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September 2021 £4.40

GRAND DESIGNS

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF THE NEW TV SERIES!

GRANDDESIGNSMAGAZINE.COM

OPEN HOUSE M A K I N G R O O M F O R FA M I LY LI F E I N A V I C TO R I A N TE R R AC E

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Contents

September 2021

Regulars 11 EDITOR’S LETTER 19 KEVIN McCLOUD Our editor-at-

large on why clear communication is key to a fine building’s success 146 MY GRAND IDEA How architect Ben Minifie brought fun and functionality to a family home

146

111 News 13 TV PREVIEW The inside track on

homes from the upcoming series 111 KITCHEN UPGRADE The latest

designs, surfaces and appliances 127 BATHROOM EDIT Stylish new

additions for the smallest room

13

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 5

CONTENTS

Homes 22 REPLACEMENT PROJECT

How one family created a luxury home on the footprint of derelict farm buildings 35 REMODELLED HOUSE

Virtual reality technology led to the successful extension of a 1920s home in Nottinghamshire 49 HAMPSHIRE RENOVATION

Joining two 1950s barns with a glazed walkway allowed one couple to create a unique home 63 TWO-STOREY ADDITION

A sensitive extension unlocked much-needed space in this London Victorian terrace

63

22 Projects 77 GRAND BUILD Everything you

need to know about signing off your self-build project 83 GRAND GUIDE Ten TV homes with impressive eco credentials 93 PROJECT MEZZANINES How to turn high ceilings and unused overhead space into a new level

101 BUYER’S GUIDE TO NATURAL FLOORING From jute to sisal,

which one is right for your room?

117 PROJECT KITCHENS Standout islands to suit every space 131 PROJECT BATHROOMS Moneysaving design tips and tricks to get a beautiful new scheme for less

93 131 6 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

MAGAZINE.COM

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M U LT I - F U E L

EDITORIAL

GO ONLINE Find more from Kevin McCloud and our exclusive TV house tours, plus inspiring self-builds, real-life extensions, conversions and home-improvement projects.

GRANDDESIGNSLIVE.COM

EDITOR K AREN STYLIANIDES ART DIRECTOR TONY PETERS CHIEF SUB-EDITOR MATT GL ASBY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ALICE WESTGATE DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR VICTORIA PURCELL CONTENT PRODUCER PAISLEY-ROSE TEDDER EDITOR-AT-LARGE KEVIN McCLOUD

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PRODUCTION DIRECTOR TIM GARWOOD PRODUCTION MANAGER CAR A CULLEN SENIOR PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE JENNIFER TURNER SENIOR PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE REBECCA SPURLING PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE RHIANNON NICHOLLS STUDIO DIRECTOR LEE MOORE CREATIVE DIRECTOR ELLIOTT PRENTICE

PUBLISHING facebook.com/ granddesigns

MANAGING DIRECTOR RICHARD MOREY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER LEE NEWTON

IN MEMORY OF LOUISE BETT

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All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All prices and information correct at time of going to press. Grand Designs magazine is published by Media 10 in association with Channel 4 and FremantleMedia Limited trading as Naked. Grand Designs is a registered trademark of FremantleMedia Limited. Based on the television programme Grand Designs, produced by Naked West (a Fremantle label) for Channel 4. Licensed by Fremantle (fremantle.com) ©2021. ISSN 1742-0695

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MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 9

T H I S

I S

N E O

This is neo. D-Neo is a bathroom revolution: great design at an attractive price. The complete bathroom series by the Belgian designer Bertrand Lejoly with ceramics in a wide range of models, high-quality furniture, a variety of bathtub options and matching faucets inspire the joy of design. To ensure this lasts for a long time, Duravit offers a lifetime warranty on the ceramics in the D-Neo series. www.duravit.co.uk

D-Neo

EDITOR’S LETTER

A

s the season turns and the autumn/winter TV schedules are released, there is a great deal for Grand Designs fans to look forward to. The new series will be on our screens soon, House of the Year is set to return and filming for a second run of Grand Designs: The Street is well underway.

During another challenging year, a new batch of intrepid Grand Designers have defied the odds and brought their incredible visions to life. Overcoming obstacles from bad weather and money worries to flooding and lockdowns, their incredible journeys are nearly at an end.

As they add the finishing touches ready for the cameras and the big reveal, you can get a taster of what’s to come by

turning to page 13 for an exclusive preview of the upcoming projects.

More good news is on the way. In next month’s magazine you’ll find a guide to the features, speakers, special guests and exhibitors taking part at Grand Designs Live, Birmingham. The show makes its long, long-awaited return to the NEC and runs for five days from 6-10 October 2021.

Kevin McCloud will be there, along with a host of self-build, renovation and home-improvement experts.

So if you are planning your own Grand Design, no matter how big or small, it is the must-visit event for ideas, inspiration, solutions and shopping opportunities for your project. It’s shaping up to be an exciting new season.

COVER PHOTO AGNESE SANVITO

K AREN ST YLIANIDES , EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHY JIM STEPHENSON

@StylianidesK

This East Sussex house features a central tower shaped like a grain silo. Turn to page 22 for more

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 11

new houses | extensions | refurbishments | basement excavations | swimming pools

If you have an architectural or interior design project please email gp@gregoryphillips.com Follow us on Instagram for regular updates and to receive our newsletter @gregoryphillipsarchitects

LONDON | LOS ANGELES

gregoryphillips.com | +44 20 7724 3040

TV SERIES PREVIEW

TV houses exclusive With new episodes of Grand Designs screening soon, take a first look at the exciting projects you can expect to see over the coming months Three-storey new-build LOCATION Chichester, West Sussex GRAND DESIGNERS Dan and Nina Rowland, 44 and 42 PROPERTY TYPE Three-storey house BEDROOMS 5 BATHROOMS 5 SIZE 420sqm INITIAL BUDGET £650,000 PLOT COST £810,000 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER Daniel Rowland

Seeing potential in a plot that included a 1930s house and a huge pond, architectural designer Dan and interior designer Nina Rowland built a new home on the site. The couple, who have two children, envisaged a flint- and larch-wrapped house with a glass corridor leading to a single-storey kitchen. The kitchen overhangs a natural swimming pool, which replaced the original pond, so the family can simply open the doors and dive in.

Contemporary intervention LOCATION South Lakeland GRAND DESIGNERS Ruth Grimshaw, 31, and Robert Glass, 35 PROPERTY TYPE House within a derelict mill BEDROOMS 4 BATHROOMS 4 SIZE House 218sqm, workshop and office 90sqm, roof terrace 90sqm INITIAL BUDGET £250,000 PLOT COST £110,000 ARCHITECT Tape Design Ruth Grimshaw and Robert Glass, who run the architectural practice Tape Design, planned to convert a rundown 18th-century blacking mill into their home, creative space and office. The mill’s stone shell, which had been empty and deteriorating for 60 years and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, needed full restoration. So in a clever twist the couple dropped their new timber-framed house inside the footprint of the existing building.

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 13

As award winning architects and designers we aspire to create extraordinary buildings and spaces for our clients, sometimes from the most difficult of design briefs. Central to our philosophy is that good design should reflect the needs of our clients and respond to the surrounding environment.

Pushing the boundaries of design we are able to achieve timeless, highly innovative and sustainable projects. We offer a complete design service from initial advice through to the completion of your project.

We complete works all over the UK and internationally with construction budgets from £250,000.

Please take a look around our website and email us or call with your new project enquiry for a free consultation.

Tye Architects t: 01525 406677 e: nicolas@tyearchitects.com w: www.tyearchitects.com

new builds

extensions

conversions

TV SERIES PREVIEW

Timber extension LOCATION Kinross, Scotland GRAND DESIGNERS Iain and Jenny Shillady, 38 and 37 PROPERTY TYPE Single-storey extension to bothy BEDROOMS 4 BATHROOMS 3 SIZE 255sqm INITIAL BUDGET £350,000 PLOT COST £225,000 ARCHITECT Staran Architects

A hut once used by the gardeners of a private estate was the starting point for this old-meets-new project. Transforming it into a family home was the brainchild of Iain Shillady of Staran Architects and his wife Jenny, a marketing manager. The couple, who have two children, restored the 150-year-old structure – along with its mature adjoining walled garden – and linked it to a single-storey black timber-clad extension to create the living space they craved.

Flood-resistant construction LOCATION East Essex GRAND DESIGNER Geoff Wood, 64 PROPERTY TYPE Cantilevered house BEDROOMS 3 BATHROOMS 5 SIZE Around 353sqm INITIAL BUDGET £700,000 PLOT COST £350,000 ORIGINAL PLANS Baca Architects

Sculptural design LOCATION Huxham, Devon GRAND DESIGNERS Joe and Claire Priday, 37 and 42 PROPERTY TYPE Single-storey house BEDROOMS 5 BATHROOMS 5 SIZE 613sqm including garage INITIAL BUDGET £835,000 PLOT COST Already owned DIRECTOR OF DESIGN Mick O’Connor, Squirrel Design

Building a new home on a 7.5-acre flood plain beside the Blackwater Estuary in Essex was a tall order for retiree Geoff Wood, a first-time self-builder with finite funds. Its daring design required significant amounts of engineering to anchor it in place. The house has a complicated industrial-strength steel frame so it can be dramatically raised 4.5m above the ground, which is high enough to protect it should sea levels rise.

Joe Priday, MD of a wealth management firm, and his wife Claire embarked on a complex sculptural house in rural Devon.

The couple, who have three young children, commissioned a design made from 34 zincwrapped timber shards set in a jagged line hugging the contours of a hill. The building is carbon negative and has a hi-tech interior, but its sheer intricacy tested the engineers, the builders and the budget.

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 15

TV SERIES PREVIEW

Timber-clad house LOCATION South Manchester GRAND DESIGNERS Adele and Colin Offland, 50 and 51 PROPERTY TYPE Scandinavian-style villa BEDROOMS 5 BATHROOMS 7 SIZE 630sqm INITIAL BUDGET £700,000 PLOT COST £900,000 ARCHITECT Vasco Trigueiros Adele and Colin Offland wanted a rounded wooden eco house to replace an uninspiring 1980s property that stood on the plot. Adele, a yoga teacher, and Colin, who is the CEO of a production company, were influenced by the simplicity of Scandinavian style and the curves of Art Deco buildings.

The couple, who have two grown-up children, appointed a respected Swedish architect to deliver a design within their budget, unaware of the financial and practical hurdles ahead.

Small plot solution LOCATION Billingshurst, West Sussex GRAND DESIGNERS Olaf Mason, 45, and Fritha Vincent, 42 PROPERTY TYPE Triangular build BEDROOMS 3 BATHROOMS 3 SIZE 123sqm INITIAL BUDGET £190,000 PLOT COST £160,000 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER Olaf Mason PLANNING ARCHITECT Valerie Hinde A carpenter specialising in high-end bespoke interiors decided to turn his hand to construction, fitting a clever triangular house into a small plot constricted by a busy main road, a railway line and a sewer. Olaf Mason and Fritha Vincent took this 3D geometrical puzzle in their stride, along with the arrival of their baby daughter during the build.

Open-plan pavilion

WORDS ALICE WESTGATE

LOCATION Ely, Cambridgeshire GRAND DESIGNER Gretta Funnell, 60 PROPERTY TYPE Single-storey Malaysian-style house BEDROOMS 3 BATHROOMS 2 SIZE 187sqm INITIAL BUDGET £300,000 PLOT COST £125,000 DESIGNER Carlos Gris To honour the memory of her late husband, with whom she shared many happy years living and working in Malaysia, teacher Gretta Funnell returned to the UK to build a home in the Malaysian style. This minimalist steel-framed box is open plan

with a burnt wood exterior, an overhanging roof and a rooftop garden. The house was a true family affair as it was designed by Gretta’s nephew, project managed by her brother-in-law, and stands next to her sister and brother-in-law’s home.

● The new series of Grand Designs

is on Channel 4 this autumn.

Features on the TV houses will be published in Grand Designs magazine. All information correct at time of going to press

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 17

Room to grow.

Create a place to get stuff done whilst green stuff grows around you and light comes flooding in.

Architect: Paul Archer Design Photography: Andy Stagg

EXCLUSIVE COLUMN

Kevin

McCloud Get the language right and there’s no room to misinterpret the meaning of fine buildings, says our editor-at-large

T

here’s a rule of thumb in the military that when you issue an order you ask the recipient to repeat it back. This way you can check whether they were listening and whether they understood what you were saying. It can all go wrong. That’s the basis of so much human tragedy, and so much comedy too. In one of the Pink Panther films Peter Sellers’ Inspector Clouseau asks a man, ‘Do you know the way to the Palace hotel?’

‘Yes,’ the man replies, and walks off.

Clouseau specialises in misinterpretation. He is French, and pretty well everyone else isn’t. Even the other French characters speak clearer English. My favourite moment is when a villain speeds off in a car down the street and Clouseau runs up to a taxi.

About to get in, he shouts through the window, ‘Follow that car!’ The taxi driver gets out and runs off in pursuit, leaving Clouseau on the pavement.

Verbal misinterpretation can happen in many places: in your brain, between your brain and mouth, between the listener’s ears and their brain and, weirdly, in the ether between you. It happens for many reasons: predispositions, wilfulness, emotional or information overload and stupidity. It also happens because of the conceptual limitations of language and changes in the usage of words over time. Today, ‘sublime’ means ‘very beautiful’. Its chemistry-related definition, derived from the process of sublimation, is irrelevant to most of us. As for its

19th-century romantic definition of an effect of inspiration mixed with awe or terror, forget that. Even awesome has a different meaning now too.

The 20th-century philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein was suspicious of words, writing, ‘The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.’

What he should have written is, ‘I should get out more. Maybe visit an art gallery to look at some sublime 19th-century Caspar David Friedrich paintings, feed the ducks by the pond and catch an awesome movie.’ He should have examined non-verbal communication a little more, swapped a picture for a thousand words and explored a few more sensations. But who am I to tell him what to do? If I had he’d clearly have misinterpreted me.

Pictures and drawings are the first communication tools of architects and designers. We add fly-through videos and computer graphic images to the toolbox when it comes to selling a design idea to a client or a planning committee. But the basic processes of exploring ideas and developing a mature design involve drawing and modelling. An architect friend of

Even with pictures and fly-through videos there is enough potential for error

mine is so worried about the accuracy of his drawings in conveying an idea he always starts his first client meeting with a blunt soft pencil so his sketches stay a bit ambiguous. He prefers his pictures, at least at the beginning, to convey maybe just 50 words and one loose idea.

As an aside, making television programmes is more journalistic. The words must be honed down to convey a sequence of ideas, a story, and luckily enough there are moving pictures to go with that story. Because it is primarily a visual medium, everyone remembers the building and the people. No one remembers their names or the words.

The same goes for this column. I’ll be lucky if 10 per cent of Grand Designs magazine readers have got to this point in the text. If you have, congratulations and thank you. Most of us, me included, just look at the pictures and then maybe read the captions if we’re really interested.

But even with pictures and flythrough videos there is enough potential for error and deceit to fill a Pink Panther movie. The truth is that architecture is a discipline of translation, where ideas are made manifest in tangible finished objects. Where the differing hopes,

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 19

EXCLUSIVE COLUMN

dreams and ambitions of architects, clients and planners are turned into tangible things. So there’s plenty of room for miscommunication and the misalignment of views. This is where emotional attachments come to the fore and the potential for disagreement and disappointment is highest.

And so, to avoid the disappointment, architects turn to every communication tool they can find. As the detailed drawings are produced so the pencils are sharpened to laser precision and the words become more important.

On a detailed section you might find interminable sentences that are not meant for you. They run something like this: ‘15mm board over 2mm neoprene sound deadening foam over 50x100mm joists over 200mm Supa Blocco or similar over Fabbyplacky dp membrane or similar to BS123.456778 (amended) over screed as specified by others over blinding to engineer’s specifications over rubble’. Compelling stuff with an elegant turn of phrase, one that is repeated and repeated. It presumably goes on ‘over clay subsoil over 4.5-billion-year-old carboniferous limestone over 9km x indeterminable width Earth’s crust (amended) over mantle over loads of magma or similar over iron and aluminium-rich core’.

This is technical stuff in necessary technical language. Part of what we expect from architects is the ability to communicate with drawings and models; to express the verbally inexpressible; to capture the briefs we set them and deliver them back to us as fully formed visions that can be built, as opposed to simply imagined. We also Nathan and Amye Marshall built a Dutch barn-style house in Lincolnshire

Architects have to be masters of the pencil and the pen

Part of what we expect from architects is the ability to express the verbally inexpressible expect them to communicate to builders precisely, in detail, with words and pictures, how something is going to be constructed. They should be masters of the pencil and the pen.

So it is gratifying that those who have a sense of humour, and an ability to spin words to poetically and inspiringly bring an idea to life, are the ones to succeed. Architecture may be a highly disciplined job of arranging and

reorganising technical elements, of planning layouts and sequencing, but it is no slave to numbers or materials, or even the construction process. It serves people – you and me. It is there to improve our environment and help look after us. In a built world that can be clumsily ambiguous and easily misinterpreted, the greatest buildings are those that speak to us clearly, eloquently and beautifully.

TV’s Grand Designs is looking for exciting projects to feature on the programme.

