masonry paint, £65 for 5ltrs, Fired Earth
Lolly Pop wood & metal gloss paint, £28 for 1ltr, Mylands
Mini trend
Palette that pops It’s not just plants that will be blooming with colour this summer. Paint vibrant hues on your fences, furniture, containers and even summer houses for a bold, contemporary look
Lagoon Splash, Johnstone’s Garden Colour, £7.50 for 1ltr, Homebase
Boxington masonry paint, £65 for 5ltrs, Little Greene
India Yellow exterior eggshell, £27 for 750ml, Farrow & Ball
for stockist information see page 153
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WORDS EllEn Finch PHOTOGRAPHS MariannE MajErus
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Real Homes GarDEn MakEovEr
Urban natUre A desire for a low-maintenance garden led Guillaume and Sylvie Huteau to create a colourful outdoor space for all seasons
June 2018 realhomes.com
al fresco living The existing kitchen extension looks out onto a patio area with Jura Beige Egyptian limestone paving. The dining set is from Peter Jones. The planting, supplied by Garden Club London, includes Star Jasmine, which lines the cedar fencing, and borders of tulips, hydrangeas, white anemones and Japanese forest grass. Boxy Japanese holly hedging adds depth and texture to the scheme realhomes.com June 2018
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H the owner
Guillaume Huteau, a finance worker, lives here with his wife Sylvie, a primary school teacher, and their children Matthieu, 21, Nicolas, 20, Emma, 16, and Pierre, 15 the property
A five-bedroom Edwardian detached house in Clapham, London gUillaUme and sylvie love
Their cherry tree Harrods Pink and orange BBC’s The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes Indian Ocean Sweet osmanthus Urban contemporary style total project cost
£41,500
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ow do you adapt your garden to the city? That’s the question Guillaume Huteau and his wife, Sylvie, faced when they decided to transform the outdoor space of their Clapham home. With little time or inclination to tend to high-maintenance plants, the garden had fallen into neglect, and the sandpit that their children once played in now lay abandoned. Guillaume openly admits to not being a natural gardener, but the couple craved an outdoor haven away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. ‘We realised we could really enhance the value of the house and our quality of life if we did something with it,’ Guillaume says. He and Sylvie hired Tony Woods of Garden Club London on friends’ recommendations. The couple left Tony to produce his own designs, but the idea was that he create an extension of the large kitchen-diner – an outdoor living space that would be low-maintenance, too. It was the latter part of the brief that led Tony to recommend artificial grass. ‘Initially, we were worried it would be nothing like the real thing, but we were pleasantly surprised,’ Guillaume recalls. ‘It’s actually very comfortable to walk on: it feels like a carpet. It’s something anyone with a small urban garden should consider.’ The couple financed the project with their savings, although they admit they underestimated the scale of the work involved. Replacing the existing patio and terrace with new paving took time, and the complex shape of the decking proved difficult to install. Tony also made some additional suggestions that Guillaume and Sylvie were happy to spend a little extra money on, like the fireplace built into the wall, which creates an outdoor lounge area for the family to enjoy. When tasked with choosing plants for the new garden, Tony strove to create a space that looks stunning all year round. ‘The colour of the garden changes,’ Guillaume explains. ‘Every month brings a new
featUreless space The old garden was being neglected, used for neither play nor entertaining
BEForE
set of tones; every month there’s a new plant that captures the focus of the garden because it grows at a time when others decline. There is always something happening.’ Guillaume’s favourite pick is the osmanthus frangrans or sweet osmanthus, a tree well known for its beautiful scent. ‘At night, the lighting and shadows between the trunks creates a really nice effect,’ Guillaume reveals. ‘They’re evergreens. They’re young at the moment but I suspect we’ll see flowers at some point. They make the garden look very interesting.’ Overall, the changes have exceeded the family’s expectations. ‘When the French windows in the kitchen are completely open, they give you unrestricted access to the garden, and it feels like a very big living room,’ Guillaume says. ‘A garden can be a great source for quality of life, and I realise we were neglecting ours before. Now we’ve made the investment, we make much better use of it than we used to.’
costs & contacts Paving £12,000 Fencing and trellis £10,000 Decking £6,500 Plants and planting £5,000 Lighting and fittings £5,000 Artificial grass £3,000 TOTAL £41,500 Designer Garden Club London, 020 3126 4994, gardenclublondon.co.uk Decking and paving Acatilia, 07518 915914, acatilia.co.uk
for stockist information sEE paGE 153
space for all seasons A large lawn area created from Enigma grass by Namgrass leads to the raised iroko decking, custom-made by Acatilia. It is framed by a large cherry tree retained from the old garden. Sweet osmanthus plants create a scented border around the space. The existing wall has been painted in Farrow & Ball’s Railings. The XL900 ethanol burner is from EcoSmart Fire. Garden furniture by Indian Ocean and pink cushions from Peter Jones complete the minimalist look
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Design edit
Summer brights Add some cheer to your garden this summer with outdoor buys in hot, zingy shades 3 1 2
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1 Matte orange finish pierced metal lantern, £36.50, Ian Snow 2 Olli Ella yellow Piki basket, £25, Bobby Rabbit 3 Tweedmill Polo rainbow grey stripe picnic rug with waterproof backing, £69.95, Black By Design 4 Solvinden LED orange and blue pendant light, H39xDia.55cm, £45, Ikea 5 Inle rattan tray in blue, £42, Kalinko 6 Links pouffe in fuchsia, H60xDia.50cm, £195, Nisi Living 7 Boho large paper cup in orange, £4.50 for 12, Talking Tables 8 Uma Gokhale Biome deck chair, H105.5xW59.8xD98cm, £150, Artwow 9 Standing tall metal planter, H52xW20xD20cm, £16, Sainsbury’s Home 10 Salsa steel and rattan two-seater garden sofa in Saffron, H81.5xW117xD67.2cm, £120, John Lewis 11 Sunset Carnival umbrella, H150xDia.170cm, £45, SunnyLife 12 Leon pink and orange metal planter, H12.5xW45xD11.5cm, £20, Habitat
for stockist information see page 153
realhomes.com June 2018
COMPILED By sophie warren smith
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Design edit
Garden armchairs There’s nothing better than chilling outside on a lovely sunny day, so why not sit back in one of these stylish designs? 1
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1 Jambi multicoloured chair, H83xW84xD99cm, £195, Habitat 2 Woburn rocking chair with vintage-look brushed wood frame and rattan seat, H100xW58xD89cm, £249, Wyevale Garden Centres 3 Läckö rattan armchair in grey with seat pad, H96xW75xD66cm, £75, Ikea 4 Tice powder-coated rocker in chartreuse, H81xW54xD88cm, £79, Made.com 5 Iris outdoor armchair in black, white and red woven polyethylene, H79xW86xD81cm, £680, Chaplins Furniture 6 Carrabelle wire lounge chair in Dusty Rose, H71xW68xD59cm, £185, Out There Interiors 7 Paris stacking armchair in Ice White moulded resin, H89xW61xD63cm, £149, Bridgman 8 Express Capri rattan armchair in white, H76.4xW80.7xD71.8cm, £179, Marks & Spencer 9 Edie polypropylene armchair in ginger, H81xW55xD53cm, £75, Danetti
for stockist information see page 153
realhomes.com June 2018
COMPILED By sophie warren smith
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Real Homes advice
Ultimate gUide to
garden rooms
feaTure ellen finch
This modern modular garden room is fully insulated and built from Scots Pine timber. The Hub Studio, Crane Garden Buildings, H2.3xW3.6xD3m, ÂŁ12,499, John Lewis
Whether you want a home office, a playroom or a cinema snug, an outdoor room could be the answer realhomes.com JUNE 2018
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Wall-to-wall glazing and bi-fold doors make this garden room the ideal place to sit and watch the world go by. Malvern Charford garden office, H2.5xW3xD2.4m, from £22,396, GBC Group
a
s summer creeps in and we look forward to spending time in our gardens, thoughts inevitably turn to what we can do to improve our outdoor space. Garden rooms provide the opportunity to expand your living area and create an escape from the day-to-day stresses associated with home life – whether it’s the fridge that needs restocking, the creaking hinge that needs fixing, or any of the other tasks on your lengthy to-do list. The beauty of a garden room is you can make it work for whatever you have in mind. A home office feels far more relaxing when it’s surrounded by natural scenery; a studio set in the outdoors means that those who are creative can draw endless inspiration from wildlife. A young family might want a space for a playroom that can later be used as a teenager’s study, while a film buff might dream of a cinema room complete with widescreen TV and comfy sofas. Whatever your aspiration, a garden room provides you with the space to fulfil it – and, crucially, without the same stress and expense that comes from extending your home.
Shepherd huts work particularly well with period properties. This W2.1xD4.2m model cost around £25,000 from roundhill Shepherd Huts
Planning your GArden room
First of all, plan where you’re going to place your garden room. mark out the sunniest spots outside and make sure to avoid those – you don’t want your only opportunity to sunbathe to be wiped out by an outbuilding. Choose a shaded area, preferably somewhere that plants find it hard to grow. You might find that the perfect spot is where your existing shed stands. Luckily, there are ways to get around this: some garden rooms can include a space to the side to store the tools and appliances, like lawnmowers, normally kept in the shed. ‘Locate the building where it will add character and value to your existing property – don’t swamp your garden with a building that will become intrusive to you or your neighbours,’ advises Charlie dalton, founder of Smart Garden offices ➤
Situated at the end of the garden, this build is the perfect after-work escape. H2.5xW6.8xD3.6m, £27,000 including VaT, eden Garden rooms realhomes.com JUNE 2018
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and Zedbox. Consider what the building is going to look like from your house: the most attractive part of the garden room should face your windows for the best possible views. A garden room is also a great way to add privacy to your space or hide unattractive buildings out of sight.
BesPoke or modular?
deciding whether to choose a bespoke or modular garden room depends on your budget and your requirements. A modular garden room is supplied as a ‘kit’, with ready-to-go walls that can be installed at home. You’ll have some room for creativity, with basic elements of customisation and add-ons like window and door options, insulation and storage areas. Quirky designs, such as shepherd huts, are also becoming increasingly popular. If you’re a keen dIYer, you can choose a supply-only package, but most companies offer installation to make things easier for you. You’ll also need help with the foundations for it: levelling and constructing the base is a major job, so you should think about hiring a builder or asking the company if they offer a build service. Alternatively, you can hire an architect or architectural designer to tailor a garden room to your requirements. Bespoke options afford you much more freedom over the design, which is ideal for awkward plots that don’t suit the set shapes and sizes of modular builds. You’ll have more control over the exterior materials used in its construction, as well as any extras you’d like to add in. In most cases, you’ll also need to hire a builder, and the overall cost can be significantly more than modular packages. Some modular garden rooms cost as little as £2,000, although typically they will cost between £9,000 and £20,000, with prices stretching as far as £30,000. ➤
a bespoke build like this one from Smart Garden Offices provides a neat, multipurpose living space. Duo ultra garden room, H2.5xW3.2xD3.2m, £15,522, Smart Garden Offices
a small garden room makes the perfect space for an art studio. H2.5xW2.5xD2.5m, £9,995 including base, installation and VaT, Garden Studio
do yoU need Planning Permission? outbuildings are considered permitted development (Pd), so your garden room won’t require planning permission. But, you will need to follow some guidelines: › Your garden room must be single storey with a maximum eaves
height of 2.5m and a maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof, or three metres for any other roof. › The building should take up no more than half the area of land around the original house.
› Separate, self-contained living accommodation is not allowed. › Balconies and verandas are not permitted, but you can build a raised platform up to a height of 30cm. › For more information and advice, visit planningportal.co.uk.
