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EXTENSIONS | RENOVATIONS | SELF-BUILDS | SMALL PROJECTS | INTERIORS

NEW LOOK MAGAZINE! —

October 2018 £4.40

‘We wanted to make it extraordinary’

ALL YOU NEED TO CREATE YOUR DREAM PROJECT

LA-style family home in London

HOW TO BUILD ON A TINY PLOT

10 brilliant infill houses

NATURAL BEAUTY

BUYER’S GUIDE TO WOOD FLOORS FREE INSIDE

CONVERT YOUR LOFT

IDEAS TO ADD VALUE, LIGHT & SPACE

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Contents

Regulars

13 EDITOR’S LETTER

25 KEVIN McCLOUD

Our editor-at-large explores the subject of infill architecture and the utilisation of small, urban plots 210 MY GRAND IDEA Architect Luigi Montefusco on gaining planning permission in a conservation area 106 SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE

Get 13 unmissable issues for just £25.99

23

October 2018

11

24

15

19

129 News

15 ARCHITECTURE UPDATE

New and inspiring projects 19 DESIGN MATTERS Beautiful pieces to enhance your home 23 HOME HUB Technological updates and innovations 29 NEWS REPORT The influence of Japanese micro-homes 129 KITCHEN NEWS The latest designs for units and surfaces 143 BATHROOM NEWS

Stylish new additions for the smallest room

143 MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 9

CONTENTS

Homes

36 HISTORIC TV HOUSE

A Buckinghamshire folly restored using new tech and traditional methods 46 GLOBAL INFLUENCE See how one couple turned their 1920s London house into a contemporary family home

46

58 TERRACE TRANSFORMED

The new brick-barrelled, vaulted ceiling is the star of the show in this Victorian cottage in York

69 IN TOTAL CONTRAST

This South African home connects a cityscape view with picturesque landscape

79 THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

A north London loft conversion with a stunning double-height window

46 Projects

89 GRAND BUILD Our guide to

arranging your self-build finances 97 GRAND GUIDE 10 innovative infill projects that make the most of small or awkward-shaped plots

36

109 BUYER’S GUIDE TO BIOMASS BOILERS Read up on the benefits

of wood-fuelled boilers and stoves

115 LOFT CONVERSIONS Turn your

attic into valuable living space

131 SUSTAINABLE KITCHENS The latest

materials and appliances that are sleek, stylish and eco-friendly 145 WET ROOMS All you need to know about installing your dream shower 153 BUYER’S GUIDE TO WOOD FLOORING New, reclaimed solid

timber and engineered designs

Offers

125 COMPETITION Win a home office

from Humanscale, worth £5,000

161 COMPETITION Win Kahrs wood

flooring worth £7,000

163 GRAND DESIGNS LIVE Your

show preview and free ticket

131 10 OCTOBER 2018 /

163 MAGAZINE.COM

As award winning architects and designers we aspire to create extraordinary buildings and spaces for our clients, sometimes 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 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. respond to the surrounding environment.

Pushing achieve timeless, timeless, highly highly innovative innovativeand andsustainable sustainableprojects. projects.

Pushingthe theboundaries boundaries of of design design we we are are able able to to achieve We offer a complete design service from initial advice through to the completion of your project.

We offer a complete design service from initial advice through to the completion of your project.

We complete complete works worksall allover overthe theUK UKand andinternationally. internationally.

We We welcome the the opportunity opportunityto todiscuss discussyour yourpotential potentialproject project We would would welcome 01525406677 406677 t:t:01525 0121227 2279725 9725 t:t:0121 e:info@nicolastyearchitects.co.uk info@nicolastyearchitects.co.uk e: w:www.nicolastyearchitects.co.uk www.nicolastyearchitects.co.uk w:

Main photo- Kimbrook house, Cambridgeshire Main photo- Kimbrook house, Cambridgeshire

New Builds New Builds

Extensions Extensions

Conversions Conversions

EDITORIAL

EDITOR KAREN STYLIANIDES DEPUTY EDITOR HELEN PARTON ART DIRECTOR TONY PETERS ACTING ART EDITOR JULIETTE LUTON ACTING CHIEF SUB CATE LANGMUIR FEATURES WRITER JO MESSENGER IMAGE RESEARCHER KERRY GARWOOD DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT EDITOR JENNY McFARLANE DIGITAL CONTENT EXECUTIVE GEMMA PARKES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LISA ALLEN EDITOR-AT-LARGE KEVIN McCLOUD

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SUBSCRIPTIONS

Grand Designs magazine is published 13 times a year and will be delivered to your door. Call 01858 438 792 to place your credit card order, or email granddesigns@ subscription.co.uk. Annual subscription rate: UK £57.20; Europe £79; rest of the world £98.