Does your build fit the bill? To apply, please visit granddesigns.tv

20 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

MAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY LORENZO CAFARO

ARE YOU PLANNING A ?

HOMES EAST SUSSEX

A new vintage The dream of owning a vineyard led one family to put down roots in the South Downs, replacing a collection of old farm buildings with a modern country home WORDS AMY FREARSON PHOTOGR APHY JIM STEPHENSON

A glazed orangery wraps around the central tower, which was designed to look like a grain silo in tribute to an old farm building nearby

IN BRIEF –

LOCATION Ditchling, East Sussex TYPE OF PROPERTY Detached new-build BEDROOMS 6 PROJECT STARTED September 2015 PROJECT FINISHED April 2017 SIZE 830sqm LAND COST £850,000 BUILD COST £1,000,000

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 23

A

group of unremarkable barns and brick sheds was the starting point for the house that Sam and Ben Ellis have built in the East Sussex village of Ditchling, on the edge of the South Downs. One of these old agricultural buildings already had planning consent for conversion to a home, so the couple were confident they could convince the planners to swap them for a house of similar size. The estate came with 13 acres that gave Sam and Ben the chance to realise a long-held ambition: to establish their own vineyard in an area that is already a destination for winemakers.

‘We couldn’t have had a better opportunity,’ says Ben. ‘The South Downs has got the same seam of chalk as the Champagne region of France and the conditions are actually better here because of the way the climate is shifting.’

The project was a long time coming. Sam, 47, and Ben, 48, first met 23 years ago when they were working as chartered town planners at a major consultancy in London.

Two of their daughters – Georgia, 18, and Ollie, 15 – were born while they were still in the city, but the arrival of Eva, 13, prompted them to move to the country. They settled in Lewes where Ben, now working in property development, had recently completed a project. And with their combined experience in the construction industry, it wasn’t long before they started thinking about building their own home.

Pivoting timber doors allow light into the swimming pool courtyard when the sun has dropped below the level of the garden wall

24 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

MAGAZINE.COM

HOMES EAST SUSSEX

Thirteen acres gave Sam and Ben the opportunity to realise a long-held ambition: to establish their own vineyard

Ben, Georgia and Sam soak up the sun in the swimming pool courtyard, which includes an outdoor dining area

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 25

HOMES EAST SUSSEX

The couple have their architect, Lap Chan of Brighton-based Morgan Carn Architects, to thank for finding the plot that made it possible. Lap, who had collaborated with Ben on other developments, was involved in the previous planning application for this site, but he also sits on the South Downs’ Design Review Panel so he understood what kind of scheme might be considered acceptable.

The plan for the new house came together quickly because it had to follow the footprint of the demolished buildings.

The large barns, which were unsuitable for conversion, were replaced with a series of rectilinear blocks that form the three wings of house, set at right angles to one another so that they create a pair of courtyards. A separate block on the site of a former piggery includes Ben’s office. The original plan was to renovate this brick-walled building, but it later turned out to be beyond repair, so they replaced it.

The central section of the house maintains a barn-like character thanks to its double-height ceiling, giving the family a light-filled kitchen and dining space. The wing branching off to the south contains Sam and Ben’s bedroom, utility rooms, a garage and gym. In the north wing are the girls’ bedrooms, guest rooms, a study for Sam and various living spaces including a movie room.

The architecture brings together the family’s love of modern design with local agricultural building styles, and uses materials such as flint, brick and painted cedar.

The standout feature is a zinc-clad corner tower designed

ABOVE The driveway leading towards the house, with the main entrance to the right and a pond to the left.

The lower sections of the building are clad in traditional Sussex flint, with black-painted cedar above 26 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

MAGAZINE.COM

The double-height dining space gives way to a kitchen that sits under the main en suite and is organised around a large island

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 27

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MAGAZINE.COM

HOMES EAST SUSSEX A glazed walkway connecting the upstairs spaces overlooks the living area RIGHT The orangery has a custom-made bar with a copper worksurface and timber shelves

F L O O R PL A N S BEDROOM

VOID

VOID

GARAGE

PLANT ROOM

VOID

VOID

VOID

VOID

STUDY BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM

FIRST FLOOR LARDER

KITCHEN

STORE UTILITY

BOOT ROOM

GYM

WC

DINING COURTYARD

POOL

LIVING AREA

BEDROOM

ORANGERY

SNUG MOVIE ROOM

GROUND FLOOR

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 29

HOMES EAST SUSSEX

Pocket doors open to reveal a grand spiral staircase in the tower.

A lighting consultant helped to ensure the space stays bright whatever the weather

30 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

MAGAZINE.COM

Sam’s study is on the mezzanine above the snug. It is lit by a row of reclaimed industrial pendants

to look like a grain silo, but which Ben calls the rocket ship. It was inspired by an old farmstead Lap had seen nearby. ‘When you have a house that zigzags, the problem is always what to do with the internal corner,’ he explains.

‘The tower gave us an opportunity to celebrate this space.’

As well as a glazed orangery facing the rear patio, this part of the house contains the entrance lobby and stairwell, and gives the house a natural centre. There are two additional staircases, one in each wing.

Despite Sam and Ben’s property development knowledge, they ended up going over schedule and budget. One issue that they hadn’t anticipated was the impact of rainwater runoff from the Downs, which caused a major disruption during the groundworks. The couple had chosen underfloor heating and wanted it fed sustainably via a system of ground-source heat pumps. But the excavations completely filled up with water and had to be pumped out.

Extra time was also spent perfecting the details, such as adding triple basins to the bathroom shared by

the couple’s three daughters and designing a series of pivoting timber doors for the swimming pool courtyard.

These provide privacy and shelter, and allow the space to be warmed by the late-afternoon sun. ‘When you’re a developer you’re constantly looking at the bottom line,’ says Ben. ‘But your heart rules your head when you do your own home,’ adds Sam. Since the family moved in, their winemaking has evolved from a hobby into a fully fledged business. They planted 11,500 vines in May 2016 and have recently added another 16,500, with varieties including pinot noir, chardonnay and meunier all positioned according to their soil and drainage requirements. They have also added an extra building for winemaking, which will double as a wine-tasting space for customers.

Ben and Sam hope to launch their first sparkling wine vintage on the Everflyht brand in early 2022, an occasion that will doubtless double as a celebration of everything they have built together.

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 31

HOMES EAST SUSSEX

The shower screen in Sam and Ben’s en suite is custom-made.

The door is a sliding barn-style design

S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Morgan Carn Architects (morgancarn.com) Landscape architect Natalie Holder Garden Design (natalieholdergardendesign.co.uk) Technology consultant Ivor Knox (ivorknox.com) Lighting consultant Studio EG (studioeg.co.uk)

32 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

STRUCTURE Ground-source heat pump Nicholls Boreholes (nichollsboreholes.co.uk) Concrete floors Steyson Granolithic (steysonconcretefloors.co.uk) External doors and windows Velfac (velfac.co.uk) Internal steel walls and doors, walk-in shower Fabco (fabcosanctuary.com) Bar W&S Building Contractors (wandsbuildingcontractors.co.uk)

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Metal spiral staircases British Spirals and Castings (britishsc.co.uk) Swimming pool Waterstream (waterstream.co.uk), Compass Pools (compass-pools.co.uk) FIXTURES AND FITTINGS Woodburning stoves Bolney Stoves (bolneystoves.co.uk) Showers Lefroy Brooks (uk.lefroybrooks.com) Toilets and baths West One Bathrooms (westonebathrooms.com)

Other bathroom fittings CP Hart (cphart.co.uk) Main en suite tiles Fired Earth (firedearth.com) Patio tiles Stone Republic (stonerepublic.com) Kitchen worksurface P Challen (pchallen.co.uk) FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES Orangery armchairs Heal’s (heals.com) Study pendant lights Holloways of Ludlow (hollowaysofludlow.com)

A long, narrow rooflight runs the length of Sam and Ben’s bedroom to ensure that the space is well lit yet private

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 33

HOMES NOTTINGHAMSHIRE The dark-stained cedar cladding boards on the extension have been fitted at a 45-degree angle

Stepping out Demolishing a garage and replacing it with a striking side extension has generated valuable space in this family home WORDS K AREN WILSON PHOTOGR APHY K ATIE LEE

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 35

HOMES NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

To avoid damage to the patio, the builder removed the sandstone slabs and replaced them when the work was finished

36 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

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O

nce they had started a family, Nye and Emma Smith were keen to move back from Carlton, east Nottinghamshire, to the West Bridgford area of the city where they had both grown up.

‘We wanted a project and this detached 1920s house ticked all the boxes,’ says Nye, 38, a director of business development for a cosmetics company, who bought the property in 2015 with Emma, 39, a market intelligence and strategy development manager. ‘It was a probate sale and very dated, but it was affordable and on the perfect road in the catchment area of some good schools,’ says Nye. ‘It stood on a corner plot and had an integral garage on one side and a detached garage on the other, which we knew gave it scope for future extension.’

The couple and their son Huey, seven, lived with Nye’s mum for nine weeks during the refurbishment, which included knocking through the kitchen and dining rooms, replacing the bathroom and redecorating throughout.

IN BRIEF –

LOCATION West Bridgford, Nottingham TYPE OF PROPERTY Detached 1920s house BEDROOMS 4 PROJECT STARTED December 2019 PROJECT FINISHED June 2020 SIZE 185sqm PROPERTY COST £372,500 BUILD COST £150,000

‘We wanted a project,’ says Nye, ‘and this detached 1920s house ticked all the boxes’ Three years later, after the birth of their daughter Bea, five, they drew up plans for a 40sqm single-storey extension that would create a new living space opening off the kitchen. They considered knocking through into the integral garage next to the kitchen but, having lived in the house for a while, felt it made more sense to demolish the other garage instead and build the extension there.

‘We wanted to add a simple, modern box on the side of the house,’ says Emma. ‘This would also give better access to an underused area of the garden.’

The couple heard about Nottingham-based architect James Brindley of Design Haus Architecture via a network of local parents. ‘We didn’t want an architect who would get carried away with ideas and budget,’ says Emma. ‘James was really practical, he stuck to the brief and he wasn’t over the top with his suggestions.’

Nye had already drafted some rough plans. ‘I’d drawn the extension flush with the back of the house, but James stepped everything out by a metre to give the extension extra presence,’ says Nye. ‘He got the proportions just right, especially the ceiling height and the size of the openings and skylights.’ A flat roof was chosen to streamline rainwater management, allowing the extension’s main walls to be uninterrupted by pipes.

To make the design easier to visualise, James used virtual reality headsets to give Nye and Emma a preview

In a quiet corner of the living area this blue mid-century armchair was an eBay find.

The couple’s joiner repurposed some 1950s wardrobe doors to create the cupboard behind MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 37

HOMES NOTTINGHAMSHIRE of the project. Once the build was underway, the only element that changed was swapping a window for a bespoke bookcase wall. ‘We didn’t make any mistakes because it felt as if we’d already been inside,’ says Emma.

It wasn’t all plain sailing, though, as their first builder pulled out two weeks before the start date, resulting in a frantic search for a new contractor and a four-month delay. ‘It was all hands on deck to find a replacement,’ says Emma. ‘Eventually we struck lucky and met Charlie Walker, with whom we had a good rapport. It was a gamble as we didn’t view any of his work, but we’d had good recommendations and he did a great job, even building a temporary internal wall across the dining room so we didn’t have to move out while work progressed.’

Despite steel shortages, extreme weather and the challenges of Covid-19, the build took just six months.

‘Luckily the windows were installed a week before lockdown, making it watertight,’ says Emma. ‘We thought everything would grind to a halt, but as restrictions became clearer, there was a carefully planned schedule for the second fix, with only one trade in the house at a time.’

F L O O R PL A N S

BEDROOM

BEDROOM

BEDROOM BEDROOM BATHROOM

FIRST FLOOR

GARAGE

LIVING ROOM

LIVING AREA

WC

UTILITY

KITCHEN

DINING AREA

PATIO

GROUND FLOOR

38 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

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Emma and Nye relax in the living area, where a large jute rug softens the concrete flooring

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 39

HOMES NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

Sliding doors lead out to a raised deck from the living area. The couple have owned the oak dining table for nearly two decades

40 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

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A fireplace and hearth were removed, leaving a gap in the original parquet floor, which was filled with ceramic tiles in similar proportions

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 41

Double doors open up views from the living room to the garden.

They also allow it to be screened off for privacy when required

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HOMES NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

In the living room window sits a Buddha from the couple’s first backpacking trip 20 years ago

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 43

A throw used as a wall hanging picks up the colours of the stained-glass windows at the top of the stairs

‘Luckily the windows were installed a week before lockdown, making it watertight’ Choosing the flooring was perhaps the couple’s most difficult decision. ‘We wanted a finish that would work with underfloor heating while complementing the parquet in the original part of the house,’ says Emma. ‘Rather than choosing modern parquet to blend in with the old, we opted for polished concrete in the extension which works really well.’

The project finished around £3,000 over budget, partly because deeper foundations were requested by Building Control due to a magnolia tree in the garden.

The couple also spent slightly more than anticipated on new furniture. ‘I was diligent and made it a challenge every night to check on the finances,’ says Nye. The couple agree that the extension has transformed their family life. ‘Each part of the house now has its own distinct purpose,’ says Emma. ‘The open-plan area is for reading, relaxing and playing games, while the old living room is more for TV watching in the evenings. The new extension will be a great party space and we can’t wait to enjoy it with our family and friends.’

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HOMES NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

The couple’s bed fits neatly into the bay window. Yellow accessories link the space to the living room below

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 45

HOMES NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

In the first-floor family bathroom this mahogany chest of drawers has been adapted to hold two basins

S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Design Haus Architecture (designhausarchitecture.co.uk) Building contractor Walker Building Services (07917 006459) Garden landscaping Exigo Landscapes (07809 887750) STRUCTURE Windows and doors Casa Aluminium (07495 484666)

46 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

Joinery and bookcases Close Joinery (07432 273917) Cedar cladding Brooks Bros (brookstimber.com) FIXTURES AND FITTINGS Kitchen Howdens (howdens.com) Bathroom Forrest Plumbing (forrestplumbingnottingham.co.uk) Flooring Carrcrete Polished Concrete (concretefloorpolisher.co.uk)

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Lighting John Lewis (johnlewis.com), Made (made.com) Exterior stain Sansin (sansin.co.uk) FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES Dining table, chairs, stools and coffee table Arthur Johnson & Sons (arthurjohnson.co.uk) Patio furniture La Redoute (laredoute.co.uk) Sofas Made, Long Eaton Sofas (longeatonsofas.com) Day bed Pash Classics (pash-classics.com)

Curtains Hillarys (hillarys.co.uk) Artwork Alarah Gee (tappancollective.com) Bed Dwell (dwell.co.uk) Kangaroo lounge chair Six The Residence (sixtheresidence.co.uk) Rugs Haz Interiors (hazinteriors.com), Benuta (benuta.co.uk) Desk Ikea (ikea.com) Landing wall hanging Slow Down Studio (slowdownstudio.com)

BATHROOM TAPS, SHOWERS AND ACCESSORIES HANDMADE, POLISHED AND PLATED IN ENGLAND WWW.SWADLINGBRASSWARE.CO.UK

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HOMES HAMPSHIRE Tara, Ada and Nick inside the glazed link. The steps help to overcome the gradient between the two barns

Two into one One couple linked together two disused barns with a glazed walkway, creating a spacious home with echoes of its agricultural past WORDS JANE CRITTENDEN ST YLING MARISHA TAYLOR PHOTOGR APHY JAMES FRENCH

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 49

HOMES HAMPSHIRE

IN BRIEF –

LOCATION Tadley, Hampshire TYPE OF PROPERTY Converted barns BEDROOMS 4 PROJECT STARTED August 2018 PROJECT FINISHED April 2019 SIZE 225sqm LAND COST £600,000 BUILD COST £1,300 per sqm

50 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

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F

inding two 1950s barns in a quiet rural setting was the beginning of an adventure for interior architect Nick Jordan, 38, and his wife Tara, 33, a teacher. Though the couple moved out of London in search of more space, they didn’t intend to take on a project of quite such a scale, let alone live in a caravan on site for the duration of the build.

‘Mindful of my commute into London, and that we needed to be close to family in Oxford and Bournemouth, we focused our search on an area around Basingstoke in Hampshire,’ says Nick. ‘None of the houses we viewed was quite right. But I was smitten with the barns straightaway as they offered us a unique opportunity.’

The 1.4-acre plot came with two disused single-storey farm buildings – one long and narrow, the other square – built in blockwork with steel-framed asbestos roofs.

Planning permission was already in place for them to be clad in featherboard and connected to one another via a glazed corridor. From the outset, Nick wanted to push this design even further.

In October 2017, once the couple had put in an offer on the barns, Nick redrew the plans with guidance from architects he knew through work. He paid attention to the window placement and views as well as the layout.

‘Tara and I wanted a contemporary look with lots of glass, and took our design cues for the black vertical

The glazed link is a glass box with a flat roof. When the sun shines the polished concrete floor warms up, slowly releasing its heat during the evening

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 51

A steel A-frame marks the end of the kitchen and the beginning of the boot room and utility area, which is hidden behind a tall bank of cupboards 52 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

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HOMES HAMPSHIRE

Finished in white Osmo oil, the bespoke plywood kitchen doors are fitted to off-theshelf Ikea carcasses.