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Bespoke buildings vary further and depend on size, price and the company that’s designing them, but you can generally expect to be looking at a price between £800 and £1,600 per square metre.
getting the design right
Before you start planning your garden room, make sure you’ve considered the practicalities. You’ll need insulation, heating, electrics and lighting; you might need WiFi access, too. Storage space is always useful, especially if you’re getting rid of your shed, so speak to the designer or company helping you with your project about what your requirements are. The Pd restrictions that we’ve already outlined will govern how big your garden room can be, but the best way to see how it fits within your plot of land is to mark out the boundaries with string and live with it for a few days. not only will you be able to better envisage how it will look, but you can also check how easy it will be to navigate around the area, and whether children or pets, if you have them, will still have ample space to run around outside.
extra hidden storage space to the side of your garden room is ideal for storing items from your shed. H2.5xW5xD3.6m, £24,000, Office in my Garden
With full insulation and doubleglazed windows, this garden room is perfect for year-round use. H2.5xW5xD3m, £9,219.99 including VaT, Waltons
exterior materials
most garden rooms have tongue-andgroove exterior wall cladding, which can be pre-treated or stained to suit your colour scheme. Generally, cladding works well with any build, especially those that will be used year-round. If you want something that matches your existing house’s brickwork, consider a brick- or block-built style – but bear in mind this will come at a higher price. ‘You may want to consider whether you want your garden room to be in line with the look of your main home, or whether you want to build a contrasting, unique space,’ says Jude Tugman, managing director at Architect Your Home. ‘Traditional timber garden rooms blend well with most properties, but if your home has an antiquated feel, don’t be afraid to break the mould – glass structures look particularly striking set against a vintage home.’ Think about how your garden room will look from any first floor windows, too. Could a green roof be a good option? Covering your build with a layer of plants is a great way to replace lost garden space and 94
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raised paving elevates this garden room and defines the space around it. Light grey Mahina paving, £30-£35 per m2, Bradstone
encourage wildlife. Choose lowmaintenance plants or opt for a meadow mix, which flowers in the summer and only needs cutting once the plants have gone to seed in the autumn. While permitted development doesn’t extend to balconies and verandas, decking and terraces can provide a professional finish to your garden room and extend the indoor-outdoor link. As well as helping the building blend seamlessly into its surroundings, they provide an even surface for any garden room built on a slope.
WindoW and door oPtions
Timber-clad garden rooms make an excellent addition to any garden, blending seamlessly into the surroundings. Inspiration garden room, H2.5xW4xD5m, £17,995 including base, installation and VaT, Green retreats
Wall-to-wall glazing is a popular choice among people who want a contemporary look for their new build, but if you’re planning a room that needs sufficient wall space – whether it’s for a cinema screen or ample storage in a home office – you’ll need to plan in advance. ‘Including bi-fold doors will create an unrestricted connection between the inside and out, allowing the room to be merged with the garden and surroundings seamlessly and elegantly,’ says neil Ginger, Ceo at origin. ‘If you opt for bi-fold doors, aluminium will allow you to have very narrow frames and sightlines to let in maximum levels of daylight. Aluminium is also versatile and strong enough to easily accommodate complex layouts, such as moving corner posts and bay set-ups, making it a great choice for garden rooms. ‘Because garden rooms are disconnected from the home, heating can be a concern, so opt for doors and windows with the best possible U-value,’ neil continues. ‘Choosing doors and windows with a low Uvalue, and therefore the best thermal performance, will ensure your garden room looks great and is able to be used all year round.’
maintenance
an oak-framed garden room like this W14.3xD7.4m model offers an attractive alternative to modern glazing. from £60,000, Prime Oak
For STockiST inFormaTion see Page 153
Generally, garden builds are solidly constructed, like houses, and don’t require much maintenance beyond the odd fresh coat of paint or timber preservative on the exterior. Instead, a low-maintenance outbuilding is created at the design stage – ensuring the base of the building allows for air flow to prevent it from damp, rot and decay. realhomes.com JUNE 2018
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Real Homes advertorial
Above If space to escape and time to relax is at the forefront of your mind, then let the stunning Solo Belle inspire you. The ultimate chic retreat combined with the intelligence of the Smart Garden Office construction, it is an escape to kick back in, or, with its stylish interior and spacious footprint, the perfect place to entertain. As with all Smart Garden Offices and studios, this beautiful build includes: › The full Smart service, including a free site consultation, free planning application service, groundworks, electrics and installation › Free double glazing › A choice of flooring, interior and exterior finishes and colours › High-specification insulation, making the office perfect for use all year round › A five-year warranty
A spAce to relAx Create a welcoming room outside that’s perfect to unwind in with Smart Garden Offices
G
arden rooms can be used in many ways – from offices to hobby rooms to playrooms or just an extra living room, they are an ideal way to create more space without the cost and time of an extension. Smart Garden Offices has an exciting and eclectic collection which can have a huge impact, not only on your garden but on your whole lifestyle.
Smart Garden Offices offers a free catalogue and no-obligation site consultation, so you can discuss your dream space with the team. And now Real Homes is offering you a free flooring upgrade with your order. Simply use the code SMARTHOMES when buying through smartgardenoffices.co.uk before 7 June. Visit the website or call 0800 242 5559 for a catalogue.
Left This Smart Garden Office Duo Ultra has been designed to create a peaceful treatment room, allowing its therapist owner to work from home. Surrounded by nature, it is a tranquil spa-like space that offers clients complete security and privacy. With wipe-clean surfaces and walls, plenty of natural light and warmth and comfort all year round, the Duo Ultra has allowed its proud owner to wave goodbye to hefty business rents and take full control over the style and look of their treatment room
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THE OWNERS
wORDS Debbie Jeffery phOtOgRaphS marc wilmot
Jane peace and husband Martin, who works for a flooring company, live here. they have four children: Nick, 31, Sophie, 28, and twins Emma and Chloe, 18
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THE PROPERTY
a garden room in the grounds of a dormer bungalow in Derbyshire JANE AND MARTIN LOVE:
the view from their terrace Relaxing in the hot tub Entertaining in the garden Their pallet and scaffoldplank bar Shopping at wayfair Dulux Timeless Classics Bowler Hat emulsion TOTAL PROJECT COST
£41,100
June 2018 realhomes.com
GARDeN RETREAT Jane and Martin Peace have replaced their dilapidated garage with a luxurious garden room, complete with a sauna and bar
We
only used our old precast concrete garage for storage, so decided to replace it with a gym – but the idea grew and we ended up with a much more ambitious garden room,’ says Jane Peace. Having already updated their 1960s dormer bungalow, Jane and her husband, Martin, then turned their attention to the two-acre garden. Replacing the old garage with a large, stand-alone timber structure would give them a self-contained building with an open-plan living area and bar, separate sauna and terrace with a hot tub. ‘We already knew of Whitshaw Builders, and had been impressed by their other projects in the area,’ says Martin. ‘They recommended Coda Studios to design our garden ➤
WARM WOOD Below Local company whitshaw Builders constructed the garden room, which is clad in cedar boarding that’s been treated to maintain its colour. Left the bespoke structure includes a small sauna
CREATIVELY fuRNISHED Left the builders sourced old pallets and scaffolding planks to build the bar. Bar stools, wayfair. Florence vinyl plank flooring, Distinctive Flooring. grey garden furniture, asda; for similar, try the Borneo Conversation sofa set
‘we have a great space for relaxing and entertaining, which takes in the view and looks amazing lit up’ realhomes.com June 2018
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STuNNING OuTLOOk a 200m2 terrace was laid outside using Indian flagstones from howarth timber. aluminium windows and threemetre-wide bi-fold doors, Express Bi-folding Doors. Hot tub supplied and installed by premier Spas
COSTS & CONTACTS after
building, which has a mono-pitch roof with bi-fold doors across the front. Two corner windows at either end with glass-to-glass joints mean we can enjoy panoramic views.’ The three-month build started in November 2016, when the garage was demolished and a new concrete base installed. Undergrowth was also cleared which further opened up the outlook across surrounding fields. ‘Building during the winter meant there was a lot of dirt and mud,’ says Jane, ‘but everything was immaculate when the builders had finished.’ The bespoke timber-framed structure was clad in treated cedar boarding with aluminium-framed glazing. Water and electricity were brought from the main house so there could be lighting and underfloor heating, plus a sink and fridge in the bar area. An infrared sauna has also been fitted, with a large hot tub on the newly laid stone terrace. ‘We’ve not needed the heating yet as the building is so well insulated,’ says Jane. ‘The flooring looks like wooden boards but is vinyl, which is warmer and easy to keep clean.’ Martin designed the interior, choosing dark grey wall paint and simple rustic finishes. ‘Our twin daughters still live at home, and as the only man in the house, I wanted a bit of a man-cave where I could escape to watch sport,’ he says. ‘Now we have a great space for relaxing and entertaining, which takes in the view and looks amazing lit up at night.’
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Structure and labour £19,500 patio stone £6,500 Bi-folds and windows £5,500 Bar £5,500 Sauna £1,800 Vinyl plank flooring £1,500 Lighting £800 tOtaL £41,100 Design Coda Studios, 0114 279 6003, codastudios.co.uk build whitshaw Builders, 0114 345 0083, whitshawbuilders.co.uk
OLD GARAGE Below a concrete garage and brick and timber pergola previously stood on the site, and were demolished to make way for the new garden room. this was built as permitted development without the need for planning permission
before
for stockist information see page 153
Dream transformation
Upside down Architect Adam Benns explains how he transformed a neglected cottage into a stunning beach home
P
DATED COTTAGE Above right The 1930s cottage was run-down and unloved, but the owners were charmed by the estuary views and decided to take on the project
open-plan space with large glazed windows across the front of the property. Lastly, we sought to maximise space inside and out to make the most of the generous plot. We designed the renovated property as an upside-down house, with the kitchen, dining and living areas opened up to the estuary views with floor-to-ceiling glazing and a balcony. By extending the ground floor, we created two extra rooms that now house two of the property’s bedrooms, while a studio room on the lower-ground floor provides the owners with a space to practise their hobbies away from the main house. After nine months of work, the owners have a home and a view that they can enjoy all year round.
Architects: BBH Architects, 01803 834076, bbharchitects.co.uk Number of bedrooms: Four Total project cost: £400,000 including VAT 102
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BEACH READY Right, top right and above right By renovating the cottage, BBH Architects has created a summer home that’s fit for the view it overlooks. Cladding by Marley Eternit and windows and doors from Harmony Profiles give the house a modern finish
Words EllEn finch PHoTogrAPHs thE rEally Good mEdia company
erched on a hill overlooking the estuary, this four-bed beach house in Salcombe, Devon is the perfect holiday home. When the owners purchased the property, it was a three-bedroom, 1930s cottage that was unloved and in need of a makeover. The house was dated inside and out, the structure was unsound, and the design failed to get the best out of the large plot of land it sat on. On beginning the project, we had three key tasks. First, we needed to fix the structure of the building including physical defects like falling tiles. The views were what attracted the owners to their house when they bought it, so we wanted to take advantage of them by creating an
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Dream transformation
INSPIRING DESIGN Architect George Bradley created a bright, wheelchairfriendly space for the owners of this south London home
T
CRAMPED SPACE Above right A restricted layout, obstructive conservatory and no wheelchair access to the garden meant that this house was a poor fit for the owners’ needs
that previously cluttered the dining room, freeing up more valuable space for the family to enjoy. Large sliding glass doors at the rear open up the house to the new ground-level terrace, with a platform lift for wheelchair access to the garden. Replacing the existing conservatory with a full-width terrace has brought the property up to date, while clean painted walls give the bespoke stepped flower beds a contemporary backdrop. The owners’ new home reflects their love of design, with bright open spaces and plenty of colour. We hope we’ve created a warm and inspiring environment that will see the family through many happy years to come.