Printed by William Gibbons (williamgibbons.co.uk).

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Text and picture material is sent at the owner’s risk. 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 Boundless. Grand Designs is a registered trademark of FremantleMedia. Based on the television programme Grand Designs, produced by Boundless (part of FremantleMedia UK) for Channel 4.

Licensed by FremantleMedia Enterprises (fremantlemedia.com). © 2018. ISSN 1742-0695

Welcome September heralds the start of the autumn season – and the eagerly awaited new series of Channel 4’s Grand Designs! Inside this issue, you’ll find an exclusive interview with Grand Designers Mimi and Jaime Fernandez, who have recently completed the renovation of an amazing Georgian folly. Architect Jaime made use of 3D laser-scanning technology to gain precise details of even the most inaccessible parts of the building.

The combination of hi-tech innovation and a sensitive approach to restoring the historic property has resulted in a carefully crafted and completely unique family home. Take a tour of this fascinating project on page 36.

Loft conversions can be a cost-effective way to gain extra living space. But there are a number of planning considerations and design options to negotiate in order to ensure a successful outcome. We’ve taken an in-depth look at the subject and gathered inspiring case histories to highlight the possibilities for your project – you’ll find this feature on page 115.

A must-see event for anyone building their own home or planning a home improvement project, Grand Designs Live, returns to the NEC, Birmingham, on 10 October and runs for five days. Turn to page 163 to find a preview of the show and your free ticket. Also at the NEC from October 9-11 is UK’s largest built-environment event, UK Construction Week, which is the perfect place to gain an insight into all areas of the construction industry.

K AREN ST YLIANIDES, EDITOR

@StylianidesK

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

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Architecture update

NEWS

Original projects to inspire your own self-build or renovation

Black magic

Built in a Cardiff conservation area, this timber-framed home unfolds from a doubleheight atrium with reflecting pools on either side, and cantilevers over a wooded bank.

The project, by Loyn + Co Architects (02920 711 432; loyn.co.uk), was shortlisted for a Royal Society of Architects in Wales 2018 Welsh Architecture Award.

Start right

The Starter Home programme of American architects, Office of Jonathan Tate (officejt. com), was created to develop urban entry-level homes. This is No 1, the first completed one-bedroom house, in New Orleans, which was limited to a footprint of just 3.2x13.7m.

The district is strict on scale and massing, so a staggered, sectional design allowed rooms to layer back from the street.

Coastal cool

The Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide: East Coast USA by Sam Lubell with photography by Darren Bradley (ÂŁ24.95, Phaidon), showcases more than 250 iconic buildings, from the Canadian border down to the tip of Florida. View the beach houses of Fire Island and the skyscrapers in Manhattan, or take the book along on a trip for a closer look.

Looking up

To form a light-filtering ceiling for the double-height library at Old Shed New House, birch plywood panels were CNC-routed with staggered slot perforations, laid into an interlocking grid of plywood beams and completed with white-tinted Osmo oil in a pattern that relates to the spines of the books and the silver birch trees outside.

This North Yorkshire project, by Tonkin Liu Architects (020 7837 6255; tonkinliu. co.uk), is one of 2O exceptional buildings nominated for this year’s Wood Awards.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 15

NEWS

Architecture update Organic spiral

This beautiful staircase flows through all five floors of a west London renovation by Groupwork + Amin Taha (020 7253 9444; amintaha.co. uk). Structurally independent, its balustrade is a cobweb of wire threads, designed to let light flow between the floors, and the architect’s love of materials is evident throughout the project with the playful use of stone, textured concrete, wood and metal.