Task lighting runs on a track above

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 53

Nick made the dining table by fitting hairpin legs to scaffolding boards. The flexes on the pendant lights were measured so they hang in a straight line, despite the sloping ceiling

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HOMES HAMPSHIRE

The living area is next to the glass link, which is wide enough to be used as another space to sit and relax

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 55

HOMES HAMPSHIRE

cladding and corrugated roofing from local agricultural buildings,’ he explains. ‘We liked the glazed link in principle, but increased the width to 3.2m so it was less of a corridor and more of a useful living space.’

Nick kept the bedrooms and bathrooms arranged side by side down the long barn, moving the main bathroom closer to the glazed link. But the couple didn’t like that the original plans had separated the square barn into several rooms with a mezzanine above. ‘The best thing about this building is its high ceiling, so we decided to keep it as one large, open-plan kitchen, dining and living space,’ Nick says. ‘This way we can properly appreciate its structure.’

Another issue with the original design was its small windows. ‘The barn has uninterrupted views and is not overlooked, so we felt big windows and doors would tie the buildings to the landscape,’ says Nick. ‘Glazing was also a way to create a visual connection between the living spaces. The narrow vertical window in the living area allows us to see across the courtyard to the long barn.

Without it the house would feel quite different.’

Nick called on his friend John McSweeney, a structural engineer, and was pleased to hear that the barns were in good shape, with solid blockwork walls, concrete floors

F L O O R PL A N

BEDROOM DINING AREA

BATHROOM

KITCHEN AREA

LIVING AREA

BOOT ROOM

BEDROOM

BEDROOM

BATHROOM

BEDROOM

56 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

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Concealed LEDs emphasise the angled ceiling in the family bathroom.

Nick made the vanity unit from plywood ABOVE LEFT Vertical grooves were routed into the door of the family bathroom, echoing the pattern of the external cladding

At one end of the long barn the main bedroom features a restful palette of warm whites and pale greys

S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Design Nick Jordan (studio-jordan.com) Structural engineer Michael Alexander (maengineers.com)

Roofing Cladco Roofing (cladco.co.uk) Bi-fold doors and windows Idealcombi (idealcombi.com)

STRUCTURE All steelwork Able Steelwork and Metalwork (ablesteelandmetal.com) Timber cladding Millworks (millworks.co.uk)

58 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

FIXTURES AND FITTINGS Kitchen cupboard doors Croftons Interiors (croftoninteriors.com) Kitchen cupboard handles Buster + Punch (busterandpunch.com)

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Worksurface Houseworks London (houseworkslondon.com) Bathrooms Lusso Stone (lussostone.com) Tiles and shower tray Parkside (parkside.co.uk) Lighting Wever & Ducré (weverducre.com), Ikea (ikea.co.uk),

Etsy (etsy.co.uk), Pooky (pooky.com) FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES Sofas West Elm (westelm.co.uk), eBay (ebay.co.uk) Cushions Sourced by Holly (sourcedbyholly.co.uk)

HOMES HAMPSHIRE

and footings built into strong, stable chalk ground. The front wall of the long barn needed reinforcing with a steel beam and two supporting blockwork walls inside, while new steel-framed roofs replaced the old.

By the time the sale was complete in March 2018, the couple were ready to submit their planning application, which was approved without a hitch in July. Work began the following month, with a project manager taking charge after Nick struggled to find a suitable building contractor.

Once the building was watertight, Nick and Tara decided to take over the project management themselves as they weren’t entirely happy with the standard of work already completed. ‘The conversion was a big deal for us,’ explains Nick. ‘We wanted enthusiastic workers and a high-quality finish.’

By then the couple’s daughter, Ada, aged two, had been born, and life with a baby in a caravan during winter

had become stressful. Luckily, some kind neighbours suggested they made a temporary move into their annexe.

But finding good trades was still a problem. Nick discovered the battens for the external cladding hadn’t been attached straight and the work had to be redone. ‘The cladding was a huge part of the design,’ he says. ‘I’d spent hours working out the spacing of the timbers and I needed the plan to be followed precisely. A family friend came on board with a colleague and they did a brilliant job.’

Inside the barns, a palette of natural materials and neutral colours, along with polished concrete flooring and a creative use of plywood, allow the high ceilings and countryside views to take centre stage. ‘We like having a glass of wine in the glazed link or a cup of coffee on the window seat in the living area,’ says Nick. ‘These moments allow us to see the house from a different perspective and appreciate it all over again.’

ABOVE Windows on three sides of the bedroom give views of the countryside, while a doorway by the bed leads to a dressing room and en suite

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 59

HOMES HAMPSHIRE As in the rest of the house, a shadow gap runs along the base of the walls in Ada’s bedroom in place of skirting boards

60 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

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HOMES LONDON

Heritage asset A carefully designed extension – half traditional, half modern – was the key to expanding this house while respecting its elegant architecture WORDS EMILY BROOKS PHOTOGR APHY AGNESE SANVITO

Reclaimed bricks on the first-floor extension contrast with the black ones on the new kitchendiner below

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 63

hen Pravin Dewdhory and Susan Suett bought their house in 2014 it was a seller’s market and speedy decisionmaking was critical. ‘We’d spent two years looking and missed out on five properties that went to sealed bids,’ recalls Pravin, 44, a senior production designer at Apple. ‘Demand was crazy in this part of Hackney,’ adds Susan, 42, a PR and communications manager. ‘As soon as our estate agent told us about this one, we went to see it one lunchtime and had a good feeling about it from the start.’

The couple, who were living in a nearby flat at the time, needed more space and were drawn to the house’s generous double reception room, its original features, and the large, tranquil garden. They also saw the potential to extend in the future, but it wasn’t until the arrival of their children Lucas, six, and Albie, five, that they began to think about their plans more seriously.

The first-floor bathroom was tiny, but the real issue was the kitchen. ‘It felt separated from the main living area and there was no connection with the garden, apart from a tiny little window and side door,’ says Susan. ‘We wanted to make the kitchen an open space with plenty of room for the whole family.’

They met architect Jonathan Hagos of Freehaus as part of a design day organised by New London Architecture, and were impressed by his knowledge

W

ABOVE The house is thought to date from around 1840. The putty-coloured front door and sash windows were installed when the couple first bought it

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IN BRIEF –

LOCATION Dalston, east London TYPE OF PROPERTY Victorian terrace BEDROOMS 3 PROJECT STARTED January 2019 PROJECT FINISHED June 2019 SIZE 152sqm HOUSE COST £965,000 BUILD COST £326,000

HOMES LONDON

Pravin and Susan in the kitchen. A chimney breast was removed to make room for the bespoke cupboards

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 65

HOMES LONDON

ABOVE A section of overhead glazing above the dining area provides views of a mature sycamore tree

66 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

of conservation area projects such as theirs. Freehaus worked with a heritage consultant to see what might be feasible, and its plans for a ground-floor and first-floor extension passed on appeal.

The first-floor extension is in keeping with the Victorian fabric of the building, using reclaimed brick and featuring a period-style sash window. It may be a modest size, but Jonathan says it has ‘unlocked the house’, creating a better balance of space upstairs and down, and making room for a generous family bathroom.

In contrast, the ground-floor extension, which also fills the side return, is contemporary in style. Made from MAGAZINE.COM

‘We wanted to make the kitchen an open space with room for the whole family’

An oak bench with plenty of storage underneath draws the eye towards the oriel window where Lucas plays

F L O O R PL A N S

BEDROOM

BEDROOM BATHROOM BEDROOM

BATHROOM

FIRST FLOOR

LIVING ROOM

DINING AREA

STUDY CLOAK ROOM KITCHEN STORAGE

WC

GROUND FLOOR

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 67

ABOVE Looking from the extension to the study and the living room beyond.

The joiner crafted the cupboards at the end of the bench

68 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

black brick and with a green roof, it steps back slightly where the side return used to be and slopes away at the roof, satisfying planning guidelines that any new addition should be subservient to the original house.

Inside, there’s a run of overhead glazing above the dining area, and views are created by a generous opening between the reception room and the kitchen, and then outside via an oriel window.

‘That window is a key feature,’ says Susan. ‘It draws your attention all the way through to the garden. The kids love it and sit in there with their toys, and when we’re entertaining it’s an extra seat at the head of the table.’

MAGAZINE.COM

Although the kitchen-diner is the most noticeable change, lots of smaller adjustments make more efficient use of the space elsewhere. A chimney breast was removed from the old back bedroom to make way for a new bathroom, and in the new back bedroom – now pushed out into the first-floor extension – the ceiling has been opened up to rafter level. Downstairs, a little-used bathroom was converted to a generous cloakroom, with a small WC now tucked under the stairs.

The couple didn’t have to go far to find their main contractor as the company had worked on the neighbouring house and came highly recommended.

HOMES LONDON

A new rooflight brightens the landing.

The floorboards have been stripped and subtly lightened by adding white paint to the lacquer

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 69

S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Freehaus (freehausdesign.com) Main contractor Magnibuild (magnibuild.co.uk) Structural/civil engineer Our Building Design (ourbuildingdesign.wixsite.com/ourbuildingdesign) Approved inspector Quadrant AI (quadrantai.co.uk) Heritage consultant Fuller Long (fullerlong-heritageconsultants.com) Cost consultant Trogal Griffin Associates (trogalgriffin.com) SAP calculation SAP Easy (sapeasy.co.uk) STRUCTURE Extension brick Ibstock (ibstockbrick.co.uk) Rooflights, sliding door and oriel window Maxlight (maxlight.co.uk)

ABOVE In the family bathroom the pipework has been boxed in, creating a shelf for plants and toiletries. A drawer under the basin provides extra storage BELOW Large-format floor and wall tiles and contemporary fittings give a streamlined look that suits the couple’s love of minimalist style

FIXTURES AND FITTINGS Bathroom sanitaryware Lusso Stone (lussostone.com) Bathroom tiles Domus (domusgroup.com) Bathroom taps Crosswater (crosswater.co.uk) Lighting Flos (flos.com), Louis Poulsen (louispoulsen.com), Foscarini (foscarini.com), Menu (menuspace.com), Fritz Hansen (fritzhansen.com), Normann Copenhagen (normann-copenhagen.com) Kitchen joinery Big Little Projects (biglittleprojects.com) Kitchen worksurface The Marble & Granite Centre (themarbleandgranitecentre.co.uk) Kitchen appliances Miele (miele.co.uk) Hot water tap Quooker (quooker.co.uk) Timber flooring Ted Todd (tedtodd.co.uk) Underfloor heating Nu-Heat (nu-heat.co.uk) Green roof Bauder (bauder.co.uk) FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES CPH30 dining table Hay (hay.dk) Paint Little Greene (littlegreene.com) Eos garden dining table and benches Case (casefurniture.com)

They rented a property a few doors away while the build was in progress, which enabled them to pop in every day and make sure the work stayed on track.

Freehaus suggested a separate specialist joinery company to achieve the level of craftsmanship the couple were after in the kitchen. ‘The joiner, Joshua DuMond of Big Little Projects, was absolutely amazing,’ says Susan.

‘He was so enthusiastic and caring. We had put a lot of effort into planning the look of the kitchen, and he treated the project as if he were in his own house.’

The result is a calm and welcoming home that feels beautifully crafted yet practical enough to cope with the rough and tumble of family life. ‘It was a huge learning curve because we’d never done anything like this before,’ says Pravin. ‘But I’d definitely recommend working with an architect. For us it was a wonderfully collaborative process.’

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HOMES LONDON Albie’s room is in the first-floor extension at the back. The shutters were reclaimed from a renovation project that was carried out

by Susan’s brother

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 71

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PROJECTS GRAND BUILD

Before sign-off, make sure that all the light fittings and plug sockets work

All present and correct Make vital final snagging and paperwork checks before moving into your self-build There are a few essential steps to take once the building, decorating and installation work of your home is pretty much finished. This is because you will need a formal completion certificate from your local authority before you can move in. It shows that the

main stages of the building works have been finished to a satisfactory standard and that all the conditions of planning permission and Building Regulations have been successfully met.

Ready for inspection You should have been given a guide completion date by your contractor – ideally it will have been written into your building contract. Once that date is reached and your home is nearly ready to be moved

in to, your contractor should notify you or your surveyor, project manager or homebuilding package supplier that the property requires an inspection.

If everything is in place for handover, the formal application to the local authority can be made for the official completion certificate to be produced. This is one of the most important official documents you’ll be given during your self-build. Without it, your project is not proven

to be built and finished to a satisfactory standard and you won’t officially be allowed to live in it.

The certificate doesn’t prove that there aren’t any hidden problems and it isn’t an insurance cover, but if you ever decide to sell your home, the buyer will ask to see this documentation. You should also bear in mind that you won’t be able to apply to HMRC to reclaim VAT without one. Inspection will usually involve a visit MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 77

PROJECTS GRAND BUILD

Flooring should be level to within a few millimetres and shouldn’t creak excessively

and a look around the site, plus the testing of equipment to see that it all works properly.

If you wish to move into the property before the completion certificate is issued, you can do so, but you’ll need to arrange for a Building Control officer to inspect it with a view to issuing you a temporary occupancy certificate.

any manufacturers’ warranty certificates. If a problem does occur in the future, the warranties may enable you to make a claim.

Important paperwork

Fault finder

You will also acquire many other certificates over the course of your self-build project – warranties, electrical safety and benchmark certificates, for example. And you’ll need to find an accredited domestic energy assessor to undertake an energy performance certificate (EPC). Go to epcregister.com for more details.

Ask your contractor or individual tradespeople for

Before you move in, there is one final job to complete: the snagging inspection. It should take place shortly after the completion certificate has been issued. It will involve you or your project manager (or both) walking around the house with your contractor, or individual trades, with both parties noting any defects. If done correctly, it will take quite a while, possibly a day. You may find it useful

78 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

It is an accepted practice in the building industry that you hold back around 2.5 to 5 per cent of the agreed contract price to cover for any snagging work

MAGAZINE.COM

to ask your architect to attend the inspection, to help with any debatable points.

It is an accepted practice in the building industry that you hold back around 2.5 to 5 per cent of the agreed contract price to cover any snagging work – although you should make sure that this is written into your contract at the start of the project. You will need to write a detailed list of everything that needs to be fixed and sorted out before you settle your contractor’s final bill.

If you don’t feel that the work on the list meets your standards, you’ll then have money to employ another

contractor to complete it, rather than paying out twice for the same tasks. If you’ve project managed and employed individual trades, you’ll need to negotiate the snagging process with each of them, which can sometimes be tricky as it may not be clear who is responsible for each particular problem.

Areas for consideration Possible faults to look out for Paintwork Check that all the painted surfaces are of a good standard.

Newly plastered walls will often require several coats of paint, for instance. If you notice any rough spots, the surface will need to be sanded down and repainted.

Heating Turn on the heating system and check everything is working

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PROJECTS GRAND BUILD

Look out for chips or scratches on external doors, particularly around the edges of the frame

WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT ISN’T? TV presenter, property expert and social entrepreneur Kunle Barker on how to deal with defects (kunlebarker.com) ● Identifying defects is an important process to get right at the end of a build.

Any problems overlooked could turn out to be costly to correct, so it’s vital that as many as possible are picked up at this stage. ● The National House Building

Council (nhbc.co.uk) has a useful guide to the industry standards for finishes, which outlines tolerances and guidelines for work such as tiling, brickwork, plastering and flooring. If anything falls outside of these tolerances and guidelines then you should insist that the works are rectified. ● But even these guidelines

properly. If any radiators fail to warm up evenly, they may need to be bled. Carry out a similar check on any wet underfloor heating. Are all the zones working and have they been connected to the thermostats properly?

Plumbing Run the taps to make sure they work and that the water from the hot tap is warming up.

Fill the sink and allow water to escape down the overflow.

Then empty the sink and check for leaks beneath it.

Kitchen Make sure all the cabinet drawers slide in and out smoothly and that the doors open and close – and align evenly when closed. Have all the shelves been fitted where they were supposed to be, are the tiles grouted and the kitchen sink area sealed?

PHOTOGRAPHY JACK HOBHOUSE, PAUL RYAN-GOFF, DARREN CHUNG

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You will need to write a detailed list of everything that needs to be fixed before you settle your contractor’s final bill

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Skirting boards Check that all the boards have been nailed on properly, filled in and then sanded and painted.

Carpets and flooring Are the floor tiles and carpets level and fixed securely?

Bathrooms Check that the tiles have been grouted, and that the basins and baths are sealed. Make sure plugs and light cords have been fitted and test the extractor fan.

Doors Open and shut all the doors, both internal and external, to make sure they all fit snugly.

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Ensure external locks are working, not just for security, but for insurance purposes.

Drainage Inspect the gutters and downpipes and make sure they are securely fixed and leak-free during rainfall and that all gullies and drains are free from debris.

Lighting Are all the fittings secure and working?

Electrics Use a plug-in night light to check that all sockets work.

Roof coverings Take a look to see if any tiles or slates are cracked or appear loose and that all lead flashings are complete and secure. Ask your roofer to take pictures of the finished work for you if you are unable to gain access to view it yourself.