Architects: Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects, 07800 640456, b-vds.co.uk Number of bedrooms: Three Total project cost: £90,000 excluding VAT 104
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DRAMATIC MAKEOVER Right, above right and top right Removing the conservatory and creating easy links to the terrace with large sliding doors from Fenster means the owners can enjoy the garden with their son. Bespoke storage and bold paint colours add a modern touch to the interior spaces. Rooflights, The Roof Maker
WoRds EllEn finch PhoTogRAPhs spun Gold tV
his post-war property in Greenwich, London was a unique project for us. The owners’ son has cerebral palsy and the cramped layout and narrow corridors made it difficult for him to move around in his wheelchair. We were tasked with creating an accommodating openplan space, as well as improving wheelchair access to the garden. First, we removed the obstructive interior walls and doors that made the corridors narrow. We extended to the side of the property to create a large kitchen area, which is flooded with light from a large roof window. Fitted shelving and plenty of bespoke storage means that the owners can pack away the medical equipment
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Ask the designer
How can I modernise and make use of an old extension? Every month we ask you to send in your problem projects, and invite talented architects and designers to offer up possible solutions Gabrielle Omar is an architect, director of Sp_t This Space, which offers specialist interior design services, founder of Tea with an Architect, and a former candidate on BBC’s The Apprentice. Spotthisspace.com
the Brief: Anne Shaw needs help in working out how to marry up an old extension with the rest of the house. In her period semi-detached in the West Midlands, an additional sitting room has been created beyond the kitchen, possibly out of existing outhouses. There is a step down to it and two different ceiling heights in this extra room. A glass door to the left leads to a downstairs toilet and a shower, then to a side door. At the end of the room is a French door to the terrace. Her dilemma is how to update the whole space, and unify it with the kitchen, creating an attractive kitchen-diner with views to the garden. the solution: I feel the downstairs could do with a rethink when it comes to room usage. 106
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I would suggest that the dining room, which currently sits at the centre of the house, be swapped with the sitting room at the back. This makes sense as the kitchen would then feed straight into the place where people will eat. In the summer this flow would extend to the garden – perfect for family barbecues. The internal partition between the kitchen and the new dining room should be removed. An architect or structural engineer would be able to confirm if this wall is load-bearing; in which case a structural beam may need to take its place. I have also suggested that the door leading to the stepped down kitchen is made into double doors, with glazed elements to them, so that when you enter the hallway, you can see straight through to the back of the house and the garden. A further addition would be to turn the step down to the kitchen into a feature, by making it oversized and matching the same timber material as the architrave of the double doors. If the budget is tight, it would make sense to keep the WC and shower area as they are. By doing this but removing the central wall, it lends itself to having a breakfast bar as well as a dining area. A second, more expensive, option would be to
demolish the existing wall that separates the WC and shower from the rest of the third sitting room. This would help widen the back of the house to become a much bigger and brighter space. If the WC and shower are still required on the ground floor, they could be reinstated in a more compact way in a corner of the space. This brings me on to the rather small door and window at the back of the house. If you are going to open up the ground floor to obtain a more free-flowing space, why not attempt to lengthen it even further into the garden. By having bi-fold doors, you are able to help bring some muchneeded light into the long groundfloor space. As a guide, a bespoke aluminium design would cost from £1,200 per door leaf or roughly £1,400 to £1,800 per metre. If Anne chose to move the WC and shower, the bi-fold doors could run the full width of the rear, letting in even more light. Both flooring and furniture lines on the ground floor can help with the sense of flow. Having timber flooring which runs from the front to the back of the house, will guide the eye from the front door right through to the garden. Having slimmer kitchen worktops or thinner shelves will also enhance this effect, drawing the focus right through the space.
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Real Homes inspiration
Colour
blocking
wORDS karen wilson phOtOgRaphS katie lee
Take your paint choices to new levels with the latest two-tone trend and create your own statement scheme
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ith the 70s revival in full swing, colour blocking is back, and in a bold way. The art of pairing solid shades together is often seen in fashion, but it’s now found its way into interiors. We’re seeing this graphic look remixed onto walls, floors and in home accessories. With so many combinations and shapes to try, we’ve rounded up some unique ideas to get you mixing and unmatching with aplomb.
June 2018 realhomes.com
on-trend mix this colour combination is on our current lust list. Something about mixing tropical greens with cool pinks just works, giving a refreshing feel. Use low-tack decorator’s tape, like Frogtape, for a crisp line between colours. Enhance the effect by painting furniture in the lighter of the two shades. wall paint in amsterdam green, £39.95 for 2.5ltrs; chalk paint in antoinette, £18.95 per ltr, both annie Sloan
Global inspiration Enliven walls with some clashing tones! Not for the faint hearted, this look is punchy and bright. take your cues from far-flung destinations and go for deep, vibrant tones. Recreate the look by painting sections of the wall freehand, leaving the edges rough and unfinished for a relaxed effect. peek-a-boo Blue and Scrumptious Feature wall paint matt emulsions, both £13.50 for 1.25ltrs; Shocking pink Coloured Emulsion in matt, silk or mid sheen, £16.50 for 2.5ltrs, Crown ➤
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not just walls Matching the floor colour to the walls creates a statement look. painting the lower third of the wall in the bright colour with a neutral shade above helps prevent this scheme becoming overbearing. highlight your woodwork by continuing the colour across architraves and doors in a seamless band. Use a laser level to ensure you get a horizontal line, – try the Bosch gCL 2000 from Screwfix.
true Colours UNI 574 vinyl flooring, £22.99 per m2; Noble geometric mint rug, from £48.99, both Carpetright. For similar paint, try Dance hall period collection flat matt, £21.50 for 2.5ltrs, Crown
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create focus Instead of using an oversized piece of art for your wall, create an area of interest by painting a section of wall behind a favourite piece of furniture. Increase its impact by painting a darker outer area then a slightly lighter shade inside to ‘frame’ the paint effect. air Force Blue 260 (outer stripe); Carys 148 (middle stripe); Light gold 53 (inner stripe), all absolute matt emulsion, £42 for 2.5ltrs, Little greene
mix & max For a daring décor choice, combine unexpected colours and shapes to give a real punch to your walls. Using sharp lines to mark areas out, you can keep to a similar tone palette then add a surprise splash of colour. Mixing square blocks with geometric triangles only amplifies the effect. Barbican colour block wall mural, £36 per m2, Murals wallpaper ➤
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Encourage your little explorers by using large triangle shapes to make mountain ranges as a backdrop to their room scheme. For this look, try using a dark paint against a paler background. For a similar effect, get crafty with wall decals and stickers – Etsy have a good selection.
Statement ceilings are officially a thing. Reimagining your space as having five walls rather than four can bring a whole new dimension to decorating. patterns and textures are being used along with muted tones, but we love the impact of having a strong paint colour overhead.
Mid Sleeper with drawers, bookcase and roll out desk, £850, Little Folks Furniture. For similar grey paint, try Down pipe modern emulsion, £45 for 2.5ltrs, Farrow & Ball
walls painted in Stoneware with andes Summit on the trim and tomato tango on the ceiling, all aura Bath & Spa matte, £27.50 for 940ml, Benjamin Moore
June 2018 realhomes.com
pared-bacK pastels adding panelling in the bedroom is a great way to add interest and makes an ideal canvas for some artistic self expression, with small sections painted in one or two bold colours. try primed Shaker wall panelling from howdens as a backdrop to your tonal masterpiece. alana fabric shell back chair in dusty pink, h79xw52x D64cm, £129.99; Collection round glass top copper-plated coffee table, h40xDia.82.5cm, £119.99; Summer house reactive vases, £29.99 for two; heart of house velveteen blush cushion, £11.99; Condor bed, h110xw148xL207cm, £239.99; Light shade, £39.99; hM Sanna stripe bedlinen, from £14.99; desk lamp, £12.99, all argos ➤
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in tHe frame Make a feature of your windows by edging them in a vibrant shade. this look can work with any colour offset against your walls – but you can afford to go bold and really make them pop. Use a fine-headed brush for precise painting.
Shop the look Add some colour-blocked accessories to update your scheme in an instant
Valspar premium Blend v700 walls & ceilings range in Eclectic green (front wall), picturesque (back wall) and tropic heart (window frame), £25.20 for 2.5ltrs, B&Q harlequin three-drawer chest, in painted glass with polished brass, h86xw86xD46cm, £2,950, Jonathan adler
Lugosi cylinder vase in grey, blue and pink, £20, habitat
green & pink colour block velvet cushion, from £35, Oh what’s this
poet Luxor mulberry two-tone armchair, h88x w82xD79cm, £299.99, MY Furniture
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for stockist information see page 153
Real Homes advice
Kitchens under
£5,000
Kallarp high-gloss light green doors, H60xw60cm, £29; Osternas tanned leather handles, £10 for pack of two; Saljan black mineraleffect worktop, H3.8xw186xD63.5cm, £40; Odger chair, H81xw45xD51cm, £65, all Ikea
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Looking for a stylish kitchen on a budget? It’s possible to achieve your dream scheme without spending a fortune. Here are our tips and ideas for getting a quality look for less
Go DIY Why not build your own kitchen and save on labour costs? There are lots of flatpack choices, and help is available to create your own bespoke scheme. Companies like Ikea, Wickes and Wren offer design services and tools, so you can plan everything out and try different looks, styles, finishes and colours to see what suits your space,
and there are step-by-step assembly guides. Price estimators can help you gauge costs accurately and decide where to spend and where to save. Take advantage of online ‘how-to’ guides, such as those at Realhomes.com, with advice on tackling jobs like tiling and painting to get a professional finish. ➤
wORDS amelia smith
Infinity Shaker kitchen in cream, £3,207 for units pictured, wren
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TAP In use every day, you want one which will not only look good, but will last. Consider size, shape and water pressure for a perfect fit.
Grenada kitchen, from £3,000 for the units only, Lifestyle Kitchens
FixiNgS A quality fixing will be long lasting and allow ease of use. Even if you choose inexpensive cabinets, good fixings can make a huge difference. WorkToPS A natural focal point, they need to be hardwearing. Avoid cheap laminates as they can chip and damage easily. Invest in the best you can afford. Quality laminates can look convincingly like stone and composite. Timber is warm and stylish but requires maintenance. For a statement in an urbanstyle kitchen, consider stainless steel.
SPEND VS SAVE APPliANcES If you’re changing your fridge-freezer, washing machine or cooker, take advantage of holiday sales and outlet stores for specific brands like Miele, Hotpoint or whirlpool. It could be worth a trip to save £100s on your white goods, oven and hob.
Alpine oak kitchen, £369 per 60cm base unit, or £2,099 for the units and worktops as shown, Magnet
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MIx ‘n’ Match To get a look you love while sticking to your budget, don’t be afraid to mix and match expensive and more affordable materials. Save pricier buys for areas that are on display and make a feature of them. If you’ve got an island, you could choose a high quality and striking worktop for it and pick a less-expensive worktop for the other units. Combining a fitted or flatpack kitchen with more unusual and personal freestanding pieces can avoid it looking mass-produced. A statement larder will
give your kitchen a bespoke feel, without the price tag. You could even paint and repurpose a sideboard or table from another room for a characterful touch. If you’ve found a tile you love but it will be too expensive to use for the whole kitchen, limit it to a high-profile area, like a splashback, and complement or contrast with a cheaper tile in the rest of the room. Mix and match closed and open storage, too. Open shelving is often less expensive and you can make a display of favourite ceramics, cook books or jars. ➤
kiTchEN SiNk A stainless-steel sink is hard-wearing, easy to clean, resistant to high temperatures, and costeffective. But be wary of choosing the cheapest steel option as this may scratch and dent easily. TilES Shop around for the best price. Your tiles won’t be exposed to as much wear and tear as your flooring or worktops, so a budget-friendly ceramic can be just as good as pricey porcelain or cement options. Experiment with unusual arrangements; try laying great-value metro tiles in a herringbone pattern and fill with an on-trend coloured grout – simple but effective.