Modern contrast

A collaboration involving Dutch architects will see the adaptive reuse of former river cargo ships, which will be lifted onto land and transformed into sustainable homes. The project, called Marine-doc Estate (marinedocestate com), is to be implemented later this year, although the location is yet to be announced.

16 OCTOBER 2018 /

Eco innovation

This prototype Nolla cabin on Vallisaari island, near Helsinki, made using sustainable materials, is the result of a collaboration between Finnish designer Robin Falck (robinfalck.com) and Finnish renewables company Neste (neste.com). The project shows the scope of building with minimal environmental impact – its energy supply is entirely renewable as electricity is generated by solar panels, while the Wallas stove, for cooking and heating, runs on Neste MY Renewable Diesel, made from 100 per cent waste and residue. This zero-emission build can be erected anywhere, and leaves no trace.

MAGAZINE.COM

WORDS JO MESSENGER PHOTOGRAPHY CHARLES HOSEA, GREG STORRAR, ADELINA ILIEV, TIM SOAR, WILLIAM CROCKER

A two-storey extension that overshadowed the rear of this house has been replaced with a curved, cantilevered design. This provides a larger upper level, and shading and privacy for the ground floor glazing. The project, in Barnsbury, north London,

by James Dunnett Architects (020 7833 345; jamesdunnettarchitects.com), features a long strip window with a 90-degree radiused bend, enhanced with cladding in narrow v-jointed oak board.

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NEWS

Design matters

A selection of new products and ideas to complete your project

Tactile pieces

French Connection’s Nomad collection of textural and neutral accent furnishings is crafted from a wealth of natural materials, from grass-woven chairs to blonde parquet wood. The range includes this Kudu seagrass rug, £155; rattan lounge chair, £495; Iniko cushion, £55; metal mesh shade floor lamp, £145 and eucalyptus wood table, £120.

(0333 400 3285; frenchconnection.com)

Subtle shimmer

Republic of Fritz Hansen’s new Object collection includes these mirrors by Studio Roso. The London-based design duo has created the wall-mounted pieces of printed reflective glass using hand-painted aquarelle graphics. The mirrors can be hung horizontally or vertically and each has a round-edged frame. Prices start from £739 for the oval shape. (+45 48 17 23 00; fritzhansen.com)

In the pink

WORDS JO MESSENGER PHOTOGRAPHY YESHEN VENEMA

Ikea’s latest collaboration with Per B Sundberg, the iconic Swedish glass and ceramic artist, grew from the company’s vision of making art accessible to all. The figurative, fun and sometimes absurd collection includes this FÖremål low pile rug, £60. (020 3645 0000; ikea.com)

Dark side

Interior architect and designer Annick L Peterson’s studio, Alp Design (020 3556 5587; alp-design.co.uk), has recently launched a new range of lighting. Woven Noir 310 is handcrafted from black leather-like cord knotted and entwined to create a dramatic geometric web; the designs fit perfectly with the urban-tribal interiors trend. Prices start from £150 for the smallest size.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 19

NEWS

Design matters Dreamy landscape

Sian Zeng (020 8691 7770; sianzeng. com) is an award-winning design company, renowned for its imaginative wallpapers and accessories. This Hua Trees design was hand-painted at full scale and scanned to preserve every detail. Comprising three repeating 70cm-wide panels, it comes in pink or grey colourways.

Prices start from £80 for a 3m-high panel, and a magnetic version is also available.

Rough luxe Havwoods (01524 737 000; havwoods.com) has introduced axe-chopped reclaimed oak planks to its Relik collection. Available in three finishes – Sapphire, Topaz, below left, and Ruby, below right – the boards have a sculpted surface, marked with blows from metal axe blades, giving them a scarred and dented surface.

Crafted from age-old structures, the timber is hand-repaired before being turned into engineered planks. They’re suitable for use as floorboards or wall cladding, and cost £154.74 per sqm.

Aged metallics

Soft option Created by EOOS for Walter Knoll, the Bundle sofa is designed to look like a large folded blanket, suspended on bird-like legs. This modular range comes in various sizes and configurations in a choice of fabric and leather styles. Available from Chaplins (020 8421 1779; chaplins.co.uk), prices start from £5,490 for a two-seater sofa and the corner design shown is £10,750.