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can be open to interpretation, so it’s always best to try and decide the things you will and won’t compromise on. This will help you to focus on what is really important in your home.

In the case of subjective defects, you may well be able to negotiate with your contractor. For more advice, go to nhbc.co.uk. ● It might also help you to

get your architect to be part of the inspection process. ● Be wary of asking another

builder for advice on checks for defects – they can be overzealous when it comes to evaluating other tradespeople’s work.

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MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 81

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10

Most memorable eco TV houses

Inspiring projects that show how, over the years, Grand Designers have pushed sustainable construction to its limits

1

Superlatives abound when it comes to describing each and every one of the 100-plus Grand Designs projects that have appeared on our screens over the years. They are all examples of obstacles faced and solutions found; of ingenuity, grit and determination; of homemaking dreams realised. This selection of some of the most outstanding eco-friendly buildings demonstrates what can happen when there’s a passion to create something exceptional.

SUSTAINABILITY PIONEERS To gain planning permission for their four-bedroom new-build, Helen Seymour-Smith of Seymour-Smith Architects (seymoursmith.co.uk) and her husband Chris, an architectural designer, built their house beneath a period hillside barn, making it all but invisible to passers-by.

The property is in the Cotswolds countryside and, at the time, the regulatory stipulations for rural areas

made allowances for such ‘groundbreaking designs’.

But even more exceptional was its certification as a Passivhaus – the first of its kind in England. Wrapped in foam insulation, the building has walls and a roof made of eco-friendly concrete panels which soak up and store heat, and its windows are triple-glazed with insulated frames. ‘Part of our reason for doing this was to show people it can be done,’ said Chris.

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 83

PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

2

HIGH THERMAL MASS When Richard Bennett

3

MEETING BUILDING STANDARDS Natasha

and Felicia Böhm bought a cavernous concrete underground reservoir near the Humber estuary in Yorkshire, they planned to harness the thermal properties of the ground to reduce their energy use.

Working to the principles of a low-carbon build, the couple recycled as much of the structure as possible, so the rubble from the roof was used to help fill in the

Cargill’s periscope-like two-bedroom home in rural Norwich, Norfolk, was subject to Paragraph 55 of the National Planning Policy Framework. Back in 2013, this meant that only the most architecturally innovative, energy-efficient, eco-friendly building would do.

The plan was to make the house sustainable from the foundations up. It sits on an insulated slab cast from eco concrete, where much of the cement content has been replaced by fly ash and waste from furnaces and power stations. The staircase is also made from this material, providing a thermal mass that absorbs and releases heat, warming the home in winter and cooling the building in the summer. The structure is timber-framed, skinned with fibre panels and stuffed with carbon-neutral insulation. An array of solar panels on the sedum roof supplies electricity.

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courtyard. Everything else, including the supporting steel pillars, was stripped out and sold for recycling.

The temperature inside the three-bedroom home is kept constant thanks to a whole house ventilation system.

In summer, the building is passively cooled by the high thermal mass of the concrete walls, and in colder months an 8.5kW air-source heat pump supplies a radiator circuit in the 1.2m-deep floor void.

‘Constructing an eco-friendly house on a 45-degree slope presented a unique challenge to balance function, performance and aesthetic’

4

TAMING THE TERRAIN The grassy

hillside in rural Derbyshire on which ecologist Fred Baker and his wife Saffron built their home was so steep that it was unsuitable for cows to graze on. ‘Constructing an eco-friendly house on a 45-degree slope presented a unique challenge to balance function, performance

and aesthetic,’ said project architect Matthew Lewis of Arkhi (arkhi.co.uk).

Local farmers quarried out limestone to create a base for the three-bedroom earth shelter house.

‘Solar energy is soaked up by the thermal mass of the building, which retains warmth through the year,’ said Fred. Clad in larch boards and local stone, the property now looks rooted in the landscape.

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 85

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PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

5

A NATURAL MARVEL It took Kevin McCabe nine years to complete his gargantuan east Devon home. Located in Ottery St Mary, the property includes a four-bedroom main house and a three-bedroom annexe linked by two sun spaces plus a greenhouse – a footprint of 1,250sqm in total.

The enormity of the task Kevin set himself is all the more astounding because the entire structure is made from cob, a labour-intensive mixture of clay, straw,

sand and water. Using it on such a scale had never been attempted before and drew interest from international experts and practitioners.

‘Properly built and correctly maintained, cob is the most comfortable material to live in as it regulates heat and humidity naturally,’ said cob building specialist Kevin (buildsomethingbeautiful.co.uk). ‘At the end of its life, which could be 1,000 years or more, it can meld back into the soil and be reused.’

6

SLOW-BUILD APPROACH

Ed and Rowena Waghorn spent more than a decade building their home, and there was still work to be done last time Grand Designs visited. ‘We’re awaiting an exciting bit of roof made from traditional copper shingles. I’m really looking forward to doing this,’ said Ed, who studied furniture and product design and constructed much of the house himself.

The five-bedroom timber-frame property in Herefordshire is the longestrunning project followed by Grand Designs. Features include a galleried hall with a window that has a frame made from a single tree. The building is mainly post and beam, with strawboard and rendered walls.

For Ed, Rowena and their four children, the project – finished or not – has been an integral part of their family life.

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 87

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PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

7

FEAT OF ENGINEERING With its arched roof,

this four-bedroom home by Richard Hawkes of Hawkes Architecture (hawkesarchitecture.co.uk) and his wife Sophie was a risky experiment – so risky that Richard admits it was the most challenging thing he’d ever built. The house used 26,000 locally made clay tiles glued together with plaster of Paris.

The insulation provided by a green roof was an essential element in achieving Passivhaus standard.

8

The timber frame is heavily insulated with a 300mm-thick layer of recycled newspaper pumped into the exterior walls, and sheep’s wool – chosen for its acoustic qualities – in the internal partitions. The entire structure is wrapped in a metallic fabric that is heat reflective, waterproof, yet vapour permeable and makes the building airtight. Doors leading outside have triple seals to prevent air leakage and contain a 50mm-thick air vacuum. Finally, the couple invested in triple-glazed, argon-filled windows, which have nifty inbuilt blinds to help control solar gain in the summer.

LOW-IMPACT CONVERSION

With no prior self-build experience, Ed and Vicky Versluys embarked upon converting a semi-derelict concrete and brick cowshed in Winsham, Somerset. An eco-savvy approach is writ large in this off-grid threebedroom home, which includes reclaimed timber floors and a north-facing roof of tiles made from recycled plastic bottletops.

The building is externally insulated and clad in agricultural timber board, with glulam beams and a weatherproofed laminated timber roof anchoring it to the exposed site.

A structural engineer helped with the roof span calculations. ‘We also had an architect on board to help us with the Building Regulations,’ admits Ed. A wood-burning stove and connected boiler caters for the heating needs of the 270sqm building, with ten photovoltaic roof panels and a wind turbine generating electricity. Following four unsuccessful attempts at drilling a borehole to bring in a water supply, the couple switched to a waterharvesting system.

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 89

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PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

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RECLAIMED, REUSED, RECYCLED Using

reclaimed materials, local stone and modern technology, Daren Howarth and Adi Nortje built a handcrafted house in Brittany, France, that enabled them to live off-grid. The project followed ten years of research into Earthship homes, which nestle snugly into the ground and are made of natural and recycled materials.

The walls of the three-bedroom house were constructed from a high thermal mass material that maintains an even temperature by absorbing the sun’s heat, releasing it when the weather cools. ‘We used old tyres and packed them with 150 tonnes of earth,’ said Daren. PV solar panels supply electricity and solar thermal tiles heat water. ‘It was great to see the technology come together as we were trying a lot of it for the first time,’ he explained.

PHOTOGRAPHY MATT CHISNALL, ANDY HASLAM, DARREN CHUNG, FIONA WALKER-ARNOTT, ANDREW WALL, CHRIS TUBBS, MARK BOLTON

10

A TINY TRIUMPH

With a plot measuring just 10x4m, architectural designer and Passivhaus consultant Joe Stuart (warehome.co.uk) built a third of his east London home underground.

The result is a piece of bijou brilliance, a 115sqm Passivhaus-accredited building set over three levels with a roof terrace.

Joe quit his job to work on the project, and was supported by his girlfriend Lina, a service designer, and his parents.

‘You really can live comfortably in a small space if it’s carefully considered at the design stage,’ says Joe. It may be the smallest two-bedroom house in London, but the property squeezes in two double bedrooms, a kitchen/dining/living area, snug, bathroom, wet room, studio, terrace, office and a spacious storage area.

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 91

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PROJECTS MEZZANINES

In a converted chapel in south-east London architecture practice Nikjoo (nikjoo.co.uk) designed a mezzanine encased in birch plywood with a kitchen below. See more of the project overleaf

Playing to the gallery Put overhead space to good use by creating an extra level. It’s a clever way of expanding your home without increasing its footprint

If you have extra-high ceilings or an unused loft, it might be possible to create a whole new room by converting this overhead space into a mezzanine. This is an intermediate floor that slots in between two storeys, or between the upper storey and the roof. It can be a simple, lightweight structure, or something more solid and multifunctional. Either way, it will help maximise the floor area in a new-build or renovation, creating extra room for a spare bedroom or home office.

WORDS AMY FREARSON

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 93

The right place It’s no coincidence that mezzanines are often found in renovation projects, particularly converted buildings such as schools, warehouses and barns, as older buildings are usually better equipped to deal with the extra weight of the structure.

‘Older buildings tend to have robust foundations, so you can justify the load increase,’ says Brian Constant of structural engineering firm Constant (constantsd.com). This doesn’t mean mezzanines are impossible in new-builds, but the roof may need to support some of the load, which can limit your options.

Getting the measurements right is crucial, particularly with tight dimensions, or you could end up with a space that feels cramped. As a general rule of thumb, a minimum head height of 2.2m is recommended both above and below your mezzanine, although you can make some allowances for sloping ceilings.

Leave plenty of room for a staircase and don’t forget to account for the depth of the new floor, which may be as much as 25cm.

RIGHT Nikjoo designed the deck as a home workspace with a desk built into the balustrade. Cantilevers help to maximise the size of the platform. The project cost £450,000, of which the mezzanine was around £48,000 BELOW This conversion of a school hall in Greenwich, south-east London, cost £235,000 and was designed by Paper House Project. A bespoke steel mezzanine and staircase, which cost around £20,000, creates an extra living area beneath the roof. A retractable skylight allows the space to also serve as a sundeck. The fluted balustrades act as privacy screens without blocking out the light. (paperhouseproject.co.uk)

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PROJECTS MEZZANINES

ABOVE This mezzanine forms part of a Devon barn conversion by architecture practice Casswell Bank. The entire project cost around £140,000. The balustrades are made from wooden spindles salvaged from the barn’s old hay racks. (casswellbank.com)

Follow the rules Unless it’s in a listed building, a mezzanine won’t require planning permission. But you will need to comply with Building Regulations, particularly regarding fire safety, which can be hard to navigate. ‘There are a lot of very

Unless it’s a listed building, a mezzanine won’t require planning permission. But you will need to comply with Building Regulations, particularly regarding fire safety

complicated rules about whether a mezzanine is a separate space, or whether it’s part of the room that it overhangs,’ says Brian. This can have major implications for the type of structure and materials you can use, so it’s worth discussing with an architect early on in the process.

Party walls are another important consideration. If the mezzanine will be attached to a shared wall, you need to notify your neighbour before you embark on any work. If they don’t provide written consent within 14 days, the next step is a legal process that is certain to cause delays if you aren’t prepared for it.

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 95

BEST OF THE BEST Why you can trust a Grand Designs magazine Premium Partner When you’re planning a self-build, renovation or home-improvement project, how do you know which companies to trust? A good tip is to choose brands that have Grand Designs magazine’s official stamp of approval. This takes the form of the prestigious Premium Partner scheme.

Grand Designs magazine has been providing ideas and advice

you can rely on for the past 20 years. In order to qualify for Premium Partner status, companies must represent similar levels of excellence across the board. The rigorous screening process starts with the magazine approvals team identifying, assessing and selecting suitable brands on a wide range of criteria. To pass, they must

demonstrate exemplary customer service, sustainable business practices and quality products – but most of all they must be trustworthy.

Look for the Premium Partner endorsement on adverts, websites and social media. If your company wants more information, contact joshua. mills@grand-designs.com.

PROJECTS MEZZANINES

Design for living Mezzanines are commonly used as bedrooms, particularly in open-plan homes or studio apartments, or to create a cosy snug or home office above the main living and dining space. Another popular option is to divide up a bedroom, so that a sleeping area is separate from a study or play space. Other configurations are possible too, but it’s best to avoid rooms that may involve too much weight, such as bathrooms or libraries.

Whatever you are planning, it’s wise to consider whether the space could serve another function in future and how easily it could be adapted if so. A spare bedroom that can be repurposed as a home office or classroom is highly valuable, as the Covid-19 pandemic showed. ‘You have to be quite clear about how you want to use the space,’ says architect James Davies of Paper House Project (paperhouseproject.co.uk), who recalls a case where the owners needed to retrofit a stair gate as they hadn’t considered that the design had to work for young children.

‘If a mezzanine doesn’t end up being used as you originally thought, you might wish you had done things differently.’

Privacy needs to be considered too. Unlike separate storeys, mezzanines offer connectedness to the rooms they sit above. While this can contribute to an overall sense of spaciousness, it also means there’s no acoustic separation. If this is a problem – for instance, if you’re planning a bedroom over a living room – then an open level such as this may not be the right solution for you.

ABOVE AND LEFT By installing a mezzanine bedroom over the living spaces of this loft apartment in Genoa, Italy, architecture studio Dodi Moss was able to create room for a new bathroom, concealed underneath.

The structure is designed to blend with the rest of the interior, so the walls are rendered in lime plaster. The project cost around £241,000. (dodimoss.eu)

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 97

Materials matter The type of structure that you select will have a big impact on the look and feel of the new level, so it’s important to involve a structural engineer as early in the process as possible.

‘The structural engineer will probably have just as much input on the aesthetics and the design as the architect,’ says James.

Timber can be used to create a structure that looks and feels like a solid piece of joinery, with opportunities for integrated shelving and storage areas. Steel mezzanines can look surprisingly lightweight and work well in industrial-style spaces, though steel flooring will always come with some bounce, especially if the panels incorporate perforations. Glass elements are also worth considering as they offer benefits in terms of light and visibility, but they will usually need to be fire-rated. If supporting columns and beams can’t be concealed, they can be treated as design features instead.

Finally, the more off-the-shelf components that you can include, the more affordable your mezzanine will be.

LEFT Francisco Sutherland Architects used a mezzanine to create an extra bedroom in a flat in Barbican, central London. Pivoting screens allow privacy for the new sleeping deck, which is accessed via a space-saving paddle staircase. The project cost £50,000. (franciscosutherland.com)

PHOTOGRAPHY RORY GARDINER, DAVID GRANDORGE, ANNA POSITANO, ANTON RODRIGUEZ, TIM CROCKER, JIM STEPHENSON

BELOW LEFT AND RIGHT This house renovation in Hampstead, north London, involved converting a dark rear courtyard into a new kitchen and dining room. A mezzanine was installed above, but was designed by M.OS Architects to be set back from the walls, so that light would still be able to filter all the way down to the ground floor. The entire project cost £250,000. (mos-a.com)

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PROJECTS MEZZANINES

ACCESS ALL AREAS Make sure the stairs to your mezzanine are both stylish and practical, says architect Alex Nikjoo (nikjoo.co.uk) ● The simplest and most

comfortable access is a standard staircase, but if space is tight you might need a spiral stair, paddle stair or a fixed loft ladder with handrails. Always keep practicality in mind, though, as if you’re using the room often you’ll want to ensure easy access. ● Think about the position

of your staircase. A staircase along the side will help to maximise the floor area, while positioning one in the middle of the mezzanine will divide the area into two distinct spaces. ● Ensure that your access

meets Part K of the Building Regulations. You should aim for a minimum head height of 2m, but you can reduce this to 1.9m over half the width of the stair if needed. ● The choice of materials will affect the overall aesthetic. A contrasting material or colour can help create a statement feature, while matching it to the wider design will help a mezzanine blend into the background.

Glass and steel give a sleek, modern look, while plywood or grating panels lend an industrial tone. Choose timber for a simple, warm feel. ● Accent lighting will

enhance your design, so consider illuminating the underside of the handrail or adding floor washer lamps or LED tape to add style and character.

What lies beneath The space underneath a new level is just as important as what’s on top. With a lower ceiling, this space will take on a new, more intimate character. In an open-plan living and dining room, for example, the mezzanine might serve as a room divider, separating a spacious dining area from a more secluded kitchen. In a bedroom, the base of the mezzanine structure could double as part of a desk or bench seat.

Alternatively, a concealed bathroom or storage area could be slotted in beneath.

Getting the lighting right is crucial too. Consider leaving a gap between the edge of the wall and the mezzanine, so that light can filter down from above.

Adding skylights can be a useful approach, but bear in mind that these will require planning approval.