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If you are using a builder or tradesperson to install your kitchen, it’s worth going through them to choose and buy your kitchen if they’re able to get a trade discount. Bear in mind that as the builder acts as a middleman and uses their contacts to organise and source materials, they may charge you a fee, but this could be offset by the money you save through the discount they get.
Ultra gloss blue cabinets, sizes start at H11.5x w39.6cm, from £4.16 per door, Kitchen Door workshop
UPDatE KItchEn DooRS If the layout of your kitchen works and the unit carcasses and plumbing are in good condition, you can revamp your kitchen by simply updating the doors and drawer fronts. It is a new look at a fraction of the cost and with minimal upheaval. If the doors are still good but feel dated, you could paint them, or have them wrapped in vinyl for a completely new front. Vinyls come in a variety of finishes, and fitters can re-cover the doors in as little as a day, or it is a job you can do yourself. ➤ ▼ The paintable kitchen cabinets from the Burford range can be done in any colour, (Dulux’s Pine Needle is similar), price upon request, Howdens
Oban ivory tongue and groove range, £1,444 for eight units, wickes
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IT Kitchens Santini gloss anthracite slab standard doors, H71.5xw49.7xD1.8cm, £30 per door or £1,302 for an 11-unit L-shaped kitchen, B&Q
Steamer wholegrain kitchen, £3,836.64 for the cabinets, tiles, sink and tap pictured, Homebase
chooSE a USED oR Ex-DISPlaY KItchEn
City Style range in gloss anthracite, from £3,947 for an L-shaped kitchen with 16 units, John Lewis
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Choosing a used or ex-display kitchen is a great way to get a designer look at a fraction of the cost. ‘Ex-display kitchens are sold at 50-70 per cent less than their RRP, and often include worktops and appliances,’ says Looeeze Grossman, managing director at The Used Kitchen Company. Units can be reconfigured and the worktop can be cut to suit your space exactly. Many companies will be able to recommend a fitter to dismantle, deliver and install the kitchen for an expert finish. Kitchen stores will often sell off the units they’ve had fitted in their showrooms, and there are companies online that specialise in buying and selling ex-dispay and second-hand kitchens. You can also look online at general sale sites, such as Gumtree, Ebay, Preloved, Schpock or Facebook Marketplace, for people advertising new or nearly new kitchens because they’ve bought a house and have decided to remodel and change the units, or they are extending.
for stockist information see page 153
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Real Homes inspiration
prime numbers
Multiply your home’s kerb appeal with one of these eye-catching designs
save 20% on numbers: enter ‘realhomes20’ at abodian signs.com
Clockwise from top: no. 24 Acrylic house sign, Dia.30cm, £48, Abode House Signs no. 45 White solid surface house number sign, H10xW14cm, £21.95, Your Signs no. 37 Potting Shed Designs personalised house number sign, H15xW15cm, £22, Not on the High Street no. 4 Stainless-steel Deco house number, H15cm, £24, House Numbers no. 2 Triangular cast-iron house number sign, H15xW22cm, from £65, Lumley Designs no. 6 Geometric deco acrylic house sign, H24xW24cm, £34.99, Abodian Signs no. 28 Art Deco-style brushed brass gold-coloured house numbers, H15xW5cm, £12 each, Pushka Home
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for stockist information see page 153
Clockwise from top: no. 126 Contemporary large square floating acrylic house sign, H20xW20cm, £39.95, Bali & Boo no. 3 Brass door number, H7.5xW4.5cm, £3.25, Wickes no. 2 french enamel house number plaque, H10xW15cm, £18.50, Willow & Stone no. 3 miami steel house number plate, H20xW20cm, £39, kelly Contemporary no. 7 oval natural oak wooden house door number, H15xW17.5cm, £29.95, Amazon no. 72 Slate cut numbers, H14cm, £12.99 each, uk Sign Shop no. 36 rectangle house number in matt white ceramic, H12xW16.5cm, £18, The House Nameplate Company no. 40 mission mackintosh metal architectural house numbers, H10cm, £18.95 each, David medding Design no. 8 Large brushed aluminium house number, H29.5xW17cm, £29.99, Stylishly Numbered
realhomes.com june 2018
feATure amelia smith PHoToGrAPH red Frost photography BACkGrouND ImAGe 1Wall White brick Wallpaper mural, £34.63, argos
if you choose a metallic finish, match it with your door handle for a neat look
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part four
Let in more Light
modern look This minimalist glass room is a contemporary addition to a period home. It has a simple steel goal post frame, three large sheets of structural glazing and three aluminium folding-sliding doors to create maximum impact. Measuring H3.2xW3.1xD3.4m, the design and installation was around £69,000 excluding building works, by Trombé
Make your home feel bigger and brighter with a conservatory or an orangery – here’s how to pick which one is right for you
conservatories
Contemporary conservatories, once spaces you could only comfortably use in warm weather, are much more versatile than their older counterparts. Thanks to modern framing and glazing technology, they are now thermally-efficient rooms that can be open to the rest of the house, without the need for the traditional dividing doors.
Which conservatory suits your home?
FEaTurE lucy searle
In most cases, a conservatory Designs vary widely, from traditional Victorian-look divided from the structures to modern, frameless glass boxes – but rest of the house which to choose to fit your needs and home? The with external-grade answer is to take cues from your property’s original doors is exempt architecture, and from your own interior style. from building Traditional-looking conservatories, with pitched regulations. roofs, plenty of detailing in the framing and, typically, French doors, best suit Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian homes. Aim to echo your home’s existing rooflines with the pitch of the conservatory’s roof, and choose one with frame thicknesses and styling Contemporary lines to complement that of the original windows. The glass of these XP Slide Choosing a paint colour for the conservatory’s Panoramic sliding doors is bonded to the aluminium frames, framing that matches that of the window frames for sightlines of only 30mm; can help give the new addition an elegant, alwaysouter frames are hidden by the been-there appeal, too. wall. H2.1xW4xD4m, it cost around £42,000 with installation, Modern-style conservatories, with simpler Express Bi-Folding Doors styling and angles, slimmer sightlines and larger t expanses of uninterrupted glazing – perhaps in the form of folding sliding doors – are more ➤
t floor plans Choosing a conservatory design with an irregular shape, such as this one, needs to be carefully thought out if it is to be successfully furnished. Here, the larger area is used for seating, while the smaller zone at the side is dedicated to dining. Loggia conservatory, approx H4xW5.5xD3.5m, in classic white, pure cream, urban grey or landmark green (shown), from around £26,000, Safechoice
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open to the elements This custom-built, single-glazed, aluminium-frame conservatory is the ideal summer shelter: its front and side glazing can be folded away like glass curtains, leaving just the roof canopy and vertical columns. LED lights are integrated within the spars and an external awning offers shade. It measures around H2.7xW5x D3m, and costs from £25,000, The Caulfield Company
suited to post-war properties and new-builds decorated in a contemporary style. For best effect, ensure that any paint colours used match that of the original house as closely as possible. Cutting-edge frameless glass conservatories, with minimal detailing, sharp angles and doors that open right out to the garden, can be comfortably matched with both period and new homes – but only if the interior décor and exterior landscaping is similarly modern. These additions, particularly if they have large folding or sliding doors to the garden, are most successful if they are open to the rest of the house, and if the floor is flush with that of the exterior.
hoW biG should it be?
can upload a photo of your home and overlay the new extension on to it will be invaluable, and can help you decide whether, and where, to include lighting bars, vents and windows. The SDL Nobiles roof with SL80 bi-fold doors, H5xW4xD4m, costs around £35,000, by Solarlux t
Get the GlazinG riGht Double glazing with a solar-control coating is a must-have, particularly if your conservatory is south- or west-facing and likely to overheat. Low-emissivity coatings will also reflect internal heat back into the room to reduce heat loss in cooler weather. Opt for self-cleaning glass, too, to reduce maintenance. ➤
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The trick is to first determine – just as you would with any extension – how you will be using the conservatory or orangery, how much internal space you realistically need to achieve this, and how much garden you can safely sacrifice to make it work. To make the most of your investment – not to mention the views over the garden – it should be a room you use every day. If you have the space outside, this might mean opening up and extending a formerly dark kitchen to create a large, bright, airy kitchendiner and living area; for smaller plots, simply design vision creating a compact seating area overlooking If visualising your new conservatory the garden will be a valuable addition. is a challenge, a design team that
frameless feature The sliding minimal windows system, supported by low iron glass beams and fins, on this bespoke conservatory give it a frame-free look. The flush threshold with an integrated Neoprene drainage block maximises the indoor-outdoor feel. The glazing for the room, which measures H2.8x W6.4xD3.1m, cost around £1,000 per m2, IQ Glass
Conservatories and orangeries both come under permitted development so long as they cover no more than half the area of land around the original house, don’t exceed the highest part of the roof, or extend beyond the rear wall by more than 4m for an attached house or 6m for a detached house.
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upstairs downstairs This orangery is dual-level, with roof lanterns either side of the main structure casting light into the basement. Made from timber, it has decorative classical columns, a deep entablature and sash windows to echo those of the house. The ground-level orangery measures H3.4xW4xD5.9m, and cost upwards of £40,000, Vale Garden Houses
More solid-looking than conservatories, orangeries tend to be constructed with a greater proportion of wall and partially glazed roofs. The advantage of these design elements is that it is easier to place furnishings, such as kitchen cabinets, within the orangery itself. Orangeries, whether traditional or contemporary in style, have all the advantages of a conservatory – tons of daylight and views over the garden – but, from inside, feel more like a natural continuation of the architecture of the main house.
desiGninG your oranGery
no limits This cantilevered roof design, achieved with a hipped corner roof, has no corner post, so once the folding sliding doors are pushed back, the room is open to the garden. Measuring around H3.6xW2.5x D2.5m, it cost from around £38,000 designed/installed, by Bartholomew for r&M Lines
Looking to create a year-round space? First, you need to ensure that the flow between your existing home and the new extension feels natural. This means defining the orangery’s purpose early on; its use can then dictate the room’s shape, proportions and size, how much solid wall space is needed, and how and where it’s accessed from the original house. Ideally, floor levels from the existing building into the new orangery – or conservatory – should match, too. Maximising daylight and views over the garden is also vital, so whether you’re planning a contemporary or traditional orangery, consider slim sightlines for the majority of your glazing. For classic-style orangeries, French doors – Matching new brickwork perhaps on more than one side of the room – as closely as possible to will fit stylistically; for more contemporary that of the original house structures, consider folding doors that will will help your orangery open the room right out to the garden. In both blend seamlessly. cases, flush thresholds will make the transition from the house to the garden seamless, helping you create the perfect indoor-outdoor room. ➤
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design definition This orangery has twin lanterns positioned to define the seating and dining zones in the room. Top-hung casement windows and thermostatic vents in the roof lanterns keep the room cool in summer. The joinery is painted in Westbury Portland Stone to match the house. The new room measures approx H3xW7xD6m, and prices start at around £50,000, Westbury Garden rooms
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wall-to-glazing ratio an orangery housing a kitchen, dining and living area needs to ensure there are walls for units and well-positioned entrances and exits. This sustainable hardwood-framed conservatory has folding-sliding doors by the dining and seating areas. Double-glazed, it measures H4.5xW8xD6m, and cost around £120,000, Malbrook Conservatories
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The cost of an orangery or conservatory depends on the complexity of the design and the materials used, but as a general rule, conservatories cost from £10,000 upwards, while orangeries cost from £20,000 upwards.