20 OCTOBER 2018 /

MAGAZINE.COM

These Verdigris porcelain tiles from Mandarin Stone (01600 715 444; mandarinstone.com) replicate the blue and green patina formed on copper by oxidation.

Suitable for both walls and floors, they are available in three large-format sizes, from £53.93 per sqm.

The best days are grey Whatever the season, you can never underestimate the feeling outside space provides.

With grey the colour of choice for today’s cutting-edge homes, we’ve developed our new Brushed Basalt decking to complement your contemporary lifestyle.

Featuring the authentic enhanced grain of natural timber, without the drawbacks of rotting or warping, it’s finished using our unique brushed process to mimic painted wood, for a surface that’s satisfyingly dull, not artificially shiny.

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NEWS

Home hub

The latest technology updates and design innovations to get you connected

Smart collaboration

Arriving with all the usual high-definition bells and whistles, including 4K HDR and eight million self-illuminating pixels for perfect contrast, Sony’s AF9 OLED TV also boasts a unique new crowd-pleaser, thanks to a tie-up with Netflix. The Netflix Calibrated Mode reproduces the image quality used by the movie studios, so what you see is as close to the filmmaker’s vision as possible. Available in 55 and 65in; price on application. (020 7365 2810; sony.co.uk)

Listen up Denon’s latest box of tricks, the Ceol-N10 receiver, from £449, is proof that you can combine traditional hi-fi features with stylish good looks.

This curvaceous unit – in black, white or sleek grey – features a powerful Class D amplifier, CD player, Wi-Fi connectivity and streaming, and Apple AirPlay2 for multiroom sounds. (02890 279 830; denon.co.uk)

WORDS CHRIS HASLAM SOURCE *QZ.COM 2017

Plug-in performer

The Ellipsis, £59.99, from new British tech brand i-box (01234 263 737; iboxstyle.com) is a supremely practical plug-in speaker, with built-in Amazon Alexa voice control, that reduces cable clutter and takes up zero surface space. Simply ask it to stream music, play news, make phone calls and answer queries.

Link up to eight Ellipsis speakers using the dedicated app to create a multi-room music system.

When it comes to streaming TV, Netflix is leagues ahead with more than 117 million subscribers watching 140 million hours per day (over one billion hours per week*)

Beam me up

This new Beam soundbar from Sonos, £399, is neat (H6.85xW65.1xD10cm), connects to any speaker, and streams hi-fi or plug-in to your TV via HDMI cable to vastly improve sound quality. Voice control is built-in, too, so you can tell your TV to switch off. It comes in black or white.

(0808 026 1526; sonos.com) MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 23

EXCLUSIVE COLUMN

Kevin

McCloud Our editor-at-large thinks we should embrace infill architecture for the benefits it brings to our suburbs

T

here’s a hot topic in this issue of the magazine: urban infills.

It sounds like dentistry for the metropolitan elite, which it sort of is: the exploitation of small pockets of hidden land in our cities on which to build new homes. The kind of project we enjoy filming for Grand Designs (think of young heteropolitan couple Joe and Lina building their wooden three-storey home in East London last year).

The pockets can be brownfield and disused – an old London gin distillery makes a small and exciting new home in the 2018 series of House of the Year, coming up on Channel 4. Or they can be green and abandoned, like the site that architects Deborah Saunt and David Hills found for themselves in Clapham.

I visited their concrete mirrored home for House of the Year in 2016; the reflective cladding and sunken profile made the house seem almost invisible.

No one will dispute the value of converting a disused warehouse or waste

site into something beautiful. At its most virile, urban regeneration begins with the self-builders, artists and artisans moving in to a cheap area to invest their time, energy and money into making it somewhere more pleasant. Cynics call this gentrification; I call it experimental, high-risk private investment in a place where no developer would set foot for fear of failure. It happened in Islington in the 1970s, in Shoreditch 10 years ago,

‘It’s part of the cycle of decline and rebuilding’

in Margate recently and in places further afield like Christchurch, New Zealand, after the earthquakes. It’s part of the cycle of decline and rebuilding, and we should celebrate these plucky pioneers for their bravery and vision.