ABOVE When he was asked to convert a Devon barn into an artist’s studio, architectural designer Thomas Randall-Page created a fully enclosed mezzanine to create an intimate work area in an otherwise open-plan warehouse. The cork-insulated Winter Studio can be heated independently from the rest of the space. (thomasrandallpage.com) MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 99

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For your chance to win Cedral products to the value of £1,000, see granddesignsmagazine.com/win. And for more information, visit cedral.world. Good luck!

100 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

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How to enter For a chance to win £1,000 of Cedral products, visit granddesignsmagazine.com and answer this question: What’s another term for shiplap cladding? a) New Jersey b) New England c) New Orleans

Competition open from 10 August to 10 October 2021

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PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE

This latex-backed flooring is made from pure jute.

Ju-Tweed Natural, £49 per sqm, Crucial Trading (crucial-trading.com)

FOCUS ON

Natural fibre flooring A well-prepared subfloor and expert fitting are key to a flawless finish WORDS AR ABELL A ST JOHN PARKER

Sisal, coir, seagrass and jute flooring bring texture and colour to a scheme. ‘The fibres blend beautifully with other natural materials,’ says Julian Downes of Fibre (fibreflooring.com). They all have good eco credentials as they are biodegradable and made from sustainably grown plants. Plus, they feel good underfoot. ‘The fibres are amazing to walk on, massaging your feet and giving a slight bounce,’ says Lorna Haigh of Alternative Flooring (alternativeflooring.com). ‘These floorings cost more, and take time and expertise to fit, but they’re beautiful to live with.’

THE GROUND RULES

Good site preparation is essential to ensure a perfect, long-lasting finish.

‘As with wood, natural fibres expand in humid conditions and shrink in dry ones, so your flooring has to be acclimatised inside your home for 48 hours before it is cut or laid,’ says Julian.

Ordering the right quantity and carrying out a precise cut requires a trained eye, and if lengths need to be joined together the position of the seams is crucial. Installation on a winding staircase, for example, will need careful planning. ‘Use a specialist fitter who can measure up as well as install the flooring correctly,’ advises Lorna. ‘They can also work out precisely how to get the most out of the widths, which can save unnecessary wastage.’

Unlike carpet, which is laid on to underlay before being stretched to fit a gripper around the floor’s edges, fibre flooring has to be stuck to the underlay before being glued to the subfloor – a process known as doublesticking. It is then tucked into the gully on the far side of the gripper to hold it in place. If this isn’t done properly, lumps and frayed edges can develop.

Bouclé’s regular loops give a refined look. Sisal Bouclé Braemere, £46.60 per sqm, Alternative Flooring (alternativeflooring.com)

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 101

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PRACTICAL CHOICE

Sisal dyes well, but is prone to staining. Sisal Bouclé Brockton, £46.60 per sqm, Alternative Flooring (alternative flooring.com)

Sisal is made from white fibres harvested from the leaves of the Agave sisalana plant. They are washed, dried, dyed and spun into yarn. This is turned into different weaves such as bouclé, which is made up of a series of loops, and Panama, which has a criss-cross pattern.

Sisal is particularly durable and blends well with other fibres including wool. It’s ideal for corridors and living spaces, but is not recommended for kitchens and bathrooms as it absorbs moisture quickly and shrinks as it dries.

‘The fleck in the fibres helps hide dirt and reflects the light, brightening gloomy spaces,’ says Julian. ‘It also works beautifully alongside stone tile and wood flooring, especially dark oak.’

Sisal is particularly durable and easily blended with other fibres including wool. It’s ideal for corridors and living spaces TOUGH AND TEXTURED

Grown in seawater-flooded fields, seagrass is dried after harvesting before being spun and woven, often as the warp to sisal’s weft. Due to its knots and slubs, it has a textured surface. It is hardwearing enough for most areas in the house, but its open weave makes it too slippery for stairs. It isn’t recommended for bathrooms either, as it can grow mould and mildew.

Ultra-thick coir is perfect for hightraffic areas. Coir Herringbone in Natural, from £23.50 per sqm, Sisal & Seagrass (sisal andseagrass.co.uk)

RUSTIC FINISH For a couple of months after it has been installed, newly laid seagrass will fill the space with the smell of freshly cut grass. Seagrass Herringbone weave, from £25.50 per sqm, Kersaint Cobb (kersaintcobb.co.uk)

Coir is made from coconut husks softened in sea water then crushed to reveal coarse fibres that are combed, dried and spun. Once bleached or dyed, it is woven into a flooring as durable as sisal. Hand-processed coir gives the best quality finish and is suitable for most rooms except kitchens and bathrooms as it’s prone to shrinking if it gets wet.

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 103

Herringbone is making a comeback.

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Order your free samples online exclusively at www.factory-direct-flooring.co.uk/aqua-plank

PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE

DELICATE WEAVE

Jute is made from the inner bark of the herbaceous annual Cochorous. It is woven into flooring suitable for low-traffic areas such as bedrooms or dressing rooms. ‘Jute tends to mark, but it works well as a rug to layer on top of other fibre or hard floorings,’ says interior designer Emma Sims-Hilditch of Sims Hilditch (simshilditch.com).

Jute is versatile and hypoallergenic. Jute Herringbone, £39.85sqm, Alternative Flooring (alternativeflooring.com)

A PERFECT FINISH Avoid these pitfalls when laying natural fibre flooring, says Lorna Haigh of Alternative Flooring (alternativeflooring.com) ● To prevent flooring looking

bumpy and lumpy, which will speed up wear and tear, it’s essential that the subfloor is smooth, clean, dry, dust free and prepared to British Standards 5325: 2001. ● Natural fibre flooring will

be among the first elements to suffer if there is any moisture nearby. Seagrass in particular can go mouldy in damp conditions, so check and prepare the area with great care before the flooring is delivered for acclimatisation. ● Sisal can initially be slightly

rough to the touch, but it softens with use. Look at the surface closely before you buy, though. A hairy finish means the sisal has been made with short staples of yarn, whereas good quality sisal is made with long staples that lie flat, even when cut. ● Sisal makes good runners

for staircases, or choose between sisal and seagrass for landings and corridors. Check the suitability with your retailer or fitter. Avoid designs with a large, open weave as narrow heels can get stuck in the gaps. ● Don’t cut corners with

underlay. A quality product will give your floorcovering a lovely bounce as well as improving its appearance, so consult your fitter about the best options.

PHOTOGRAPHY JUSTIN OAKLEY @DESIGN_AT_NINETEEN

TAKING CARE

Plant fibre flooring suffers very little pilling or shedding and doesn’t attract moths, so regular vacuuming without a beater bar will be enough to keep it clear of dirt and dust. Steaming or wet cleaning can cause shrinkage or discolouration. Avoid using off-the-shelf carpet cleaning products.

Simply leave mud to dry before loosening it with a stiff brush while following the direction of the weave, then vacuum.

Choosing the right flooring for each area of the house should limit the chances of stain damage, but accidents can happen. ‘A stain inhibitor such as Intec can be applied before the flooring is delivered,’ advises Lorna. ‘Its water-based resinous co-polymer surface will give you time to grab a cloth to blot the spillage and then use a spot cleaning kit.

But always dot or blot, never rub, as that will damage the floor irreversibly.’

Suitable for heavy domestic use, sisal can be made into fabric-edged runners for stairwells. Sisal Sumatra Bali, £46.80sqm, bespoke runner with olive edging, £POA, Fibre (fibreflooring.com)

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 105

THINK LIKE A MEDITERRANEAN – OR CELEB – WHEN COOKING UP WOOD-FIRED PLANS

The undisputed ‘staycation summer’ is here, facilitating further ‘falling in love’ with life in Britain. For some of us, that love affair will develop in our own gardens.

For those with accrued savings, it’s time to enhance outdoor space via home and garden improvements. Top of the list, for many, is a wood-fired pizza oven – a huge step up from the barbecue and evoking Mediterranean aromas and olive grove ambience.

They have a generations-long heritage and every last detail has been honed and perfected.

Orchard Ovens’ custom built garden ovens, ready-to-go Fornino ovens and self-build kits, are the wood-fired ovens adopted by those aflame with culinary passion, avid social entertainers and outdoor relaxation aficionados.

If you truly want the finer things in life this year, there’s only one place to go for your wood-fired ‘pizza and more’ oven.

Hand-crafted Wood-fired ‘Valoriani’ ovens, supplied by celebrity favourite, Orchard Ovens, are literally Tuscan to the core and made from peerless refractory clay.

Call 01772 250 000 or visit www.orchardovens.co.uk to select the oven to transform your life.

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BATHROOMS

KITCHENS &

A moveable pegboard island adds fun and versatility to this scheme

by Sustainable Kitchens (sustainablekitchens. co.uk). For more ideas, turn to page 117

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 109

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KITCHEN UPGRADE

Grow your own The Rattan K1 collection is new from Brookmans by Smallbone. You can customise the kitchen as you wish by choosing from modular painted, glazed and rattan-clad units and a selection of worksurfaces including ceramic and quartz. There’s even room for a herb garden in the island trough. From £25,000. (brookmans.co.uk)

Taps on trial Work of art The Gallery collection

by Shaws of Darwen includes seven decorative finishes on its butler, Shaker and double-bowl ceramic sinks. Organic abstract patterns and botanical motifs are applied to the surface as part of the glazing process so they will not taint or fade, and come in various blue, grey, gold and silver colourways.

Prices start from £560.30 for a W595xD460x H255mm butler sink. (shawsofdarwen.com)

Abode has launched a sample service so you can experiment with any of its 14 tap finishes at home. Visit the website to see details and images of the available styles, which include the Hex single lever pullout tap in brushed nickel and black, £434. Sample discs cost £2 and delivery is free. (abodedesigns.co.uk)

Hot property The Easy PRO vented induction hob by Novy has four cooking zones that can pair up for big pans, plus a quiet central extractor with sensors to regulate speed. Choose from an extraction or recirculation version, both of which have a removable, dishwasher-safe filter frame and grid. The surface- or flush-mounted hob measures W800xD520x H225mm. Priced from £2,599. (novy.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 111

KITCHEN UPGR ADE

Ceramic style The Mini Creamware wall light is new to Devol’s lighting collection. Handmade in its Leicestershire studio, the shades are cast in smooth, white earthenware clay, then handpainted using a cream glaze that will subtly craze over time.

Finished with an aged brass lamp holder and swan-neck wall mount, each lamp costs £200. (devolkitchens.co.uk)

Sustainable approach Sunlit Days is Silestone by Cosentino’s first carbon-neutral quartz surface collection.

Made with renewable electricity and reused water, and with CO2 emissions offset against reforestation projects, it contains a minimum of 20 per cent recycled glass.

Choose from five Mediterranean-inspired colours: Faro White, Cincel Grey, Arcilla Red, Cala Blue and Posidonia Green, from £450 per sqm. (silestone.co.uk)

Artisan appeal Replicating the rustic finish of handcrafted Italian earthenware, Pottery is the latest collection from Ca’ Pietra. These glossy, glazed-porcelain designs can be used on walls and floors and are available in Kale Green, Khaki Smoke, Natural Cotton, Ocean Blue and Oatmeal. Choose from 75x200mm brick tiles, £69.53 per sqm, and 100x 100mm square tiles, £66 per sqm. (capietra.com)

Robust enough to use as a desk for homeworking or for dining, the 1140 table was designed by Werner Aisslinger for Thonet using FSC-certified wood. Its round-edged oak legs and oak veneer top are attached with unobtrusive joints in polished or powder-coated grey aluminium. Measuring W100xH75cm, the table is available in lengths of 100cm, 200cm, 220cm, and 240cm, with prices starting from £1,815. (thonet.de) 112 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

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WORDS PAULA WOODS

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OFF TO A FRESH START One couple’s ambitious renovation project created much-needed space for their furniture – and family

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ADVERTISING PROMOTION

‘It all began with a kitchen table that my partner Clair and I saw at Grand Designs Live,’ explains Nigel. ‘We fell in love with it and bought it on the BELOW LEFT The couple spot. The only problem was that the table didn’t enjoy a glass of wine fit into either of our houses, so we decided to buy ABOVE The C-shaped Infinity Plus island is a a home together that provided enough space to multipurpose feature seat our children and grandchildren around it!’

ABOVE RIGHT Pendant So Nigel and Clair bought themselves a 1920s lamps provide task bungalow, which they have since transformed lighting above the into a beautiful home blending contemporary and worksurface period design. The centrepiece is the huge kitchen bathed in natural light.

LEFT Nigel and Clair’s Wren kitchen includes plenty of storage

The centrepiece of the house is a huge family kitchen bathed in natural light ‘When we bought the house we’d only been together for two years. It represented a fresh start for us,’ says Clair, ‘But we also wanted somewhere big enough to enjoy with our family, who are always dropping in. We have six children between us and lots of grandchildren.’

Nigel is the director of an architectural metalwork firm, so he was able to use his skills to design the house and the kitchen. ‘I know what I want and it’s hard to change my mind, but Olivia from Wren Kitchens in Orpington was brilliant,’ he says. ‘She was very patient and an incredibly

good guide, working with us for more than a year to refine and improve our plans until we had the perfect kitchen. Nothing was too much trouble.’

The standout feature is a substantial C-shaped Infinity Plus island with Autograph Elements incorporating a fully integrated Neff dishwasher and an under-counter wine cooler. The couple have found it a great space in which to relax and chat while preparing big family lunches.

Alongside the island sits Nigel and Clair’s prized family table, and the entire room is lit from above by four big skylights. Backing onto the island is the storage area, which is in Ultra Nero Satin. ‘I’m fanatical about storage, so it had to be just right,’ explains Clair. ‘What Wren did so well was the finishing touches, like the vertical Autograph Elements Copper Slate drawers that face out of the island. They’re a really lovely feature and very useful.’

Wren also installed a utility room, which incorporates an Ecuador stainless steel sink and an American-style fridge-freezer.

‘Buying that table was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made,’ says Nigel. Clair agrees. ‘From that starting point we’ve created something really special,’ she says. ‘I absolutely love my kitchen and so do my family. They often pop round, whether we like it or not!’ ● Book your free design appointment today at wrenkitchens.com MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 115

PROJECTS KITCHENS

Standalone statement To make your island a great asset to your scheme, plan its dimensions, position in the room and practical features WORDS PAUL A WOODS

From the top down Marble or stone worksurface slabs require joining if an island is longer than 3m. So use two different surfaces for an interesting contrast, and to disguise the joints. Composites, on the other hand, provide a seam-free finish no matter what the size of the island.

Bespoke Fascination kitchen painted in Farrow & Ball Down Pipe with Belgian Black limestone worksurfaces, semi-cantilevered, bleached maple breakfast bar and mirrored plinths, from £30,000, Mowlem & Co (mowlemandco.com) MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 117

A new addition Retrofitting an island is possible if it is simply for storage or seating. But for a multifunctional design that includes a sink or electrical appliances, you’ll need to start planning before the flooring is in place to allow for the installation of pipework and power supply.

Q Line kitchen in Tempesta Ceramica and Diamante Ceramica, from £30,000, Mereway (mereway.co.uk) 118 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

MAGAZINE.COM

PROJECTS KITCHENS

Adaptable layout

Get the light right

A mobile unit with lockable castors is a versatile option for a small or open-plan space. Move it closer to the oven or sink for food prep, or to make room for an extended dining table.

Bespoke cross-sawn timber cabinets and moveable island with Carrara marble worksurfaces and glazed units painted in Farrow & Ball Green Smoke, from £45,000, Blakes London (blakeslondon.com)

Use pendants to draw attention to an island or peninsula.

They double up as task and mood lighting when fitted with a dimmer. Add LED strips beneath an overhanging worksurface to create a lovely ambient glow.

Brooklyn Cone pendants in pewter and copper, Dia300xH305mm, £69 each, Industville (industville.co.uk)

Up against it A peninsula design attached to the wall has some advantages over an island. ‘It’s less space-hungry than an island, but has the capacity for storage and multitasking,’ says Richard Moore, design director at Martin Moore (martinmoore.com). Services can be chased or run through the adjoining wall.

Handcrafted K1 kitchen in painted tulipwood, from £25,000, Brookmans by Smallbone (brookmans.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 119

PROJECTS KITCHENS

Room to spare When deciding on the size of your island, allow for at least 1m clearance all around it. This provides enough space to pull out bar stools, open cabinets and access appliances.

Arbor kitchen painted in Dulux Chiltern White with quartz worksurfaces and oak island with black granite worksurface, from £20,000, Harvey Jones (harveyjones.com) 120 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

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Centre of attention The luxury of ample floorspace allows you to bring all the action into the heart of the room. This split island has food prep at one end, storage at the other and a bridging breakfast bar for sitting at the centre of everything.

Bulthaup b3 furniture with oak bridging bar, from £50,000, Kitchen Architecture (kitchenarchitecture.co.uk)

Working the space

Chef’s special

If you incorporate a peninsula as part of a U-shaped kitchen layout within an open-plan space, it can act as a room divider.

Include an overhanging worksurface to make a breakfast bar.

Reconfigured open-plan layout defined by exposed steel and U-shaped peninsula kitchen with porcelain worksurface, £POA, Rise Design Studio (risedesignstudio.co.uk)

Create a cooking zone with all you need close at hand.

Arrange to have utensil drawers below the hob with the deeper pan drawers beneath.