Whether you’re planning a contemporary-style orangery or a traditional-looking conservatory, blending the new building with the garden will help improve the indoor-outdoor link. Clever planting is the easiest way to do this. Allowing for borders around the edge of the orangery or conservatory will soften its edges, provide interest from inside, and make it look established from outside. It’s also worth incorporating an outdoor lighting plan into the design of your orangery. That way, you can use it to not only highlight the new building from outside, but also show off your garden’s best planting and features from indoors – plus it will allow you to safely transition from indoors to out. Consider, too, putting the conservatory or orangery on a dimmer switch, so the view of the garden in the evening isn’t marred by bright reflections on the glazing indoors.
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low maintenanCe Self-cleaning glass is invaluable in hard-toreach roof lanterns. Its dual-action coating reacts with daylight to break down organic dirt and with rainwater to remove dirt as it runs off. This orangery in French Grey with a black roof finish and roof ventilator, has clear, self-cleaning glass. It measures around H3.5xW6.4xD2.5m, and cost around £50,000, including installation, Evolution
Getting the glazing, ventilation and heating just right is essential, too. As with conservatories, solar-control coatings will reduce heat build-up, while low-emissivity glass, and double or triple glazing will keep the room snug in colder weather. For ventilation, consider incorporating panels into the roof lantern that can be opened – solar or automatic controls are more practical than manual ones.
natural feel The owners of this house wanted a large, open-plan living area and kitchen that felt cool and airy in summer, and welcoming and warm in winter. By removing external doors and windows and installing an orangery with a large lantern in the roof, old spaces and new were flooded with light. French doors open on to the terrace and oak windows on three sides blend with the garden beyond. It measures approx H4xW6.5xD3.8m, and cost from around £40,000, arboreta
Real Homes advertorial
Brighten your home Let natural light flood your space with flatglass rooflights from Roofglaze
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ooking to add more light into your home? Flatglass rooflights offer an ideal opportunity to improve and add value to your property. With their sleek and frameless appearance, they are a versatile and cost-effective solution that can transform the ambience of any home. There are well-documented health benefits associated with bringing natural daylight in, not to mention the aesthetic appeal of having a well-lit living space. And a flatglass rooflight can offer up to three times more daylight than a traditional window. Hinged flatglass rooflights will also provide natural ventilation as and when you want it, ensuring you don’t get uncomfortably hot in summer. Modern glass rooflights are thermally-efficient, while solar control glass options can help you keep your home at just the right temperature throughout the year. Flatglass rooflights don’t necessarily have to be square or rectangular either. Every home is unique, so if you need a circular or even triangular rooflight, this is something a leading manufacturer should be able to accommodate. Roofglaze has been designing, manufacturing and supplying flatglass rooflights since 2002. Its experts can provide a wide range of rooflight solutions – from the simple to the complex – for all types of homes and roofs. The friendly staff can talk you through the options and advise on the best choice for you. Its most popular sizes of flatglass rooflights are available online at roofglaze.co.uk, but if these options don’t fit your needs, call 01480 474 797 to discuss your project further.
Above A rectangular fixed flatglass rooflight fills the room beneath with natural light. Price from £499 Left Corners can be catered for with an unconventional shape, like this bespoke triangular fixed flatglass rooflight. Price on application Below This bespoke multi-section fixed flatglass rooflight helps zone the open-plan space. Price on application
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Left Brass flamingo table lamp and ombre shade, H82xDia.36cm, £125; Mongolian fur chair, H81x W59xD49cm, £708; pastel lustre table, H42xDia.57cm, £185; mustard glass vase, £68
Gold ‘Rock on!’ resin hand, £15.95
20% OFF
Antique gold metal bar cart, H87xW78x D46cm, £215
beautiful and unique homeware
Polished brass palm tree table light, H45x Dia.29cm, £205
Inject some fun into your home with statement furniture and accessories from Audenza
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ith its unusual and quirky designs, Audenza is the perfect online shop to find something to brighten any dull corner. And Real Homes has joined forces with them to offer you 20 per cent off its entire range. From luxurious velvet petal armchairs which add elegance to any room, to fabulous flamingo lamps that are sure to be a talking point. For an easy revamp for your own home, or a great gift, check out its selection of unique vases, plant pots and cushions.
Originally called MiaFleur, the company was launched by Jacqui, Hollie and Amelia Brooks, a very creative trio of mother and daughters, in 2012. Its ethos is to surround yourself with things you love, which is easily done with such a beautiful and unique collection. To browse the full range of furniture, home accessories and lighting, visit audenza.com or call 0116 298 6393 to find out more.
how to claim your discount Marilyn cotton velvet armchair, H76xW82x D72cm, £520
To take advantage of your exclusive 20 per cent discount at Audenza, visit audenza.com and enter the code REALHOMES20 at the checkout.
The offer featured in the June 2018 edition of Real Homes is: Page 135 Save 20 per cent at Audenza, excluding sale items and delivery. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, must be applied online and cannot be applied retrospectively. UK mainland only. Valid until 7 June 2018. For full terms and conditions, visit realhomes.com.
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Next moNth iN
BEFORE +AFTERs
50
pAgEs OF hOmE mAkEOvERs
On sALE 31 mAy
sTEp OuTsidE REvAmp yOuR BAThROOm FOR LEss
photograph kristy Noble
ExpERT AnswERs What are the best paints to use in each room of my house? How do I include a traditional bath in a modern scheme? What’s the most effective way to transform my garden?
easy ways to link indoors and out
hOT Buys for gorgeous summer gardens
guide to extensions
how to create a space you’ll love
Part five
Real Homes Project Planner
A guide to extension construction Adding on to your home is incredibly exciting, but needs some practical planning and preparation to make sure it passes off smoothly
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n extension is probably the biggest building project you’ll ever have been around – and it’s happening in your home. How will you cope? The good news is that there are many things you can do to ease the construction stress and make the build period a little more bearable. For all the excitement over how the finished space is going to improve your life, the realities of coping with the next few months need careful planning and a realistic understanding of the logistics of a major building project.
wORDS jason orme IMAGE getty
Insurance
Before you start, the very act of carrying out structural work on your home is something that impacts on your home insurance policy. You will need to call your existing home insurance provider and inform them (truthfully) of the changes, including information on whether you intend to move out during construction, or whether the house will be open/unsecured for any length of time. They will either amend your policy (and premium) to account for the work you’re carrying out, or suggest you look elsewhere. Fortunately, there are some specialist insurance providers, such as Self-Build Zone, who can provide exactly the cover you need.
Don’t forget, too, that while you may or may not need planning approval, depending on the size and position of the extension itself, you will need to gain building control approval for the work. This can be carried out either by the local authority or by private Approved Inspectors. Raise it with your builder.
Where will you live?
Can you survive a building project in your own home? Can you channel your inner Bear Grylls and camp out, surrounded by leaky roofs and cold North winds gusting through your home? Thought not. The decision on whether to move out or not depends on several factors. Of paramount importance is ensuring the safety of your family – keeping children away from the mix of dust, dirt, rubble and life-threatening tools and sheer drops is pretty much impossible. If your project is going to involve work that ➤ realhomes.com JUNE 2018
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next month top tips for a smoother, cheaper extension
affects at least half of the ground floor, can’t easily be closed off, is likely to last for at least a month and will also involve interruptions to the heating and electrics, you should consider a short-term rental, or start a charm offensive on the in-laws. There are several other benefits to moving out. If the client is going to continue to live in the house, most builders will want to ensure it is in a reasonable state of tidiness by the evening. This may range from simply putting away tools and sweeping rubble into the corner of a room to getting the industrial vacuum out every night. As worthy as this approach is, it’s also a waste of time that they could be spending building and finishing earlier than if you were living there. So moving out will certainly save that, and money.
How long will work take?
You can expect a typical single-storey kitchen extension project to be completed within four months. Typically this includes one to two months for the external building work (from digging trenches to finishing the roof and fitting the windows) to one to two months for the internal finishing (from plastering and electrics to flooring and making good). The ‘knockthrough’ to the 138
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existing house is usually carried out after the new structure is watertight, minimising the disruption.
How will the new extension be built?
Most extensions are built using the standard blockwork wall. This involves brick on the outside, usually a 10cm cavity filled with insulation, an internal blockwork wall, and plasterboard finish internally. If brick isn’t the chosen external face, it is often replaced with another blockwork wall which is then rendered or clad in timber. This isn’t the only way to build an extension, but it is the standard wall construction in the UK. The second most common technique is with a timber frame, liked for its ability to better accommodate insulation and a resultant thinner wall thickness. Relatively lightweight, it is commonly used for extensions on top of existing single-storey structures. Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) – effectively a version of closed panel timber frame – are fast to build (in a matter of days) and have significant energy efficiency and airtightness benefits. Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICFs) are concrete-filled polystyrene blocks that offer excellent solidity and insulative performance.
Site practicalities
An extension project consumes a lot of materials – some of them bulky, many of them expensive. Deliveries don’t always turn up just when the tradesmen need them, so you will need to think where expensive sliding doors or bulky bricks might sit and wait for installation. Ideally the expensive and easily removed items (which includes windows) should be securely stored on site (in a garage, for instance) while the bulkier items, like bricks, will need to be stored out of the way of reversing cars and close to where the work will commence. The key is to have a plan for materials, and think it through – much better to do it now than making it up on the spot while talking to a delivery driver, in your dressing gown, at 7am on a wet and windy morning.
Real Homes advertorial
is your home covered while you extend it? If you’re planning a renovation or extension project, making sure you have the right type of insurance is critical for your peace of mind
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id you know that your normal house insurance doesn’t cover your property if you are altering it through an extension, renovation or conversion, including work to the loft and garage? Many homeowners assume that their insurance policy will continue to provide cover if they carry out a major home improvement project, but often this isn’t the case as a lot of policies have an exclusion – meaning you aren’t protected if you alter the structure of your building. Adding an extension can be the biggest financial investment you’ll make after purchasing your home, so why risk it all by not having the right insurance in place?
Ask yourself if you could afford to rebuild your home and extension out of your own pocket if something went wrong. If the answer is no, then providers such as Self-Build Zone and Build-Zone can help to ensure your site is covered for the duration of the build and afterwards. Self-Build Zone’s latest Home Improvement Package provides cover on a property while it is being improved or extended, even if you aren’t initially living there. It also covers all the new works and materials, right up to completion of the project. Tools and equipment left on site are protected as part of the
package, while employers’ and public liability insurance means that anyone working on site is covered if they suffer an injury, or if damage is caused to a third party or their property. What’s more, should anything happen to a worker or family member while they’re on site during the course of the construction, the cost of defending or pursuing a claim is covered. There’s also an additional contract on offer to legally protect you from possible negligence on the part of any tradespeople or contractors that you employ. With options to have approved inspectors carry out the building control and technical audits throughout the project, which can save you time and money, BuildZone’s comprehensive protection options also include the chance to take out a 10-year structural warranty on completion of the work, to guard against defects in design, materials and workmanship. For more information, call 0345 230 9873 or visit build-zone.com.