However, plenty of people like to dispute the value of building in the

green and pleasant backlands of our suburbs. I visited one delicately designed, single-storey contemporary home in London recently that was sited at the bottom of other people’s gardens. It was on a piece of land that had always been badly cared for.

It abutted strips of greenery that each led to the back of a terraced house and provided each home with bags of privacy and loads of outdoor amenities. This new home even dealt with a long history of vandalism on the old site. What was not to like?

In truth, this building has been vilified. The neighbours objected to the planning proposal – despite its modest scale – and continue to object with posters, scrawled notes in their windows and formal complaints.

They hate the imposter at the bottom of their gardens because it represents not regeneration, but a degeneration of their stable and manicured suburban world. Change is rarely welcome, and it usually comes clothed in the mantle of threat.

There is a real irony here. The infrastructure of places like Joe Stuart and Lina Nilsson’s Passivhaus is on the site of a former coffin workshop in East London

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 25

EXCLUSIVE COLUMN

This low-level home in London’s Blackheath was built at the end of a large garden

ARE YOU PLANNING A ?

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/apply

26 OCTOBER 2018 /

MAGAZINE.COM

more often than not, are marked by closed Post Offices and empty pubs.

Of course there are many planners, architects and amenity groups who see the character of suburbia as inherent in this bucolic, low-density arrangement.

They want to preserve the density as it is. But these densities are difficult and expensive to sustain. So the answer

‘It helps make our suburbs resilient and sustainable’

is to carefully densify our suburbs by cleverly threading in new development between the 1930s semis and the terraced streets with their generous back gardens. To keep the Post Office busy, the buses on the road and the pub running. To improve the carbon and environmental impact of our communities. To accept that the

quiet Hazelwood Closes and Acacia Groves might easily accommodate 15 per cent more traffic.

I believe we should embrace infill architecture, partly to help re-energise our suburbs and partly to make them resilient and sustainable. It’s a hard ask for the existing residents of suburbia to accept, but the alternative is the further decline of amenities and services, and an increased reliance on the car to get us further and further to the Co-op just for a carton of milk. The advancing and uncomfortable alterations to our world that climate change will soon bring mean we can no longer afford to be dissolute in our consumption of resources or complacent about the status quo in our neighbourhoods.

As Sam Cooke, the American singer, wrote in 1964: ‘It’s been a long time coming, but I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will.’

Mimi and Andre Da Costa’s prefabricated house was on the programme in 2009

PHOTOGRAPHY FIONA WALKER-ARNOTT, JEFFERSON SMITH, MATT CHISNAL

Shoreditch functioned perfectly well before the hipsters arrived. Granted, there were fewer coffee shops and bicycle-repair bistros, but the trains and buses went there, and you could always buy a decent cuppa and a takeaway. Arguably, Shoreditch is a nicer place now, but it was never dysfunctional because it is woven into a much larger and equally dense city.

By contrast, our suburbs are in an environmental crisis. Constructed in an age when climate change meant travelling to the colonies, they remain loose, baggy and sparsely populated. Suburbia is part town, part country, mainly green and serviced by miles of tarmac and infrastructure, whether it’s cables slung from pole after pole or sewerage and water pipes that rely on pumping stations to keep everything sloshing along.

Many councils now admit they find it hard to maintain these over-generous neighbourhoods, which these days,

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NEWS REPORT

Cupboards surround the living area in this remodelled apartment and full-length sliding doors conceal the workstation when it’s not in use

Big ideas for small homes WORDS MICHAEL FITZPATRICK

Japanese micro-home design has laid the foundation for a happy and healthy approach to small-space living

T

he preferred property type in Japan is a house, rather than an apartment, but the lack of availability and high cost of substantial plots of land has meant that homeowners and architects have had to make a virtue of designing homes that exploit every inch of space. And these ideas, honed to perfection over many years, may have real benefits for space-squeezed city dwellers in the UK.

A bespoke approach

Japan is a land-starved, mountainous country with a tradition of maximising the potential of pocket-sized sites. Tokyo was

the world’s first megacity with more than a million citizens in the 1800s, so the country’s architects and builders have mastered the art of getting more from less, becoming adept at creating smaller homes that are comfortable, functional and aesthetically pleasing.