Classic and Urbo matt lacquer bespoke kitchen in Little Greene French Grey Mid and bookmatched walnut island with a worksurface in Silestone Calacatta Gold, from £30,000, Roundhouse (roundhousedesign.com) MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 121

Useful and beautiful Use an island as a way to bring a standout design feature to your scheme. Choose materials, colours and finishes that contrast with the rest of the kitchen for dramatic impact.

Bespoke kitchen painted in Fired Earth’s Oak Apple with a central island clad in Paonazzo marble, from £45,000, Blakes London (blakeslondon.com)

Structural issues If knocking down walls or extending gives rise to unavoidable structural supports, ask a designer or architect to incorporate them as part of the island design. This minimises their impact and avoids unnecessary obstructions.

Cambia kitchen in Indigo with Dekton Zenith worksurfaces and timber bar, from £18,000, Rational (rational.de). Design by Open Haus Kitchens (openhauskitchens.co.uk) 122 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

MAGAZINE.COM

PROJECTS KITCHENS

SIZING IT UP Expert advice on how to get the dimensions right from Matt Baker, kitchen designer at Harvey Jones (harveyjones.com) ● If you’re planning to use an island for storage or as a breakfast bar, there is no need for it to be huge. But as a general guide it should be no smaller than 1,200mm long and 600mm deep if it’s to be a workable addition to your kitchen. ● Wide islands are sure to make

an impact, but they are not always terribly practical, especially if you can’t reach the middle. Try and make it no deeper than 1,400mm. ● If its primary function is

storage, avoid adding a sink and socket tower as these take up valuable cabinet space. A flushfitted induction hob or built-in pan drawers will make the most of every single inch. ● When adding a breakfast bar,

allow for an overhang of 250400mm to ensure adequate legroom and make space for bar stools to tuck neatly underneath.

Anything deeper than 300mm will require support from legs or brackets, although the thicker the worksurface, the larger an unsupported overhang can be. ● I recommend allocating 600mm

of space per stool for comfort, but in small rooms this can be reduced to 500mm, particularly for seating that will be used by children. ● If your island is for sitting at as

well as for cooking, leave at least 350-400mm between the seating area and the hob for safety’s sake.

Keep an open mind Whether it’s in a small room or an open-plan layout, a freestanding island or peninsula will make everything feel more spacious. Select storage-only pieces to prevent plumbing or service outlets spoiling the look.

Sebastian Cox timber kitchen stained in Inky Blue Black and Natural with aged copper and oak worksurfaces, from £15,000, Devol (devolkitchens.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 123

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PROJECTS KITCHENS

Extend your options

PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN CHUNG, SIOBHAN DORAN/TANYA JONES STUDIO, JACK HOBHOUSE, MARY WADSWORTH

An overhanging worksurface is a space-saving alternative to a dining table. L-shaped configurations create the most sociable layout, but even a small extension will provide valuable extra seating.

Classic matt lacquer and rough-sawn horizontal grain oak bespoke kitchen in Little Greene Basalt with box shelf in Farrow & Ball Cornforth White, worksurfaces in Antique White concrete and Ocean Stone porcelain, from £30,000. Roundhouse (roundhousedesign.com)

Consider some curves

Right for your budget

Rounded edges will soften the look and give a better sense of flow. They are also safer than sharp corners in busy family areas.

Pronorm kitchen with dark grey matt lacquer base and island units, grey elm laminate wall units and island table, stainless steel island cladding, and Unistone Bianco Carrara worksurfaces, £POA, Snug Kitchens (snugkitchens.co.uk)

Combining flat-packed or ready-made units can be cost effective, but the layout will be limited to standard dimensions.

Going bespoke will be pricier, but guarantees a tailor-made design and fit, plus a wider choice of materials.

D2 modular kitchen with fixed island and freestanding table-style ends, available in a range of materials, from £30,000, Davonport (davonport.com) MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 125

B AT H R O O M E D I T

Floral tribute White Tulip is Philippe Starck’s first complete bathroom range for Duravit, and was inspired by the flower’s silhouette. Circular ceramic countertop washbowl, Dia430xD140mm, £445.30, two-drawer wall-mounted vanity in oak, W1,300xD550xH408mm, £3,129.60, seamless acrylic bath, Dia1,400xD480mm, £3,898.80, and aluminium mirror, W1,350xH750, £2,353.20. (duravit.co.uk)

Keep it chic

So Moderne

Burlington’s single-drawer Chalfont vanity unit is made from timber and finished in classic grey, blue or matt black. It comes in four sizes and can be wall-mounted or fitted with a choice of legs in matching painted wood, chrome, gold-effect brass or nickel-effect brass. Matt black vanity, W625x D458xH820mm, with W650x D470mm rolltop stone basin, gold-effect brass legs and handle, £1,127. (burlingtonbathrooms.com)

The Round Roddy flush ceiling light by Pooky is an IP44-rated design that evokes the glamour of the Art Deco era. The fitting has multiple clear glass rods set between two solid brass rings, with a frosted glass disc beneath. It measures Dia310xH130mm, comes with three dimmable bulbs, and costs £138. (pooky.com)

Sleek and powerful More compact than some bar valve designs, Mira’s new Minimal shower range includes precise thermostatic control and has a maximum temperature stop to prevent scalding. There’s also a space-saving single dial control, a single spray hand shower and an adjustable deluge showerhead.

The range is compatible with all water systems and pressures.

Prices start from £138.66, with this Mira Minimal Dual ERD costing £304.64 (mirashowers.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 127

B AT H R O OM E D I T

Decorative details Add pattern and texture with these embossed ceramic wall tiles designed and handcrafted in Devon. Part of the Winchester Artisan tile collection by Original Style, they come in four colours and can be used on their own or with a co-ordinating range of mouldings and plains. Highgrove Embossed in Waveney colourway, 150x150mm, £3.40 each. (originalstyle.com)

Luxury showstopper British design studio Splinterworks now offers liquid metal finishes for its gravity-defying carbon-fibre hammock baths. A collaboration with luxury surface specialist Anka Bespoke, the hand-applied veneers are available in bronze, copper, brass, silver or pewter, with textured, weathered or oxidised effects. The Hamaca bath in bronze measures W850xD867mm, with customisable lengths of 2,600-3,000mm. It costs £33,400, and can be wall-hung or installed using custom floor pillars. (splinterworks.com)

A sculptural piece Goccia by Gessi is designed by Italian sculptor Prospero Rasulo, who took inspiration from the shape of water. Available from Bathroom Design Studio London in seven metal finishes including polished copper, the countertop basin measures Dia400x H185mm or Dia500xD300mm and costs from £2,278.80. The deck-mounted mixer tap comes in a choice of three heights and costs from £1,050. (bathroomdesignstudiolondon.co.uk) 128 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

MAGAZINE.COM

American brand Kallista has collaborated with New York-based Robert AM Stern Architects to produce the Central Park West tap, shower and fittings collection. Choose from four finishes: chrome, unlacquered brass, polished brass and brushed bronze. Central Park West 3-hole basin mixer in polished nickel, £1,269.32, West One Bathrooms. (westonebathrooms.com)

WORDS PAULA WOODS

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PROJECTS BATHROOMS

Affordable design ideas Smart ways to lower the cost of a new scheme without sacrificing its style or performance WORDS PAUL A WOODS

For a bespoke finish Upgrade a standard inset tub by creating a feature bath panel. Clad a made-to-measure sturdy plywood sheet with tiles to suit your scheme.

Indas Storm 600x300mm slate-effect matt porcelain tiles, £39.22 per sqm, Topps Tiles (toppstiles.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 131

Ask the experts Take advantage of the free design service offered by many bathroom and DIY suppliers, such as Victoria Plum’s Design + Installation. Bear in mind that you will need to provide measurements. Otherwise, virtual tools such as Roca’s 3R Bathroom Planner (uk.roca.com) can help you visualise its products in your space.

Mode Spencer bath L1,500xW720xD600mm, £599, and freestanding side lever bath filler, £289, Mode Burton double vanity unit and basins W1,200xD48xH350mm, £365, Orchard Wye mixer taps, £69.99 each, Victoria Plum (victoriaplum.com)

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PROJECTS BATHROOMS

Consider the long-term benefits

Bag a bargain

It’s worth investing in quality taps and shower fittings to ensure that you get great performance over many years. Look out for water and energy-saving features to minimise your utility bills.

Axor One Basin Mixer Select with energy-efficient CoolStart technology, from £499 for a 210mm-high tap, Axor (axor-design.com)

Make your budget go further by buying discounted ex-display and end-of-range items. Factory outlets are worth a visit, or wait for the seasonal sales.

Novara wall-mounted basin mixer, £314.23, Aegina marble bowl, Dia400xD130mm, £600, Forecast Lundy 75x150mm tiles, £92.40 per sqm, Fired Earth (firedearth.com)

Ensure it’s well fitted

Follow the footprint

Professional installation is always worth the expense. Find a reputable firm via personal recommendation or through bodies such as TrustMark (trustmark.org.uk).

Screens, from £255, walk-in tray, from £618, showerhead, £385, handset, £102, triple shower valve, £447, Athena vanity/basin, from £328, Nuie (nuiebathrooms.com)

Work with your current layout to reduce installation costs.

Save more money by retaining the existing wallcovering and flooring while upgrading the fittings.

Euphoria 260 wall-mounted shower with thermostat and Fast Fixation system to match existing drill holes, £724.04, Grohe (grohe.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 133

Luxury look for less Acrylic freestanding baths are good value and low maintenance. Choose robust fibreglass-reinforced acrylic for durability.

Hyde fibreglass-reinforced lucite acrylic freestanding bath, from £539.99 for a L1,500xW750xD460mm tub, Bathroom Mountain (bathroommountain.co.uk)

Is it made to last?

Keep it simple

Buy well-known brands and check the warranty. Choose products with a warranty of at least five years when buying brassware, and ten years or more for sanitaryware.

Curve2 basin with semi pedestal, W450xD450xH840mm, £234, rimless loo, W360xD520xH420mm, £299, brushed brass flush plate, £35, and Hoxton basin mixer, £169, Britton (brittonbathrooms.com)

Cut the cost of installation by opting for sanitaryware and fittings that are straightforward to install. Avoid anything that calls for the construction of a false wall to conceal supporting frames or pipework.

Carmen vitreous china basin, W650xD480xH225, £350.50 each, and 690mm high pedestal, £176.84 each, Roca (uk.roca.com)

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PROJECTS BATHROOMS

QUALITY CONTROL Shop wisely to make your money go further, advises Tom Reynolds, chief executive of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (bathroom-association.org.uk) ● Check that the company

you are buying from is part of a recognised body such as the Bathroom Manufacturers Association. Companies must sign up to a code of ethics that ensures they have quality systems in place to guarantee their products comply with British and European standards. ● Look out for baths, basins and loos that carry the CE mark, or the new UKCA mark from 2022. This is an assurance that products are both safe and fit for purpose, and have been tested for strength and durability. ● Taps and showers are

controlled under Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations, which require products to be of an appropriate quality. To ensure conformity, look for the label of a recognised approval scheme such as NSF, WRAS or Kiwa Watertec. ● Ceramics can break in

transit, but products from a quality manufacturer should be inspected for faults and packaged correctly. However, be sure to check for any marks and breakages on delivery. ● The Consumer Rights Act

Arrange the schedule Making significant last-minute changes to your scheme will be costly. So carefully plan and double-check your design before you order products and work gets underway. Ensure deliveries arrive before installation begins to avoid any delays.

Noir ceramic basin and aluminium frame with oak shelf, from £700 for a W610xD460xH895mm unit, W600xD85xH1,400mm shelf and towel rail unit, £350, and mirror, W600xH800mm, £230, Bathstore (bathstore.com)

states that all goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If you are not happy for any of these reasons, contact the retailer, not the manufacturer, within 30 days to request a refund or replacement. Your local Trading Standards can provide help and support. ● For more advice, the

Bathroom Manufacturers Association has guides you can download.

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 135

The new online shop from the Ideal Home Show

Shop from garden furniture to the latest outdoor décor accessories and create a warm welcome for those outdoor gettogethers

Shop online now Garden & Outdoor Living

Bathroom

idealhomeshowshop.co.uk Kitchen & Dining Room

Bedroom

Living Room & Study

Nursery

Electronics & Gadgets

Fashion & Beauty

PROJECTS BATHROOMS

Explore every avenue Online marketplaces are a rich source of affordable new and second-hand designs. Check seller profiles, customer reviews and the returns policies. If possible, examine goods before buying.

Bathroom by Pepper & Co (pepperand.co) with second-hand workbench, £400, vintage copper sink, £230, wall-mounted basin tap, £70, and bath mixer, £100, eBay (ebay.co.uk). Millbrook cast-iron bath, L1,710xW780xD600m, £995, The Cast Iron Bath Company (castironbath.co.uk). Victoria tiles, 330x330mm, £15.98 per sqm, Topps Tiles (toppstiles.co.uk)

Consider the alternatives

Centre of attention

Mimic pricey materials such as marble and concrete – and avoid the need for specialist installation – by choosing lookalike porcelain, ceramic or vinyl tiles.

Polar White 1,200x600mm marble-effect gloss porcelain tiles, £70.80 per sqm, Detroit Light Grey 900x900mm concrete-effect matt porcelain tiles, £52.80 per sqm, Mandarin Stone (mandarinstone.com)

Team inexpensive off-the-shelf sanitaryware, furniture and fittings with an investment buy that makes a bold design statement. It will give the entire scheme a more luxurious look.

Scrula grey marble washbasin, Dia450xD170mm, £189, Tikamoon (tikamoon.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 137

PROJECTS BATHROOMS

Minimal impact option Low-profile shower trays recreate the seamless look of a wet room without the expense and upheaval of waterproofing all the walls and the floor. Choose a model that can be fitted flush with the floorcovering.

Scona steel enamel floor-level shower surface with central waste, L900xW800xD23mm, £550, Kaldewei (kaldewei.co.uk) 138 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

MAGAZINE.COM

ADVERTISING PROMOTION This smart loft bathroom features a freestanding Stonekast Ovale tub BELOW Visuals from the 3D design service available in store or online

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME Create a beautiful bathroom with revolutionary design software BathroomsByDesign has developed 3D design software linked to a virtual reality (VR) mobile app that allows you to walk around your perfect bathroom before you buy, from the comfort of your home.

The software lets you co-create your bathroom with the design team in real time, whether in one of the company’s London showrooms or at home via a screen-share call. The VR experience is provided in the showroom using state-of-the-art Oculus Rift headsets, or wherever you are via the Plan2Design VR app. This helps turn your smartphone into a private VR experience, using a complimentary VR headset given to you at the start of the process.

The app includes an easy-to-use planner tool, allowing you to make a basic floor plan of your existing bathroom, which automatically syncs with the software. Once you’ve provided your floor plan, the team

can get to work on dreaming up your new bathroom straight away. During your first consultation, your dedicated designer will get to know more about your wants and needs. With instant access to thousands of products in different styles, colours and at various price points, they can guide you through several options at once.

The magic of the app is the ability to share your creations with family, friends and via Facebook for a second opinion. Once you’re happy, the design can also be shared with your installation team via the app or as a PDF. This ensures they follow it precisely to make your perfect virtual bathroom a reality.

Whatever your vision, our teams are on hand to help you bring it to life, with prices ranging from £2,000 to £20,000. The company has showrooms in Richmond, Fulham and Brentford. Or why not try a free online consultation? To receive

a free accessory pack and half price on our extensive range of porcelain tiles, get in touch quoting the code ‘grand-designs-21’. ● For more information, visit bathroomsbydesign.com/granddesigns-21 or call 020 8619 8899

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 139

10% OFF GOOD10 Selected products only. Offer Ends 31.05.20

Find your nearest showroom online at easybathrooms.com

COMING NEXT MONTH

OUT ON 10 SEPTEMBER

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PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD CHIVERS

ALL YOU NEED TO CREATE YOUR DREAM PROJECT

October issue

TV HOUSE EXCLUSIVE ● PROJECT GUIDE TO FLOORING ● HOME SECURITY SYSTEMS ● ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOMES ● GRAND DESIGNS LIVE LATEST ● KITCHENS & BATHROOMS MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 141

22 - 25 SEPTEMBER 2021 MAGAZINE LONDON Discover a curated selection of cutting-edge furniture, lighting and contract interiors brands, plus uncover collaborations with renowned and emerging designers, unrivalled content and a dynamic talks programme.

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Introducing the best products and services for your project

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION Please call 020 3225 5200 ext 688 or email richard.woodall@grand-designs.com

RESOURCES

01509 234000 - www.floorsofstone.com enquiries@floorsofstone.com

Staircase Design Consultancy 020 8980 1000 info@flightdesign.co.uk

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Call 0345 833 3333 or e-mail enquiries@quooker.co.uk for assistance.

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THE ALTERNATIVE CONSERVATORY TIE BAR The TIEWIRE is the component of choice and has solutions for new conservatory roofs, refurbishments, solid roof replacements and traditional construction.

Contemporary design allows the TIEWIRE, with its 6mm diameter stainless steel cable to blend into the background.

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DIY VAT RECLAIMS FOR NEW BUILDS & CONVERSIONS I offer a professional, friendly and helpful service with a very competitive fee structure. I can help you maximise the VAT refund received upon completion of your claim and with any queries you have throughout the build.