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The latest expert advice for all your home transformation dilemmas
Real Homes QA &
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Can I InCorporate my underused garage Into my home? Garages often become glorified junk rooms – too full of stuff to have room for the car, which is more conveniently parked outside. Architect Jude looks at how you can turn it into an asset that adds space and value
Jude Tugman
is an architect and founder/managing director of Architect Your Home. architect-yourhome. com
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onverting your unused garage is the perfect way to acquire additional living space, and will undoubtedly add value, both monetary and in terms of its usefulness, to your home. An affordable and often simple job, especially with the assistance of an architect, a garage conversion is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your home. So why not throw out your tattered boxes and rusty bikes, and transform the area into a room that will offer you and your family greater comfort while increasing the overall appeal of your property.
how to utilise the space The list of possibilities when it comes to redesigning your garage space is almost limitless. Depending on whether or not you are willing to knock through the connecting wall, or if your garage is detached, the space has the potential to become almost anything you desire. One option is a kitchen-diner; this is the ideal way to get a larger kitchen with room to eat and entertain in without using up valuable garden space. A home office is also a popular choice, and makes perfect sense, as garages are usually located away from the main living areas, and allow for a self-contained entrance for visitors, as well as an isolated and peaceful working environment. For young families, a playroom could complement your home – even a small garage will provide invaluable space for play, reading and studying, and will offer additional storage for stray teddy bears and books. A spare bedroom or extra reception room are also popular among homeowners, proving invaluable for
those with growing families, or people who love to play host. The internal space of a typical garage is longer and thinner than most rooms in a house, therefore, knocking through a wall offers great potential for either extending an existing room or creating an open-plan alcove for a specific purpose. Keeping the spaces separate, however, means that you could create a guest room, or muchneeded downstairs bathroom, which will vastly improve the functionality of your home. You can, of course, convert the space into two rooms using stud or block walling; for example, if you’d like a utility room and a downstairs bathroom. If your garage is detached, this doesn’t mean it isn’t suitable for converting into living space. It could be adapted into a separate annexe – a choice that’s proving popular with families whose elderly parents or grandparents are happy to downsize and want to live close by. However, you are more likely to have to apply for planning permission to change its intended use if you are planning to have it as a building to live in.
Let’s get practical Day-dreaming about your new domestic space is the fun bit – however, first you must get practical and think about those all-important utilities and services. Start by checking your garage walls and ceiling for any wiring. Hopefully it will be in all the right places, but if not, rewiring the garage for lights and other electrical uses may place extra strain on the household mains, which might require the installation of a separate consumer unit. All new electrics need to be signed off by the building control department of your local authority, who will confirm whether your new space is safe to live in – which will give you peace of mind. If your boiler or electricity meter is in the garage and you’d like to move it, this will add thousands of pounds ➤
PHOTOGRAPH Jody stewArt
space To eaT An oddly shaped garage that was too small for a car was put to better use as an extension to the kitchen of this house in Aylesbury. As well as creating a smart diner, there was also room for a cloakroom and utility. The project cost £48,850
PHOTOGRAPH JAmes LAwLey
‘The internal space of a typical garage is longer and thinner than most rooms in the home, therefore, knocking through a wall offers great potential for extending’
Room To Relax This garage in a converted coach house in Devon is completely unrecognisible, transformed into a stylish family living area with great garden links. This project cost £70,000, by Barc Architects
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to the cost of your project. A cheaper alternative is to box them in with pale-painted wooden units and use them as pieces of furniture, such as a television stand. If your boiler won’t cope with another radiator, or it’s not practical to run the new pipework, think about electric underfloor heating, which is relatively easy to install. Insulating is hugely important in the building process. If the space is intended for a bedroom, it won’t be comfortable to sleep in if it’s always chilly. Building regulations require the walls, windows, floor and roof to be insulated to a certain level. This could mean builders will need to dry-line the walls, use polystyrene floor insulation and fit sealed double-glazed windows. It’s crucial this part is done well – if completed to an unsatisfactory standard, it will result in a cold, damp room. Bedrooms, home offices and playrooms will all need more insulation than something like a utility room.
planning permissions Generally speaking, planning permission isn’t normally necessary for a garage conversion unless you’re intending to alter the structure of the building. Most normally come under permitted development (PD). However, if you live in a Conservation Area, a listed building or on a new estate with strict guidelines, your situation is slightly different. The removal of permitted development does not rule out the potential of a garage conversion, but you’ll need to ensure the design is sensitive to the setting and you will have to apply for full planning permission, which costs £172 in England. Listed properties will need listed building consent, too. To be certain that the use of your converted garage is lawful for planning purposes or that your proposal does not require planning permission, you can apply for a Certificate of Lawful Development from your local authority at a cost of £86, or your architect can do this on your behalf, as a set of existing and proposed drawings will need to be submitted. As with other home alterations a garage conversion is subject to building regulations approval, so your local authority will need to be notified. You can use the council’s building control service or an approved independent inspector, costing around £300. To comply, the garage has to be structurally sound and have a dampproof course; the walls, floor and roof will need to be upgraded for energy efficiency; and all new and existing electricals will need to be tested to ensure safety, including in the house. Sometimes legal restrictions on alterations to a property exist, so check 142
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the deeds to your home to see if permission is required from a previous owner. If the work affects a structure shared with an adjoining property, you’ll need a Party Wall Agreement.
extend up Converting your garage and then building above it is one of the simplest ways to add space and financial value to your home, because, in most cases, you can work with what you’ve already got and won’t need to dig new foundations – plus, you won’t need to sacrifice any of your garden. By creating an extra storey above a garage, homeowners can have another bedroom and en suite bathroom, or a home office and a large bathroom. Try to remember that this kind of project is not always plain sailing. Extending above a garage isn’t just a case of simply removing the roof and building directly on top of it. Though your foundations are likely to be good enough to support an extra storey, your garage walls may not be. If they are just single skin, they might need upgrading to match the strength of the walls in the rest of the house. In addition, consider whether you’ll need an extra staircase – this will depend on the available access from the main house. It’s vital that you consult a professional, either an architect or an engineer, who will be able to advise you on the best course to take.
Blending in It is essential that your conversion blends in seamlessly with the rest of your home, and doesn’t just look like an old garage with a window and some new bricks where the door once stood. One of the first questions that
homeowners have is what should they do about the garage door. Once it is removed, the gap must be filled in so that it both blends in with the rest of the house and provides a use for the new space. Some popular choices include installing a patio door or framing a new wall with a large picture window or bay window. Other homeowners choose to create entire new entrances where the garage door was once located. Matching the exterior of the space with your existing property is equally as important. Consider how you can make the exterior of the converted section look like it has always been part of your house; try matching the siding, colours, windows, door styles and the landscaping. Done properly, a garage conversion can be a smoothly designed addition to your home.
the price is right Converting your garage to make more family space makes sense because in many cases this can be done without planning consent. But a detached or lean-to garage is really just a large, thin-walled shed. Turning it into proper rooms means upgrading the walls, roof and floor, so comes in at a cost, of around £1,700 per square metre. Things get easier if the garage is built into the house since you already have some internal walls and a ceiling, and the step down in the floor offers space for insulation. But there’s still new lighting, windows, plastering and decoration to do, costing in the region of £1,200 per metre. Of course, very few of us have a truly empty garage; hoarders and the sporty may also have to budget for a replacement shed. seamless inTegRaTion Left The old garage wasn’t used very much by the owners, so they asked Architect Your Home to create a useful space the whole family could enjoy. The doors were replaced with two windows in keeping with the period of the house, and the new room is accessed from the main hallway, just inside the front door. A mezzanine level was created inside to make a sleeping/lounging area. The work cost around £40,000
Real Homes advertorial
extending upwards A ready-made loft conversion by Moduloft not only gave this family home more space, but it fits in seamlessly with its beautiful surroundings
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oduloft offers a unique loft conversion solution, constructing bespoke lofts off site in order to minimise stress and upheaval. The owners of this home in Devon wanted to extend to suit the needs of their growing family. With a Grade II-listed terrace on one side and a Grade I-listed building on the other, as well as being in a Conservation Area, they struggled with planning approval for some time. The owners were thrilled when they could finally ask Moduloft to construct their new roof extension, and have it installed without further delay. Being in a tight location, the installation posed some challenges for the Moduloft team. The tight access meant they had to do their first lift over the beach. Admittedly,
the owners were apprehensive when their existing roof was demolished and their home was brought down to plate level, leaving only a temporary weather cover. But, the team installed all the modules and the building was protected again within one day. ‘What would have been six or seven months’ work by traditional means was completed in a matter of two to three weeks, leaving our local traders and builders looking on in amazement,’ say the owners. Moduloft is skilled in its ability to take a period-style building in a Conservation Area and transform it so cleverly. It has not only modernised the property, but finished it off seamlessly – as if the new roof had always been there. Extending upwards has given the family two extra bedrooms and
a bathroom. The panoramic sea views are also maximised – all without impacting the neighbours. The owners are understandably delighted with their new-look home. Moduloft offers a bespoke service for any style home, be it traditonal or contemporary. It offers a fully managed service, including the design, planning, build, delivery, lift and install, so you can rest assured that you’re in expert hands from start to finish. To find out more, call 0800 195 3855 or visit moduloft.co.uk.
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Real Homes
QA &
HOW DO I MAKE AN OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE? A well-planned garden can bring an extra dimension to your home. Award-winning designer Paul suggests easy ways to create indoor comfort outside
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Function
To make a space that works well, decide what you’re going to use it for. This may seem obvious, but if it’s intended as a kind of outdoor office, its positioning would be entirely different to somewhere for relaxing or sunbathing. This question of use will determine lots of key design decisions. For example, sunbathing would require full sun away from trees and structures that cast shadows. However, you wouldn’t want to have dark trendy porcelain paving as it holds the heat and might be uncomfortable underfoot in summer. A space for quiet relaxation, reading or even hobby craft won’t work well if you choose gravel or aggregates for the surface, as it is noisy, prone to shifting and not always level. To get material choices right, take design cues from the style and colour of your house and local buildings.
2
Socialising
For entertaining zones, think about the amount of space any tables and chairs will take up as you want to allow easy movement when people are sitting or mingling. If you’d like to include a dining area on a patio, terrace or deck, you will need to allow at least 1.5 metres of space between the chairs and the edge of it for people to walk around comfortably. If you plan to be outside on cooler evenings, consider whether a fire-pit or outdoor chimney will give the space a warm, welcoming feel, and how much extra room that heater would take up.
IMAGES PAul Hervey-Brookes
3
Planting
Your selection of plants, flowers, shrubs and trees will help to create atmosphere. Aromatic culinary herbs like rosemary, basil, mint, marjoram and thyme suit any sunny spot intended as an outdoor dining area, and act as a source of fresh ingredients. Lush foliage and rich herbaceous planting will encourage a feeling of escapism. If there is a view in the garden, this could be incorporated into your plan for a yoga or meditation retreat. A tree will add year-round interest while also obscuring views into the garden, which can give you a sense
of privacy. Evergreen trees tend to shed leaves in the summer, so choose something with spring blossom, fruits and autumn colour such as a medlar, which flowers in late spring and bears fruit in winter, giving better value for the space it occupies. Sensory plants, from amazingly perfumed flowers to scented foliage, give an extra dimension of interest, but don’t forget plants with interesting bark or winter berries as you will value these later in the year when the low sun is shining and you fancy escaping into the garden.
4
Lighting
5
Budget
Extend the use of your outdoor living space into the evening with well-placed and subtle outdoor lighting. Attractively lit specimen trees and candles in brown paper bags can add charm, but also consider low-level lighting for paths and terraces, along with wall lights.
The biggest influencing factor on how much you spend will be the amount of space you want to use – paving can cost from £30 to £90 per square metre and garden furniture can easily be over £1,000. To get the designer look on a budget, be crafty; upcycling items and trying a little DIY can save you pounds and give your garden a personal feel. Repair and repaint or restain wooden furniture. Clean the rust off metal tables and chairs. Scrub down your outdoor soft furnishings or recover them for a fresh look. Mixed paving with recycled elements, like bricks, can also reduce the cost but up the design detail.