With no shortage of tiny plots in Japanese cities, potential homeowners

The scarcity and high cost of plots in urban areas has resulted in smaller dimensions to many new-builds

turn to self-building and have thousands of architects to choose from. There are more than 500,000 registered practitioners across the country. ‘Young couples are building more houses than ever before,’ says architect Alastair Townsend of Tokyo-based Bakoko Design Development (bakoko.jp). ‘And they want a house designed to suit their lifestyle.’

Similarly in the UK, the scarcity and high cost of sizeable plots of land available to self-builders, especially in urban areas, has resulted in smaller dimensions to many new-builds, and many projects constrained by a limited footprint that

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 29

NEWS REPORT In this compact Japanese home, the living-dining area opens full height, while the kitchen has a raised floor and a suspended ceiling with a sleeploft above

GO OVER, UNDER AND WITHIN

Bakoko Design Development (bakoko.jp) founder Alastair Townsend, offers his design tips for easy living in small spaces ● Include features such as sliding doors that allow easy access between areas while taking up very little room themselves. ● Consider having a dual-purpose tatami room. Tatami mats (try tatamiuk.co.uk), cover the floor so the room can be used as a dining area in the daytime and as a base to sleep on at night. ● Install skylights or light wells to bring light into buildings that are penned in by neighbouring properties. This will also make them feel more spacious. ● Self-contained miniature gardens are common in Japanese houses. Even modern homes are built with these tsubo-niwa – tiny interior courtyards about the size of a tatami mat. They also bring light into the interior and provide a close connection with nature. ● Keep surfaces clutter-free to increase the sense of space.

can benefit from the clever design solutions that have evolved over centuries in Japan.

Shared experiences

Azby Brown, Japan resident and author of The Very Small Home (£21.28; published in English by Kodansha America Inc; kodanshausa.com), says there are many examples of micro-living that show it’s possible to live well in a compact space.

He suggests that even given a choice, some self-builders are opting for life on the squeeze.

‘City living in the UK is approaching the conditions that have been experienced in Japan for years,’ he says. ‘Many design ideas that originated here have a benefit for small-space living, such as sliding glass doors – an idea that came from Japan a century ago.’

The features that make such tiny homes comfortable include a layout that allows for easy access from room to room, an absence of 30 OCTOBER 2018 /

MAGAZINE.COM

clutter and ingenious storage. ‘More use is made of void areas, such as below a suspended floor, accessed via a trap door,’ says Townsend. ‘Then there’s the traditional kaidan tansu – drawers built into a flight of stairs,’ he adds. ‘And kura spaces – half-height storage between upper and lower floors.’

Many design ideas that have a benefit for small-space living, for instance glass sliding doors, originated in Japan Some UK architects have followed suit, employing innovative ideas designed to allow self-builders to realise their dream of a small but perfectly formed home. ● Turn to p33 to read the case study on small-space living

A built-in plant trough is raised above the breakfast bar, taking up none of the precious floor space, while providing room for greenery

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TRANSFORM YOUR EXISTING STAIRCASE WITH NO MESS, NO FUSS AND BEST OF ALL NO BUILDING WORK

NEWS REPORT

The tall, narrow house retains its traditional facade, while having been completely remodelled inside

A city mews has been transformed with cleverly designed joinery and glazing

This long and narrow home has been remodelled to improve the amount of light inside

Coffey Architects (020 7549 2141; coffeyarchitects.com) used traditional Japanese design techniques and referenced the country’s tearooms to increase the sense of light and space when renovating this three metre-wide London mews home.

The property is eight metres deep and only

had windows to the front, which made lack of light an issue throughout the house.

The owners, a family of two lawyers and their toddler, asked the architects to improve the layout of the property to gain a better connection between the rooms. In particular, the bedrooms on the top floor were MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 33

NEWS REPORT

The bath and steps are made from seamless Corian

reached via a spiral staircase, which made them feel separate from the rest of the house. The stairs were relocated to the centre of the property, with Z risers and a glass balustrade.

Daylight now penetrates the entire depth of the house, thanks to the new glazed roof, which sits above the stairwell and filters light through the open balustrades and glazed landings.