Final fee payable AFTER claim successfully refunded from HMRC. Jayne Daniel, FCCA J M Daniel Business Services Ltd 0161 763 5304 j a y n e @ v a t r e p a y m e n t s . c o. u k v a t r e p a y m e n t s . c o. u k

MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2021 145

PROFILE

MY GRAND IDEA –

Architect Ben Minifie incorporated multifunctional spaces, a sunken bath and a sense of fun into one family home

146 SEPTEMBER 2021 /

built, which is connected to the house with matching western red cedar cladding.

— How are these spaces multifunctional?

The snug has an oriel window that doubles as a seat, plus a bespoke sofa that pops up into a guest bed, while sliding blackout shutters transform it into a movie room.

The garden studio, which is used as a home office by day, turns into a party space complete with bar and DJ booth by night.

MAGAZINE.COM

— How does the narrow bathroom work?

Fitting a tub into such a tiny space was a real challenge, so I designed one myself using porcelain slabs set into the floor by 800mm.

The resulting sunken bath is the same width as the room and has an overhead shower, rooflight and jungle-themed porcelain tiles.

— Did you add any eco-friendly features?

The new spaces had to be energy efficient, so I added lots more insulation and brought the refurbished ones up to standard.

— How long did it take?

A year. The family stayed put for most of that time, which was a juggling act and meant the team worked on separate sections of the house at different times.

— What does it feel like now?

It suits the family perfectly as it focuses on private spaces rather than open-plan living. Whenever I visit it’s great to see them using the new rooms in a host of different ways, just as intended.

Minifie Architects, minifiearchitects.co.uk

ABOVE LEFT A studio and outdoor dining area slot neatly into the back garden ABOVE RIGHT The sunken bath has halo-effect lighting around the ceiling to emphasise its height BELOW LEFT Shutters slide over the oriel window in the snug to create a blackout space for sleeping or watching movies. The project cost £425,000

WORDS ALICE WESTGATE PHOTOGRAPHY WILL SCOTT

Who lives here?

My brother-in-law Gary Westlake and his wife Kate, who are both 50. In 2004 they bought an end-of-terrace house in London’s Blackheath Vale.

— How did you get involved?

They added a kitchen extension some years ago, but when their kids Archie, 18, and Bea, 13, became teenagers they needed more room.

So Gary and Kate asked me to reconfigure the house to include a series of multifunctional spaces.

— Tell us about your design I added a side return for a large kitchen and dining area, then extended out by 1.2m over a driveway at the other side of the property to make a narrow bathroom. The family bathroom at the back of the house became a snug. Upstairs I created a bigger bedroom for Archie and borrowed some of the loft to turn Bea’s box room into a two-storey bedroom with dormer window. Finally, the garden was landscaped and a studio

Your home.

Your story.

A Baufritz home is of unique beauty and quality.

It is tailored precisely to your wants and needs.

As a fully managed project, it is built to the highest possible standards.

Be inspired by the story of self-builder Astrid Woloszscuk and her family domicile in London at www.baufritz-gd.co.uk/homestories

IMPROVE YOUR HOME GUIDE TO WINDOWS AND DOORS

BRIGHT IDEAS FOR YOUR NEXT PROJECT

LET IN THE LIGHT Glazing solutions for contemporary and traditional homes FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF

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At Express, every market-leading product we make is designed with you in mind. Whether you’re embarking on a grand design project or are simply looking to transform your space, you can rest assured we’ll provide quality for all to see. Our bespoke bi-folds, sliding doors, and aluminium glazing products are made to last, ensuring nothing short of excellence for years to come.

Our innovative range is available to view in our showrooms, where you’ll receive a service that can’t be matched and find all the inspiration you need to create the home of your dreams.

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22

contents 07 Winning entry We help you choose your perfect glazed door

17 A new opening Secure and stylish – the best windows for your budget

27 Light from above Hit the glass ceiling with our inspirational guide

31 Shutters and awnings How to incorporate chic shade into your home FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF

EDITORIAL WITH THANKS TO REBECCA FOSTER, ANDREA MANLEY & CAROLINE RODRIGUEZ ART DIRECTOR REBECCA BRIDLE CHIEF SUB EDITOR AILSA MCWHINNIE

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGERS RICHARD WOODALL & LINDSAY HUDSON FOR ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES EMAIL RICHARD.WOODALL@ GRANDDESIGNSMAGAZINE.COM OR LINDSAY.HUDSON@ GOODHOMESMAGAZINE.COM

MARKETING SENIOR MARKETING EXECUTIVE HANNAH ROUGH

MARKETING EXECUTIVE MIA CONRAD

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION DIRECTOR TIM GARWOOD SENIOR PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE JENNIFER TURNER SENIOR EVENT PRODUCTION REBECCA SPURLING

PUBLISHING PUBLISHING & EVENTS DIRECTOR GILES PERRY MANAGING DIRECTOR RICHARD MOREY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER LEE NEW TON

Media 10, Crown House, 151 High Road, Loughton IG10 4LF T 020 3225 5200

33 IMPROVE YOUR HOME SEPTEMBER 2021 | 5

GLAZED DOORS

Winning entry There are many decisions to make before finding the perfect glazed doors for your project Feature REBECCA FOSTER & CAROLINE RODRIGUES

An Edwardian villa transformed by the addition of a modern extension by MOOi Architecture (mooiarchitecture.co.uk) and constructed by The Daniels Group (thedanielsgroup.co.uk). The Maxlight (maxlight.co.uk) opening corner and fixed glazing, above, cost in the region of £18,000

IMPROVE YOUR HOME SEPTEMBER 2021 | 7

GLAZED DOORS

ABOVE IDSystems’ (idsystems.co.uk) theEDGE 2.0 doors, priced from £2,550 per metre width, were chosen for their ultra-slim 20mm sightlines, allowing the owners of this stunning Cornish self-build to capture the coastal views

Allocate plenty of time to iron out the details of the installation with your architect, builder and supplier to avoid problems later on. You might want to opt for a design, supply and fit service, so if anything is wrong with the units when they are delivered then the fault lies with the company and should be fixed at no extra charge. With bespoke doors, allow 12 weeks for delivery. Think about the glass you’d like. Do you want to make the most of solar gain to warm the room or would you rather keep residual heat and UV light out? For security, look for products tested to PAS 24 standards or that come with Secured by Design certification.

Do you need permission?

When building your home, the glazing will form an important part of your planning application. The local authority will take into account its impact on the appearance of the house and the local area.

If you’re renovating a property, the installation of new glazed doors may be covered by Permitted Development (PD) rights. Always check if consent is required with your local authority. If you live in a conservation area or your home is listed, it is likely your project will require planning permission. For further information and advice, visit the Planning Portal (planningportal.co.uk).

Above Grand Slider walls. Three panels into the hidden rece per metre width, inc Above Grand Slider walls. Three panels into the hidden rece per metre width, inc

BELOW This contemporary extension is connected to the garden via Sunflex aluminium sliding patio doors, installed by P&P Glass (pandpglass.co.uk). A similar set costs around £9,500 BELOW LEFT This glazed opening corner was supplied by Maxlight (maxlight.co.uk). The doors close onto each other at a 90° angle so that when the panels are drawn back they leave a completely open corner. Including the fixed glass above, the total cost of the system was around £18,000

Enjoy the view Sliding doors run along a track and sit one in front of the other when open. There can be two, three or four panels to a single opening. The latest designs come with minimal frames and big spans of glass, giving a good view of the outdoor space when closed. When pushed fully back, the panels on a double track leave an open space that’s around 60 per cent of the total opening. On a triple track, several panels stack behind one another, giving an opening of around 75 per cent of the total. The biggest panel size possible is between 4m and 5m in width, and the smallest is 750mm.

There are various sliding-door system options. Lift-and-slide panels lift off the track by a few millimetres, gliding along effortlessly.

A panel can be locked open in any position and left securely ajar for ventilation. The slide-andturn door from ID Systems (idsystems.co.uk) has panels that move along individually and stack to one end like a bi-fold.

‘At the lower end of the market you can pay £600 per sqm. High-end designs cost in the region of £1,400 per sqm,’ advises Matt Higgs, director and co-owner of Klöeber (kloeber.co.uk).

IMPROVE YOUR HOME SEPTEMBER 2021 | 9

PHOTOGRAPHY SUZANNE BREWER ARCHITECTS/ ANTHONY GREENWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

r II doors by IDSystems (idsystems.co.uk) slide into pockets within this extension’s s have been installed on each side of the corner post, gliding away from the apex esses, creating a floating corner beneath the cantilevered roof. Prices from £1,750 ncluding installation CREDIT George King Architects r II doors by IDSystems (idsystems.co.uk) slide into pockets within this extension’s s have been installed on each side of the corner post, gliding away from the apex esses, creating a floating corner beneath the cantilevered roof. Prices from £1,750 ncluding installation CREDIT George King Architects

GLAZED DOORS

With our door designer creating the perfect Solidor never looked so easy.

Sponsored by

For more information on door designs, colours and accessories visit www.solidor.co.uk solidor.co.uk

GLAZED DOORS

Pocket sliding doors are more straightforward to incorporate into a new-build or extension

PHOTOGRAPHY GEORGE KING ARCHITECTS

Hide and sleek Pocket sliding doors are another variation on the sliding theme. This is where panels slide into a slot built into the wall. They are more straightforward to incorporate into a new-build or extension. When planning a renovation, seek advice from a glazing designer at an early

stage, as they will be able to create a bespoke scheme. ‘The minimum possible size is 500mm wide by 1,500mm high and this goes up to a maximum of 5,800mm wide by 3,500mm high per panel,’ says Tony Culmer, director at Maxlight (maxlight.co.uk). Expect to pay between £1,200 and £1,500 per sqm, depending on the size, frame material and glass specification.

ABOVE Grand Slider II doors by IDSystems (idsystems.co.uk) slide into pockets within this extension’s walls. The three panels on each side of the corner post simply glide into the recesses. Prices from £1,750 per metre width, including installation

IMPROVE YOUR HOME SEPTEMBER 2021 | 11

GLAZED DOORS

A pivot door is ideal if the opening is too small for sliding panels but too wide for a hinged design ABOVE This single outward-opening pivot door features a bottom-hung floor spring and was made bespoke for the project. It cost around £10,000. Design work for the extension was carried out by The DHaus Company (thedhaus.com)

Take a turn

Open wide

Pivots are an impressive alternative to French doors. Glazed panel widths of up to 3m are possible, but they can be as small as 750mm.

The hinges are positioned at the top and bottom of the glass panel to allow it to swivel. A floor spring/closer regulates how fast the door moves, preventing it from slamming and trapping fingers.

This door type provides a practical solution when the opening is too small for sliding panels but too wide for a traditional hinged design. Bespoke versions cost from around £5,000 per unit, subject to the size, weight, design and glass specification.

As the doors open outwards, it’s advisable to have drainage in front. ‘A slot drain, a discreet channel set into the ground, offers the most seamless finish,’ says Tony Culmer.

Bi-folding doors incorporate a series of glazed panels that fold open to one side and stack one in front of the other. They run along a track in the floor and slide back to leave a wide open space, which can be as much as 90 per cent of the total aperture.

Several configurations are possible, including a centre opening with French-style doors in the middle, or panels with a fixed door to one side that allows you to nip in and out more easily. They can be specified to fit a corner or to negotiate a curve, and open inward or outward to avoid losing interior floorspace. Even set-ups without a fixed supporting corner post are possible, though this entails having a cantilevered roof. The system can be top-hung, where the weight is carried by the top track, or bottom-rolling, where the floor track carries the weight.

GLAZED DOORS

You will need to have enough room for the panels to stack against each other when drawn back. The amount depends on the width of the panels, and this is an important detail to check with your supplier. In most cases, 1.5m of free space should be sufficient. Costs vary, particularly when it comes to standard options versus bespoke. ‘The absolute minimum you can expect to pay for an off-the-shelf bi-fold would be £720 per sqm – a saving of around 20 per cent on a bespoke,’ says Matt Higgs.

Time management

ABOVE Designed by Yard Architects (yardarchitects.co.uk), this extension has doors from Fabco Sanctuary (fabcosanctuary.com), with French doors providing a full-width opening. The Fabco glazing cost £12,500, including the French doors, a single door to the courtyard and a fixed window BELOW A four-panel set of Sunflex (sunflexuk.co.uk) SF55 aluminium frame bi-fold doors by IDSystems (idsystems.co.uk). The product has slimline frames, with panels measuring just 55mm from front to back. From £1,450 per panel, including installation

PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD CHIVERS, AGNESE SANVITO, JULIET MURPHY PHOTOGRAPHY/ ALESKA STUDIO

Be aware of lead times. It can take from six to 12 weeks from ordering to delivery, depending on the door’s specification, while off-the-shelf products in stock can be installed within three days.

You’ll need to book the installation, too.

Reputable companies will be busy, so arrange a date for your doors to be fitted well in advance. One potential pitfall is having the glazing fitted too early, as follow-on trades might accidentally damage the glass. Consider boarding up openings instead, so the build team can get on with work inside without the risk of damaging your beautiful new doors.

IMPROVE YOUR HOME SEPTEMBER 2021 | 13

A DV ER T I S I N G PRO M OT I O N

STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE For beautifully made, slim and ultra-secure aluminium windows, try Sheerline’s Classic range Home is where the heart is. It’s also where we’ve spent most of our time during the past 18 months. So choosing windows and doors that combine strong aesthetics with practical innovation has never made more sense.

Sheerline’s Classic range features slim 59mm sightlines that flood interiors with light and give a clean, modern style. Available in four different designs, including stepped and flush options, Classic is ideal for replacing heritage steel windows on a conversion project or for contemporary extensions and new-builds.

There are 12 powder-coated and anodised colours available, as well as a bespoke service, to ensure you find the right look for your home.

Their innovative construction removes the need for separate glazing beads – often an area of weakness for traditional windows.

Instead it locks glass away securely within a sealed unit. Coupled with high-security multipoint locking and unique hinge protectors, this creates exceptionally secure windows with PAS24:2016-enhanced security accreditation as standard. Secured by Design upgrades are also available for extra peace of mind. Classic also uses Thermlock® technology to deliver exceptional thermal performance, with closed-cell, insulating chambers working in conjunction with high-quality glazing to help insulate you against the worst of the British weather.

Working with UK-sourced aluminium, Sheerline is committed to sustainability and British manufacturing. To discover more about Sheerline Classic or explore the full range of windows, doors and roof lanterns, please visit sheerline.com/balance

16 | SEPTEMBER 2021 IMPROVE YOUR HOME

W I N D OW S

A new opening Ensure you have everything sorted with this guide to specifying new windows

PHOTOGRAPHY DAN GLASSER

Feature REBECCA FOSTER & CAROLINE RODRIGUES

Capturing the morning light, this frameless, dual-aspect, double-glazed window was created by cantilevering the timber roof above. Mulroy Architects (mulroyarchitects.com) completed the project. Supplied by IQ Glass (iqglassuk.com), the Invisio structural window comes with thermally broken fixings hidden by the building finishes. Prices for Invisio structural glass start at £1,000 per sqm

IMPROVE YOUR HOME SEPTEMBER 2021 | 17

W I N D OW S

Measuring an impressive 5.2x3.5m, this window was made for an extension by Paul Archer Design (paularcherdesign.co.uk). For a similar installation, expect to pay £2,000 per sqm, subject to specifications. The cost of £6,000 - £7,000 for the crane lift and traffic management should also be factored in

W I N D OW S Contact several glazing suppliers during the design phase of your self-build or renovation. They will help you and your architect identify what you need and draw your attention to the most suitable products. And seek out specialist glaziers, who will have experience in dealing with any unusual or awkwardly shaped openings. Once you have a shortlist of products, visit the suppliers’ showrooms to see and operate the designs on your wish list.

Make sure you are satisfied with the quality and performance, as well as how the windows look.

Guide to budget How much your new windows cost depends on how many units you want, their style, the frame material and thermal performance. Allow at least 20 per cent of a whole-house renovation budget for the glazing, and check quotes for extras, such as sills and locks.

Installing off-the-shelf products made to standard dimensions can save up to 50 per cent compared to bespoke units – excluding installation. But the measurements must be precise, as there will be extra work and expense if the windows don’t fit perfectly. Before finalising an order, make sure that your deposit is protected and the products you’re buying are covered by a warranty.

Framing materials

RIGHT FAB Architects (fabarchitects.co.uk) undertook the design of this garden room rehearsal studio and entertaining space. Inspired by Royal Opera House architectural motifs, this arched window was made by the contractor. A similar design would cost from £2,500

PHOTOGRAPHY ANDY STAGG, MATT TOWNSEND, MATTHEW SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

BELOW This light-filled loft conversion is by Ashworth Parkes Architects (ashworthparkes.co.uk).

IDSystems’ (idsystems.co.uk) Sunflex SF55 three-panel bi-fold window can be drawn back to almost full width. This aluminium-frame system starts at £1,150 per panel, including installation

The frames you specify for your windows will have a big impact on their appearance and performance.

Do you want them to stand out or blend in with your scheme? As there are many different styles available, this is also something you should consider early on.