Be inspired Summer sees the start of garden show season. Get inspired at rhs.org.uk/ shows-events or bbcgardeners worldlive.com
Above If you love the sun, create a terrace in your garden’s sunniest spot and furnish with recliners, ready for use
Paul HerveyBrookes
is a landscape and garden designer with gold medals for his designs at the Gardening World Cup and RHS Chelsea Flower Show paulherveybrookes.com
Below left A quiet corner can be turned into the perfect place to sit and read, paint, meditate or even do yoga
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Real Homes advertorial Apollo bath, in sizes L1.77m and L1.99m, from £3,129
Tubby Too bath, L1.47m, from £2,061
Imperium bath, in five sizes, from L1.65m to L2.17m, from £2,136
Aegean bath, sizes L1.7m and L1.8m, from £4,063
Geminus Advance bath, in sizes L1.67m and L1.81m, from £1,926
statement style Give your bathroom a stunning focal point with an elegant and luxurious design from The Albion Bath Company
T
here are many special things about Albion baths; not only are they beautifully designed and made to the very highest quality, they are constructed from ‘Iso-Enamel’ material. Exclusive to the Albion Bath Company, this is an amalgamation of high technology resin and a special reinforced mineral which hardens to create a strong, durable and luxurious construction that gives years of bathing enjoyment. This unique patented process offers benefits that other materials cannot provide. First, an Albion bath is a third of the weight of an equivalent cast-iron bath, so there’s no need to reinforce your floors or hire a team to lift one into your
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June 2018 realhomes.co.uk
home. Second, Iso-Enamel retains heat better, insulating the bath water for up to an hour more than an iron model. Third, cleaning is also hassle-free. Iso-Enamel will stand up to all liquid cleaning products, even limescale removers, with no fear of discolouration, scratching or chipping. If you are unlucky enough to scuff your new bath, it can easily be polished back to a high shine. Albion uses modern technology to enhance traditional styles, so is able to custom fit your new bath perfectly into your dream bathroom. The exterior of its roll-top baths can be painted in any Dulux or Farrow & Ball colour. There’s also the option to have
them burnished in gold, iron or bronze effects. If you want to really push the boat out, choose the specialist polished pewter, which is slightly mottled and highly reflective – a real statement piece for your bathroom. Albion Bath Company manufactures and supplies its freestanding baths directly from its factory in Weeley, Essex, cutting out distributors and retailers and passing the savings on to its customers. To request a brochure or to see the full range of designs available, call 01255 831605 or visit albionbathco.com
› Let your imagination run. Start with your wishlist and leave aside the practicalities at first. Your bathroom can be your sanctuary. Think about what you’d love and then talk to a bathroom designer or plumber about if and how you can achieve it. › Consider all the best bathrooms that you have ever visited, from hotels to friends’ houses. Find the products you feel are a must-have, be it a freestanding bath, a power shower or a wet deck. When you have an idea of what is important to you, look in magazines and online and save pictures of bathrooms that you like. › Visit showrooms so you can look at the quality of products and try things for size. Step into shower cubicles to assess elbow room, and test the depth and length of baths for comfort. Research a retailer’s capabilities by looking at case studies on their website. Talk to past clients, or look for thank you cards in the showroom as a sign of customer satisfaction. › Look at how your bathroom floor is constructed. This can be important if you want a large freestanding, antique or stone bath. These baths are heavy even before you fill it full of water and yourself, so your floor may have to be reinforced. Think about how you’ll get a stone or large bath into the room. The stairways may be too narrow so are there other openings it can get through, and how will it be lifted in?
› Underestimate the cost of installation when you look at your budget. Buying the bathroom is just the start; fitting can be as much again or more. Don’t skimp on this – a badly installed bathroom is a recipe for disaster; leaking pipes and faulty connections can cause damage and be dangerous. › Try and tackle a bathroom renovation on your own unless you’re confident of your own skills as a designer and plumber. Take professional advice. Bathrooms are complicated rooms to update; old plumbing is not always compatible with modern products so may need replacing. Also, in today’s modern bathrooms, pipework is more likely to be hidden, so you need to work out how to do this; if you’ll need to chase out walls and lift floors, or if you will box it in? The former gives a sleeker look but it’s harder to access the pipes if something goes wrong. The latter is more visible but is cheaper and takes less time to do. › Get the wrong type of lighting. There are gorgeous products available for bathrooms but make sure they’re appropriate for the right zones. Bathroom lights have an IP (ingress protection) rating; the higher it is, the more protection it has. The room is divided into three zones from 0-2. Zone 0 is inside the bath or shower itself, so any fitting used must be rated at least IP67, which is totally immersion proof. Zone 2 is furthest away from the water and here an IP rating of at least IP44 is required.
Real Homes
Do
&
Bathroom designer Caroline reveals the points you should think about when planning your makeover
QA
what are the dos and don’ts of a successful bathroom renovation?
Caroline Cooper is
the owner and designer at Rowley Regis-based Roman Bathrooms
romanbathrooms.co.uk
Be inspired If you want to tackle your own pipework, see Realhomes. com for ‘10 tips for installing bathroom plumbing’
Don’t › Accept a quote from anyone that hasn’t done a home survey. Your bathroom will be unique, and it can be very expensive to have to move products around because they don’t fit the pipework. The existing plumbing should be assessed both inside and outside the house to ensure all the connections and correct-sized pipes are present.
Right Think about what you’d love in your bathroom and then talk to a designer or plumber about the best ways to create your dream space realhomes.com June 2018
147
How do I know if my walls need completely replastering? A sure fire way of testing whether old plaster has ‘failed’ is to literally tap or knock on the walls. If they sound hollow, it generally means that the plaster has become desiccated and detached from the original brick internal walls and needs to be replaced. In these cases, it’s best to remove all the old plaster – totally a DIY-doable job with a mask and rubble bags – and then use plasterboard and a skim finish for a perfect new wall. Boarding onto old bricks walls is generally a job for the experts; it is not easy to get walls flat and level. Can I always use plasterboard? If you live in a heritage or listed property, or one with damp issues, it may be the case that lime plaster is required. This is a traditional method which allows walls to breath. Experienced DIYers can attempt this, or get professional help. What if I just need a small patch sorting out? If you just have a small patch of old plaster missing, maybe after electric or plumbing works, they are easy to repair using a ready-mix product. Clean away all the loose plaster and dust, then PVA the area to ensure the new filling keys to the area. Use a smooth trowel and build up until the new ready mix is pretty much level with the existing, allow to dry, then sand it level. If you have a damaged dry or stud wall, square off the hole to the nearest
vertical and horizontal timbers or metal studs then screw in a similar size piece of new plasterboard of the same thickness, driving the screws into the board so they don’t stand ‘proud’ of the surface. On bigger sections to be repaired, use plastering scrim tape around the edges to stop hairline cracks forming. Over-skim using a ready mix filling plaster, smooth to the same level as the surrounding areas, leave to dry, then sand. If the hole in the plasterboard is quite small and you don’t want to make it bigger, cut a piece of plasterboard the same height but wider than the hole. Apply grab adhesive to the left and right ends and a screw into the middle, then carefully insert the piece in the hole sideways and pull it forward by holding the screw so it grabs the rear side of the hole. Allow to cure fully before filling the hole – which now has a ‘back’ – with filler.
Real Homes
The very first property I ever bought totally confused my plasterers. I wanted the walls as bumpy as possible, making them literally plaster over cigarette packets (this was 1996 when trades still smoked on site!) to create my own Mediterranean villa in Manchester. Lumps, however, are not top of most people’s interior wish list. Walls as smooth as a flat white coffee are high priorities to ensure fabulous paint and wallpaper finishes.
&
Renovator and self-builder Sian looks at the best ways to fill holes and repair cracks for perfectly smooth walls
QA
How Do I repaIr plaster?
Sian aStley
is an interior designer, property renovator, selfbuilder, presenter and blog author moregeous.com @Moregeous
My ceiling and walls have hairline cracks, how do I fill them? Small settlement cracks in new-build properties or after new plastering dries are easily remedied with light, purpose-bought fillers. It’s a good idea to use a sharp Stanley blade to create a wider groove to get a decent amount of filler in, so that it doesn’t just crack out again. Brush out the dust and dampen the groove with a light water spray to help the filler stick. Apply with a flexible scraper or palette knife, allow to dry and sand smooth.
Be inspired on a corner, mould filler round the damage and use masking tape to hold its shape as it drys
For advice on repairing plaster in properties built pre 1950, look up ‘Guide to Plaster in Old Homes’ at Realhomes.com
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Real Homes
QA &
What can i do to refresh my driveWay ? Renovation expert Michael looks at the best ways to smarten up your parking space to ensure your home always makes a great first impression
What are the options for refreshing my drive? If your drive is looking tired it can detract from the appearance of your home and reduce its kerb appeal. This can have a negative impact on the property’s saleability and, therefore, its value. Giving the drive a refresh is a key part of any external makeover, but needs to be scheduled after all other works have been completed, especially heavy construction work, to avoid damage to the new surface.
Base materials If your driveway is damaged, e.g. failing asphalt or concrete, the first task is to remove all of the old material. If you are investing in quality materials for your driveway it is important that the sub base provides the right support. This needs to be a minimum of 100-150mm of compacted road stone. This is usually DT (Department for Transport) Type 1, which contains crushed stone from 4cm down to dust and interlocks when compacted, but increasingly DT Type 3 is being used (with fewer fine particles) to improve drainage and meet SUDS (sustainable drainage systems) requirements. The compacted stone base should be laid over a geotextile membrane to stop the material mixing with the subsoil while still allowing rainwater to drain through.
Surface materials
› Gravel can go directly on top of the sub base. It is low cost and relatively low maintenance but will need some replacement gravel every few years. It is unsuitable for a sloping drive as it will travel down it. The ideal size for gravel is 20mm and it should be laid to a depth of no more than 40-50mm. The colour should be chosen to suit the property and landscape. › Paving blocks that interlock are a hardwearing and low-maintenance choice. They come in many different formats, from simple square and rectangular to more complex geometric shapes. With a wide range of colours available, and different laying bonds, pavers can be placed in an almost limitless combination of patterns. Paving blocks are available in clay or concrete (usually less expensive
than clay) and laid on a bed of sharp sand. The strength is created by the blocks locking together within the edges, which are bedded in with cement mortar or concrete. Kiln-dried sand is brushed into the joints between the laid blocks to lock them together. › Brick can be used in much the same way as interlocking paving blocks, usually placed edge-on in herringbone style. Clay bricks can add character but they must be resistant to frost. › Concrete is hard-wearing, weed free and low maintenance, but looks utilitarian unless coloured and/or imprinted with joint patterns to give the appearance of stone, paving blocks or cobbles. Cutting crack control joints in the concrete is essential to prevent unsightly stress cracks in weak spots. › Stone is a natural and hard-wearing option usually laid in small blocks such as cobbles or setts. Granite is one of the most widely used stones, but limestone, sandstone and slate are also popular choices. › Asphalt is found on roads and is equally suitable for residential driveways. It is a utilitarian finish that is low maintenance and weed free. It can be mixed with different aggregates to change the colour, and can be used in combination with other materials such as block pavers to add interest. › Resin drives are low maintenance and weed free, great for if you want to give a concrete or asphalt drive a new look. Resin can be mixed with aggregates in a wide range of colours and trowelled on; or, more usually, a layer of resin is laid over the base and aggregates scattered and bound into the surface.
michael holmes
is Director of Content and Product Development for Real Homes realhomes.com
Costs › Gravel £40-£55 per m2 (replacement gravel £25-£35 per m2) › Paving blocks £90-£130 per m2. › Brick £90-£130 per m2 › Imprinted concrete £80-£125 per m2. › Stone (granite setts) £40-£120 per m2 › Asphalt £70-£90 per m2 › Bonded resin £70-£110 per m2 All prices are plus VAT. Costs are averages and will be higher for small driveways
Do I need planning permission? A replacement driveway doesn’t need planning permission so long as it meets the rules for permitted development (PD) – see planningportal.co.uk. To be classed as PD, the material used must be porous, to let surface water drain through it. Options include gravel, permeable block paving and porous asphalt. If the drive has a slope and the surface water flows into a lawn or border to drain naturally, surfaces such as interlocking paving, concrete and asphalt are classed as PD.