The glazing also creates a visual link between the floors.

All the internal walls were removed and replaced with oak-framed rice paper 34 OCTOBER 2018 /

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Daylight now penetrates the entire depth of the house, thanks to a new glazed roof

Even when the sliding doors are shut, light can still filter through the translucent, rice paper glass and oak louvres

glass and oak-louvred sliding doors. ‘We included sliding doors for a greater sense of openness and privacy when needed.

The doors slide into partitions made from oak slats and the glass is a material that allows light to gently filter through and is often used in traditional Japanese interior design,’ says practice founder and

director Phil Coffey. The reworking of the internal space and the clever use of materials, along with a pared-back colour palette, has successfully satisfied the clients’ wish for a more unified and light-filled home that functions brilliantly and looks serene and contemporary.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIM SOAR, TAKESHI TAIRA, BAKOKO

A clear glass balustrade provides a safety barrier around the open staircase, while allowing maximum light through

Delivering British architecture with German technology Hanse Haus is a premium German supplier of turnkey, pre-manufactured ultra-high efficiency homes.

Founded as a carpentry business in 1929, it now erects some 400 timber frame homes annually Europewide and has been active in the UK since 2006.

To talk to us about your individual requirements, contact us using the details below.

Hanse Haus Email info@hanse-haus.co.uk Telephone 0800 302 9220 www.hanse-haus.co.uk

HOMES TV HOUSE

IN BRIEF –

NAMES Mimi and Jaime Fernandez AGES 35 and 37 LOCATION Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire TYPE OF PROPERTY Converted folly BEDROOMS 2 BATHROOMS 2 DATE PROJECT STARTED January 2016 DATE PROJECT FINISHED June 2018 SIZE OF HOUSE 150sqm FINAL BUILD COST £400,000

36 OCTOBER 2018 /

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‘It’s a privilege to live in a building with so much history etched into its walls’ New technology and traditional restoration methods have merged to transform this Georgian folly into a unique home WORDS JAYNE DOWLE PHOTOGR APHY FIONA WALKER ARNOTT

Once neglected, this historic gem has been given a new lease of life as a family home and preserved a unique and much-loved landmark

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 37

T

he foundation stone for Dinton Castle was laid in 1769, but architect Jaime Fernandez has used modern technology to bring the building back to life. Jaime and his wife, Mimi, and their two sons, George, three, and one-year-old Lucas, turned the rundown folly, in Aylesbury Vale Buckinghamshire, originally built by local landowner Sir John Vanhatten as a showcase for his fossils, into a home.

As part of the planning permission process, the local council demanded that Jaime supply details of inaccessible parts of the ruins. So he made a 3D laser scan of the building. ‘Discovering the unlimited applications of this technology and being able to use it in the restoration was a huge accomplishment for me,’ he says.

‘As well as using it for the complex build, it reduced the time and cost of producing the bespoke joinery, staircases and stonework.’

The castle represented both an opportunity - and a serious challenge.

It is a Grade II*-listed building, sits in an Area of Attractive Landscape, with a treepreservation order over every tree and is a proven Area of Archaeological Interest with an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in the vicinity. A right of way also crosses the land and it was a summer roost for bats. And until the family took possession, no services had been installed, so electricity, gas, water and mains drainage all had to be laid.

Undaunted, Jaime and Mimi bought the property for £100,000 and set to work.

It took six months to prepare the proposal to convert the folly into a home, including

‘We’ve created a family home but we’ve also restored a local landmark to its former glory’

A frameless glass staircase and balustrade provide a focal point for the front of the castle and offer an interesting textural contrast to the stonework

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HOMES TV HOUSE

Exposed beams and use of a single beech tree to conceal pipework – and construct the kitchen table and windowsills – create a timeless appeal

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 39

Cosy yet light, thanks to the windows that encircle the space, the stripped-back walls add texture and interest – some are also embedded with fossils

The centerpiece mirror was inherited from grandparents.