Aluminium is lightweight and strong enough to support big panes with slim frames. It comes in a wide range of colours. Steel and bronze designs team strength with slim profiles. Steel offers slimmer sightlines than aluminium but is also more expensive.

Select metal frames that have been insulated to prevent the warmth inside your home from escaping.

Timber is timeless, eco-friendly and the obvious choice for casement and sash windows. High-quality, well-maintained versions last up to 60 years. But the frames will be thicker than those made of metal, so less light is able to enter through the same size of aperture. The Wood Window Alliance has further advice (woodwindowalliance.com). Composite frames are made from timber clad in aluminium on the outside. They are robust and thermally efficient. uPVC windows last for around 30 years. They are more affordable than most other options and virtually maintenance-free. Some manufacturers use recycled plastic, which means this option can be more sustainable than it was in the past.

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W I N D OW S

ABOVE Measuring 2.9m high and 1.8m wide, this irokoframed design has been sealed with Danish oil. The double-glazed unit has an argon-filled cavity and low-e coating to the inner pane, with black Warm Edge spacer bars. All in toughened glass. Priced around £5,000, the window was made bespoke by a joinery company.

Design work for the extension is by Pardon Chambers Architects (pardon chambers.com)

Maximise thermal efficiency Thermally efficient windows and doors contribute towards minimising the heat lost from your home.

To help you compare different products, the Window Energy Rating indicates the energy performance of the entire window, including the frame and glass. The most efficient units are rated A++ and the scale of efficiency decreases to the lowest rating of G. Double glazing has an air gap between two panes of glass, which provides a degree of insulation. The level of insulation is increased when the gap is filled with an inert gas such as argon.

Triple glazing has three panes of glass with two air gaps, which can also be filled with gas. ‘Tripleglazed units cost around 15 per cent more than double glazed,’ says Chris Herring, director of Green Building Store (greenbuildingstore.co.uk).

Glass can be coated in order to improve its efficiency. Low-emissivity, also known as low-e glass, has a transparent coating to prevent heat from escaping through the pane. But it does allow warmth and light from the sun in. Conversely, solar glass coating reflects the sun’s heat away in order to maintain interior spaces at a comfortable temperature in the summer. This is particularly useful in south-facing situations.

Choosing and fitting replacements It is possible to replace windows and doors without the need to seek planning permission, especially when the units should look similar to those fitted when the house was built. But any new window on the side elevation at the first-floor level or higher must be obscure-glazed and either

W I N D OW S

ABOVE This extension to a period home was designed by The DHaus Company (thedhaus.com). The custom-made glazing forms an up-and-over window to create a wall and roof. The price for this double-glazed design was between £4,000 and £5,000 BELOW A sleek south London extension with IDSystems’ (idsystems.co.uk) Sunflex SF55 aluminiumframe, double-glazed windows and bi-fold doors. Prices start at £1,450 per panel, including installation

PHOTOGRAPHY CAROLINE MARDON, RICHARD CHIVERS, GRUFF ARCHITECTS/ BEN BLOSSOM PHOTOGRAPHY

non-opening or more than 1.7m above the floor.

Plus, a new bay window may need permission.

Restrictions apply and consent is required for listed houses, those in a conservation area, homes subject to an Article 4 direction, and when alterations are made to the design or position of the windows. Even changing the colour of the window frames in a historic listed building can be problematic. It’s important always to check with your local authority for guidance before undertaking any work.

Your new windows must comply with Building Regulations. An installer registered with the Competent Person Scheme will ensure the rules are met. They will give you a certificate within eight weeks of completion as evidence of compliance.

Should you choose not to use a firm registered with the scheme, you will need to seek Building Control approval.

Custom-made windows will take between eight to 12 weeks to be manufactured and delivered.

Buying standard units will be much quicker.

IMPROVE YOUR HOME SEPTEMBER 2021 | 21

W I N D OW S

PROBLEM-SOLVING TECHNOLOGY Hi-tech glazing innovations bring specific benefits to your windows. Research the options before specifying what you want. ● Glass that features

a self-cleaning finish is a boon for windows that are hard to reach. The coating enables dirt to wash away more easily when it rains. ● Acoustic glazing reduces

noise levels inside your home, cutting sound pollution from outside. It has a layer that dampens and absorbs noise, and prevents the vibrations transferring from one pane to the next. ● High-clarity glass has a low iron content for greater transparency and light transmission. ● When switched on,

electrochromic glass turns from transparent to dark blue as an electrical current passes through it. It is a somewhat pricey alternative to blinds or curtains.

Preserving the character of a heritage home is a top priority when it comes to renovations. It’s crucial to take the house’s age, location and the materials palette into account when shopping for new windows. There are suppliers producing factory-made sash and casement windows that complement different vernacular styles.

Otherwise, you can hire a specialist joinery company that can take impressions of the original units and replicate them exactly, with some exceptions. Original Georgian designs contain glass with visible ripples and imperfections. The traditional manufacturing process created shadowing and reflections that aren’t possible to replicate using modern methods. It is possible to re-use heritage glass in a single-glazed window, but it’s not suitable for a double-glazed unit. ‘Old glass is likely to crack or the airtight seal will fail. With vintage glazing, a good option is to use internal secondary glazing combined with shutters or curtains to improve energy efficiency,’ says Andrew Mulroy, director of Mulroy Architects (mulroyarchitects.com).

TOP This living room was updated by Yoko Kloeden Design (yokokloeden.com). Timber sash windows have been paired with wooden internal shutters for privacy ABOVE _ing Architects (ingarchitects.co.uk) took on the renovation of this Georgian home.

Traditional timber sash windows were painted in Farrow & Ball Off Black to complement the new interior. A double-glazed hardwood timber sash unit such as this costs around £2,400

22 | SEPTEMBER 2021 IMPROVE YOUR HOME

PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID BUTLER, BRENT DARBY

Advice for older homes

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OV E R H E A D G L A Z I N G

Light from above

How to incorporate glass rooflights, lanterns and ceilings into your scheme Feature CAROLINE RODRIGUES,

REBECCA FOSTER & ANDREA MANLEY

PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID BUTLER

There are a multitude of options for overhead glazing that will suit almost any home design, regardless of whether the roof is flat or pitched.

Choose from fixed, slide-open, pop-up or pivot openings, and manual or remote operation. You can even specify high-performance glazing to reflect heat, self-clean or turn dark at the flick of a switch. But whichever design you choose, the main aim is the same: to bring as much natural light into the space as possible.

ABOVE This roof was designed by The Gentleman Architect (thegentlemanarchitect. com). If fully glazed, it may have led to the room over-heating, so this solution was developed to complement the cantilevered brick extension. The flat roof and glazing for the entire renovation cost £63,000

A lantern is a pyramid-shaped structure with several panes of glass. The glazing is framed by timber, aluminium or uPVC. ‘This design makes rooms look bigger, opens up the ceiling to the sky, maximises the light coming in and provides additional height,’ says Vanessa Howard, chief marketing officer at Roof Maker (roof-maker.co.uk).

Structurally glazed roofs extend across wide spans for a contemporary, frameless finish that lets in the maximum amount of light.

Choose your type

Safety first

Often, the terms for overhead glazing are used interchangeably. But, in general, roof windows follow the plane and orientation of the roof pitch.

Rooflights are usually raised above the roofline and include an upstand or kerb system that supports the unit. They can be circular, square, rectangular and domed.

It’s standard for units to be double glazed and fitted with safety glass, whether toughened, laminated or a combination of both. And there are many extra specifications, with an additional cost, that enhance performance. These include self-cleaning glass, triple glazing for insulation and noise reduction, and solar-control glass to reduce glare.

IMPROVE YOUR HOME SEPTEMBER 2021 | 27

OV E R H E A D G L A Z I N G

Counting the cost Off-the-shelf options are the most cost effective, but you may have to go bespoke if you need something that’s a non-standard size or an unusual design. It’s possible to keep costs down by being creative about standard-sized products. ‘A long length of glazing maximises light, but can be expensive,’ says Tom Grey, director at Grey Griffiths Architects (greygriffiths.com). ‘Another approach is to use a fixed rooflight that’s built in two sections, which can be fitted into a pitched roof.’

Letting in air

Overhead glazing is the best way to get daylight to the heart of a big, single-storey extension. ‘Roof windows bring in up to twice as much daylight as vertical designs,’ says Grant Sneddon, product manager at Velux (velux.co.uk).

It works best in tandem with a glazed door. And you can use it as a way of defining different areas in the room, such as above a kitchen island or a dining area in a side-return extension. In a basement conversion, borrow light from the room above with walk-on toughened-glass floor panels.

Planning regulations As with glazed doors and windows, roof glazing should form part of the planning process for a self-build or renovation project. Often, its installation comes under permitted development (PD) rules, but there are exceptions. Even when a loft conversion, extension or renovation project falls under PD, there is a limitation on how far a rooflight is permitted to project above the roof plane.

Sometimes, bringing in light from above is the only way of brightening dark interiors. This includes homes in conservation areas, on tight infill sites and wherever making new openings in the wall is not allowed or not possible. In these cases, roof windows that sit flush with the roof and don’t detract from the house’s character offer a possible way of overcoming planning constraints.

ABOVE The remodelling of this Victorian house was designed by Paul Archer Design (paularcherdesign. co.uk). The upperfloor bedrooms and bathrooms were reorganised to create a central void with overhead glazing.

The project cost £580,000 RIGHT Mitchell + Corti Architects (mitchellandcorti. com) helped their client stay on budget by installing a square rooflight, which cost around £2,000, in a new extension.

It’s double-glazed, toughened glass with UV solar protection.

The circular shape was created using plasterboard

28 | SEPTEMBER 2021 IMPROVE YOUR HOME

PHOTOGRAPHY ANDY STAGG, LUKE WELLER

Consider the benefits

When overhead glazing needs to be openable for ventilation, consider trying automation and remote control. This is particularly relevant when a rooflight is above a stairwell. Some designs incorporate automatic, thermostatically controlled vents that are set to open once the interior reaches a certain temperature.

A more expensive but impressive solution for a particularly big space is a retractable rooflight that opens fully to create an indoor-outdoor look.

For more information on rooflights and their installation, try the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers (narm.org.uk).

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BUYER’S GUIDE

Shutters and awnings Shutters are a smart, versatile and energy-efficient way to dress your glazed windows and doors, while an exterior awning provides shade Feature ANDREA MANLEY

Material choices Top-of-the-range hardwood shutters can be painted or stained to reveal the grain pattern. ‘The beauty of hardwood shutters is how durable, robust and low maintenance they are, making them a long-lasting window covering that will add value to your home,’ says Abigail Chalk from Clement Browne (clementbrowne.co.uk).

Look for timber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), as it’s guaranteed to be sustainable. Shutters made from paulownia, basswood, poplar or elm are a significant investment

and prices vary according to type and whether you have them professionally installed. Composites such as MDF or craftwood are a more affordable option but can only be painted, not stained.

Vinyl shutters cope well with humid conditions and won’t warp or stain. ‘I’d always recommend choosing top-quality PVC designs for areas with high humidity,’ says Abigail Chalk. ‘They’re moisture resistant and virtually indistinguishable from hardwood.’

Vinyl shutters have a painted, wood-effect finish with an aluminium core and are a cost-effective hardwood alternative.

ABOVE Decorative and practical, full-height hardwood shutters in a white paint finish bring a timeless feel.

From £413 per sqm, including home consultation and installation, Luxaflex (luxaflex.co.uk)

IMPROVE YOUR HOME SEPTEMBER 2021 | 31

Choose solid panels This classic shutter style gives a traditional look and comes in a range of designs, from simple Shaker styles to those with raised or moulded centre panels.

Full-height shutters create a near blackout effect and offer high levels of noise and draught insulation when closed. Half-height panels that balance light and privacy are good for bathrooms that aren’t overlooked. ‘We are one of few companies who can custom paint waterproof polyvinyl shutters, so our half-solid raised panels are practical and create a focal point of vibrant colour in a bathroom,’ says Sam Tamlyn, general manager at Shutterly Fabulous (shutterlyfabulous.com).

Louvered options Shutters with adjustable slats allow you to control sunlight, shade and privacy. They have a clean, uniform look and styles range from full-height to tier-on-tier and café-style or tracked shutters.

TOP Café-style hardwood shutters bring privacy without totally blocking out the light. From £299 per sqm, including home consultation and installation, Shutterly Fabulous (shutterlyfabulous.com) ABOVE Classic made-to-measure solid wood shutters, painted in Little Greene Mischief. From £499 per sqm plus £75 per panel for custom colour, including measuring and installation, Hillarys (hillarys.co.uk)

BUYER’S GUIDE

Professional installation Shutters are a significant investment, and both the material you choose and the style will influence the final cost. At the premium end are companies that offer a bespoke service and will measure, make and install your shutters. ‘A professional will consider the architecture of the window. We’re seeing more unusually shaped windows, such as apex and gable ends, which need the expertise of a specialist designer,’ says James Chilton, technical product manager at Thomas Sanderson (thomassanderson.co.uk).

Going down the DIY route represents a real saving, although you’ll have to measure up your windows, order online and fit them yourself. This requires a certain amount of skill and is only recommended for standard windows.

Full-height shutters are ideal for most windows, but are particularly suited for tall ones, in which case they usually have a centrally placed dividing rail for strength. The louvres above and below the rail work independently so you can open the top set for light and keep the bottom shut for privacy. For large expanses of glazing or patio doors, a tracked system is recommended.

Café-style shutters are fitted at the bottom section of the window only so they provide privacy at eye level, while letting light enter above. ’They improve the look of your windows from outside and work particularly well on smaller windows and for those overlooking a pavement,’ says Sam Tamlyn, general manager at Shutterly Fabulous (shutterlyfabulous.com).

Slat size Louvres or slats generally come in a choice of five different mm widths: 47, 63, 76, 89 and 114mm.

‘Wide louvres give a contemporary look, let in more light and allow for a better view,’ says Lisa Slack, head of product at Hillarys (hillarys.co.uk) ‘If you have wide floorboards or high skirting boards, carry these proportions through to the shutter design and choose wide panels and bigger slats.’

Smaller louvres are perfect if your window is overlooked and privacy is key. Traditionally, louvres are controlled via a tilt rod either on the outside of the shutter or hidden within, and some companies offer a remote-control option.

TOP Full-height shutters suit tall windows as the horizontal dividing rail provides extra support.

From £413 per sqm including home consultation and installation, Luxaflex (luxaflex.co.uk) ABOVE Shutters with a PVC waterproof finish are easy to clean and ideal for humid conditions. From £299 per sqm, including home consultation & installation, Shutterly Fabulous (shutterlyfabulous.com)

IMPROVE YOUR HOME SEPTEMBER 2021 | 33

BUYER’S GUIDE

THROW SHADE Tips on how to choose a patio awning

by Daniel Hatfield, marketing manager at Luxaflex (luxaflex.co.uk) ● A retractable awning is

a great addition to an outside space. It controls sun, shade and rainfall. Fitted to a façade – usually above sliding, folding or French patio doors – it helps regulate solar heat and light to the adjoining internal room. ● A made-to-measure

design ensures the perfect fit and positioning, but standard off-the-peg models are also available. The awning needs to be larger than the area you want to cover, as well as wider than any windows or doors. Most awnings are at least 3m wide and project between 1.5-4m. The maximum projection for a self-supporting awning is 4m but supported systems can be larger.

Outdoor louvered roofs

● For ease and convenience,

choose an electronic motorised design that can be teamed with intelligent sun and wind sensors. The sun’s rays automatically activate the awning to provide shade on a sunny day, and when the wind picks up it automatically retracts to prevent damage.

All-weather patio louvered roof systems are a great outdoor shelter and will add a wow factor to contemporary homes. Motorised aluminium louvre blades pivot and let you control the amount of sunlight that can penetrate, and when closed they create a watertight roof system. Some systems are retractable, allowing the space beneath to be bathed in sunlight. The roofs are designed to fit into existing structures, be wall mounted or bought as part of an aluminium-frame pergola.

● To ensure rainwater runoff

the awning must be fitted at an angle of 14° or greater, otherwise water will pool.

Choose a water-resistant, treated fabric so there’ll be no colour fade or rot.

Take cover Retractable patio awnings are the perfect solution for providing cover when needed, meaning you can make the most of indoor-outdoor living throughout the seasons. Available in a range of colours from neutral to bold, awnings provide shade from harmful UV rays, protect furniture from fading and keep the temperature of the adjacent room cooler.

● A streamlined, fully TOP The Brera retractable louvre roof system has aluminium blades that pivot or retract and provide protection from sun and rain. Custom-made design, from £600 per sqm, IQ Glass (iqglassuk.com) ABOVE Shade an outdoor living space close to the house with a made-to-measure awning that retracts into a full cassette for storage. Base Plus model, £2,237 including home consultation and fitting, Luxaflex (luxaflex.co.uk)

34 | SEPTEMBER 2021 IMPROVE YOUR HOME

enclosed cassette casing provides a neat hideaway for the awning and protects the fabric and operating mechanism against the elements when not in use.

Half-cassette cases only protect the fabric and the retractable arms fold away beneath the casing.

Control of light and privacy in your home Stylish and contemporary design to match any of your rooms

Unrivalled customer service and after care

10 Y EAR THE SHUTTERCRAFT WARRANTY

www.shuttercraft.co.uk

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