Be inspired Keen to tackle your own transformation? Look up ‘Block Paving A Driveway’ at RealHomes.com
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Jonathan Adler 020 7589 9563 uk.jonathanadler.com
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Abode House Signs 0116 278 4844 abodehousesigns.co.uk Abodian Signs abodiansigns.com Albion Bath Company 01255 831605 albionbathco.com Amara 0800 587 7645 amara.com Amazon amazon.co.uk Amy Blackwell amyblackwell.co.uk And So To Bed 0808 141 5838 andsotobed.co.uk Annie Sloan 01865 803168 anniesloan.com Arboreta 0800 288 8333 arboreta-oak.com Argos 0345 640 2020 argos.co.uk Artwow 07736 777117 artwow.co Asda 0800 952 0101 asda.com Aston Matthews 020 7226 7220 astonmatthews.co.uk Audenza 0116 298 6393 audenza.com
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B&Q 0333 014 3098 diy.com Bali & Boo baliandboo.com Barber Wilsons & Co 020 8888 3461 barwil.co.uk Bartholomew 01273 699696 bartholomewglass.com Bathstore 0330 053 5661 bathstore.com Beldi Rugs 07768 352190 beldirugs.com Benjamin Moore 01753 575756 benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk Bennetts Timber 01472 350151 bennettstimber.co.uk Bestlite 0114 243 3000 nest.co.uk/bestlite Black By Design 01889 502716 black-by-design.co.uk Bloom & Wild 020 7352 9499 bloomandwild.com Bloomingville +45 9626 4645 bloomingville.com Blueprint Ceramics 0121 268 3240 blueprintceramics.com Bobby Rabbit 0114 321 7000 bobbyrabbit.co.uk Bradstone 01335 372289 bradstone.com Bridgman 020 8712 4324 bridgman.co.uk Burlanes Interiors 01732 605001 burlanes.com Burlington Bathrooms 01322 473222 burlingtonbathrooms.com
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The Carpet Bureau 020 7498 0532 thecarpetbureau.co.uk Creative Cables 020 3608 2355 creative-cables.co.uk Crosswater 0345 873 8840 crosswater.co.uk Ca’ Pietra 01380 735886 capietra.com Carpetright 0330 333 3444 carpetright.co.uk Case Furniture 020 8870 4488 casefurniture.com Castrads 0161 439 9350 castrads.com The Caulfield Company 0113 387 3118 caulfieldcompany.co.uk Chambord spirit-of-chambord.com/en Chaplins Furniture 020 8421 1779 chaplins.co.uk Charnwood 01983 537777 charnwood.com Clayworks 01326 341339 clay-works.com Clearwater 01322 473222 clearwaterbaths.com The Conran Shop 0344 848 4000 conranshop.co.uk Cosentino cosentino.com Cox & Cox 0330 333 2123 coxandcox.co.uk CP Hart 0345 873 1121 cphart.co.uk Crosswater 0345 873 8840 crosswater.co.uk Crown 0330 024 0281 crownpaints.co.uk Cuprinol 0333 222 7171 cuprinol.co.uk
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Deborah Pook deborahpook-art.co.uk Designer Bathrooms 0116 251 0363 designerbathroomsleicester.com Designers Guild 020 7351 5775 designersguild.com Dulux 0333 222 7171 dulux.co.uk Danetti 020 3588 1380 danetti.com Debenhams 0844 800 8877 debenhams.com Dedar +39 031 228 7512 dedar.com Dekton 01256 761229 dekton.co.uk Design Studio Nu designstudionu.nl
Kai & Sunny kaiandsunny.com Kalinko kalinko.com Kasthall +46 0320 205941 kasthall.com Kelly Contemporary 07799 064302 kellycontemporary.co.uk Kersaint Cobb 01675 430430 kersaintcobb.co.uk Kitchen Door Workshop 01825 765041 kitchendoorworkshop.co.uk The Kitchen Dresser Company 01630 647533 thekitchendresser.co.uk
Distinctive Flooring 01274 655690 distinctiveflooring.co.uk Dornbracht dornbracht.com Drench 01202 612800 drench.co.uk Dulux 0333 222 7171 dulux.co.uk Duravit 0845 500 7787 duravit.co.uk Dyke & Dean 01424 429202 dykeanddean.com
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Ebay 0345 355 3229 ebay.co.uk EcoHaus Glazing Solutions 0800 612 6519 ecohausinternorm.com EcoSmart Fire 020 7384 1677 ecosmartfire.com Eden Garden Rooms 0800 093 5339 edengardenrooms.co.uk Etsy etsy.com Evolution 01767 821548 evolutionwindows.com Express Bi-Folding Doors 0808 167 6463 expressbifolds.co.uk
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Farrow & Ball 01202 876141 farrow-ball.com Fenster 01626 353371 fensteruk.net Ferm Living +45 7022 7523 fermliving.com Finnish Design Shop +358 20 743 2530 finnishdesignshop.com Fired Earth 01295 814365 firedearth.com Foscarini foscarini.com French Connection 0333 400 3285 frenchconnection.com Frontline Bathrooms 0845 470 2424 frontlinebathrooms.co.uk Furniture Village 0800 804 8879 furniturevillage.co.uk Floors of Stone 01509 234000 floorsofstone.com Funktionalley 01924 466040 funktionalley.com
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Garden Trading 01993 845559 gardentrading.co.uk GBC Group 0800 999 0123 gbcgroup.co.uk Grace & Favour 01626 437676 graceandfavourhome.com Grace & Grey 01253 895204 graceandgrey.co.uk Graham & Brown 0808 168 3795 grahambrown.com Green Retreats 01296 325777 greenretreats.co.uk Gubi +45 3332 6368 gubi.com
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Lakeland 01539 488100 lakeland.co.uk Land of Rugs 01332 294787 landofrugs.com Leicht 07802 402921 leicht.com Lifestyle Kitchens 01227 742424 lifestylekitchens.com Lindsey Lang lindseylang.co.uk Little Folks Furniture 01985 300588 littlefolksfurniture.co.uk Little Greene 020 7935 8844 littlegreene.com Loaf 0845 468 0697 loaf.com London Time Piece 07958 561691 londontimepiece.co.uk Loungin’ 020 7585 0500 loungin.co.uk Lumley Designs 01902 453449 lumleydesigns.co.uk Luxury Flooring & Furnishings 0333 577 0025 luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk
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Made.com 0344 257 1888 made.com Maisons du Monde 0808 234 2172 maisonsdumonde.com Matt Antrobus 07850 664431 mattantrobus.co.uk Modern Rugs 01388 663738 modern-rugs.co.uk Magnet 01325 744093 magnet.co.uk Maisons du Monde 0808 234 2172 maisonsdumonde.com Malbrook 020 8780 5522 malbrook.co.uk Marks & Spencer 0333 014 8000 marksandspencer.com Marley Eternit 01283 722588 marleyeternit.co.uk Melin Tregwynt 01348 891225 melintregwynt.co.uk Methven UK 0800 195 1602 methven.com/uk Miele Outlet Store 0330 160 6600 miele.co.uk/domestic/outlet-2991.htm Mink Interiors 01892 547049 minkinteriors.com Mullan Lighting 020 3488 2868 mullanlighting.com Murals Wallpaper 0151 708 5400 muralswallpaper.co.uk MY Furniture 0800 092 1636 my-furniture.com Mylands 020 8670 9161 mylands.com
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Safechoice 0800 024 6230 safechoice.co.uk Sainsbury’s Home 0800 636262 sainsburys.co.uk Sandtex 0330 024 0303 sandtex.co.uk Screwfix 0333 011 2112 screwfix.com SDS London 020 7228 1185 sdslondon.co.uk Sebastian Conran 020 7036 0636 sebastianconran.com Smart Garden Offices 01473 833997 smartgardenoffices.co.uk Smeg 0344 557 0070 smeguk.com Soak & Sleep 01483 437762 soakandsleep.com Soak.com 0333 004 6333 soak.com Sofa.com 0345 400 2222 sofa.com Solarlux 01707 399970 solarlux.co.uk Sonya Winner 020 3283 8776 sonyawinner.com Stepevi +90 212 327 0050 stepevi.com Stylishly Numbered 020 8546 5554 stylishlynumbered.com SunnyLife 020 7031 0900 sunnylife.com The Swedish Fabric Company 01235 848192 theswedishfabriccompany.com Sweetpea & Willow 0345 257 2627 sweetpeaandwillow.com Swoon Editions 020 3319 6332 swooneditions.com
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Vale Garden Houses 01476 564433 valegardenhouses.com Viaduct 020 7278 8456 viaduct.co.uk Vialle & Co 07980 570540 vialleandco.com Victoria Plum 0344 804 4848 victoriaplum.com Victorian Plumbing 0345 862 2878 victorianplumbing.co.uk Villeroy & Boch villeroy-boch.co.uk Direct 01323 430886 W Wallpaper wallpaperdirect.com
Walls & Floors 01536 314730 wallsandfloors.co.uk Waltons 0800 029 1000 waltons.co.uk Waters Baths of Ashbourne 01332 824166 watersbaths.co.uk Wayfair 0800 169 0423 wayfair.co.uk Wendy West Upholstery 07479 954165 Westbury Garden Rooms 01245 326500 westburygardenrooms.com West Elm 0800 404 9780 westelm.co.uk West One 0333 011 3333 westonebathrooms.com Wickes 0845 274 1000 wickes.co.uk Willis & Gambier 01733 318400 willisgambier.co.uk Willow & Stone 01326 311388 willowandstone.co.uk Wren wrenkitchens.com Wyevale Garden Centres 0344 272 3000 wyevalegardencentres.co.uk
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Zara Home 0800 026 0091 zarahome.com
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Raj Tent Club 020 7820 0010 rajtentclub.com/shop The Range 0345 026 7598 therange.co.uk Red Candy 0121 224 7728 redcandy.co.uk The Resin Floor Co 020 7096 8990 resinflooringcompany.com Retrouvius 020 8960 6060 retrouvius.com Reynaers 0121 421 1999 reynaers.co.uk
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London’s Design Museum offers fascinating insight into the world of architecture and design, with inspiring exhibitions on furniture, products and fashion – perfect for the art lovers among you. The museum is free to enter; visit designmuseum.org for special exhibition tickets.
Take five
Design days out
12 34 5 Features editor Ellen Finch reveals her pick of the best designinspired days out this month
Mackintosh House in Glasgow celebrates the life and works of Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his artist wife, Margaret. The perfectly preserved interiors reflect the distinctive early 20th-century style of the creative duo. Entry £5; visit gla.ac.uk/ hunterian for more details.
Next month: Deputy style editor Amelia Smith’s best supermarket summer buys
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For gothic glamour in the heart of Manchester, look no further than Hotel Gotham. Situated on the top floors of Edwin Lutyens’ 100 King Street, the hotel’s Art Deco metalwork, Gatsby-esque décor and ritzy bar area make it a very pleasant base for exploring the city. Rooms from £149 per night; hotelgotham.co.uk.
PHOTOGRAPHS John Pawson/hufton + Crow; the hunterian, university of GlasGow; JaCk hobhouse; national trust imaGes/stuart Cox
From 7 to 10 June, Birmingham Design Festival showcases the best in the design industry. The programme is packed with workshops, exhibitions and talks from architects and designers. Visit birminghamdesignfestival.org.uk.
Situated in acres of woodlands in the heart of Esher, Surrey, The Homewood is a Modernist masterpiece. Filled with clean lines, signature wallpapers and industrial touches, it’s perfect for anyone looking to find out more about the architecture of the early 20th century. Entry £13 for an adult; book a tour at nationaltrust.org.uk
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