Leading up from below, the precision-built staircase is made from engineered timber beams

F L O O R PL A N S

BEDROOM

LIVING ROOM KITCHEN AND DINING AREA BEDROOM

BASEMENT

40 OCTOBER 2018 /

GROUND FLOOR

MAGAZINE.COM

FIRST FLOOR

HOMES TV HOUSE

A practical, openplan kitchen features well-organised storage and a Belling oven

drawings and surveys. Once it was submitted to Aylesbury Vale District Council, it took another six months to receive final approval.

‘We had to liaise with every officer involved in planning and listed building consent,’ says Jaime. ‘It was a full-time job for a year and, at times, I questioned whether it would ever happen.’

Mimi is firmly of the belief that for a project such as this to work, you have to live and breathe it seven days a week. ‘Aside from never switching off from it mentally, more often than not, Jaime was on-site every single day,’ she says. ‘There are constant obstacles, complications and financial issues to overcome and this inevitably takes its toll on a relationship and family time. But with every challenge, came a solution. And Jaime’s

‘Aside from never switching off from it mentally, more often than not, Jaime was on site every day’ unrelenting optimism and tireless work ethic ensured the building developed at a quick pace. I think this helped pull us through those difficult times.’

Major hurdles involved securing competent stonemasons to rebuild the walls of the castle to Jaime’s – and the

local council’s – exacting standards. The original team, who were coming from Spain, pulled out and Jaime had to search for a replacement, which came in the form of twin brothers Luke and Lewis Montague, local lads who were delighted to help in the rescue.

‘It’s been a challenge to find contractors to be able to commit to a tight time frame,’ Jaime says. ‘Often it was quicker for me to do a job myself than to find someone else – and I also saved money this way.’

At the start of the excavation work, human remains were found in the burial ground. This caused a week’s delay and added several thousand pounds in measures to record the archaeological site. And the groundworks and sewage systems cost at least 50 per cent more than anticipated.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 41

HOMES TV HOUSE

Inside, compromises had to be made.

The dividing wall between the bedrooms cut through a fireplace, but Mimi and Jaime have turned the recesses into storage.

A small extension was permitted to house the utility room, and access to the front door of the folly was created with a frameless glass staircase, which complements the mellow limestone of the walls. It’s just one of the juxtapositions between old and new that characterise the project.

‘It’s a privilege to live in a building with so much history etched into its walls,’ says Mimi. ‘And the garden with the huge old

trees and views is magical. We’ve created a family home but we’ve also restored a local landmark to its former glory – one that lay abandoned for more than two centuries.’

It is fair to say that if the walls of Dinton Castle could speak they would tell a very interesting tale. Jaime realised that the limestone used to build the castle was from the same geological period as the gigantic fossils set into the walls by Vanhatten, the original owner. ‘The stones put into perspective how young we humans are,’ he says. ‘I love to walk around the kitchen with George and find shells on the walls.’

Both of the follly’s bedrooms feature stylish and rustic en-suite bathrooms

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Jaime made the most of the space available by dividing the first floor in half to create two bedrooms

SU PPLI ER S – PROJECT TEAM Architect, contractor and project manager Jaime Fernandez (07473 111 648; dintoncastle.co.uk) Stone and brickwork Luke and Lewis Montague (07595 912 377)

The top of the building is almost a second living space in good weather and offers a great vantage point for views

STRUCTURE Joinery, windows and doors Carpinteria El Cerro SL (puertaselcerro.com) Underfloor heating Aylesbury Underfloor Heating (01296 582 349; aufh.co.uk) Beech window boards, pipes box, basins and countertops Blaise Brogan (07900 697 847; blaiseintrees.com)Â External frameless glass staircase/balustrade Q-railing (0800 781 4245; q-railing.com)

Steelwork, including external stairs structure Bucks Welding (01296 748 848; buckswelding.co.uk) Electrical works, conduit lamps and plumbing Neil Bevan (07506 732 515) Landscape and fencing Bucks Complete Fencing (01844 340 337; bucksfencing.com) FIXTURES & FITTINGS Handrail rope Rope Source (01204 897 642; rope-source.co.uk) FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Spalted beech dining table and aluminum cast cedar coffee table Blaise Brogan (as before)

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 43

HOMES TV HOUSE

TA K E A CLOSER LOOK –

Lay a reclaimed wood floor to add character and complement period features

3 of the best reclaimed engineered wood floors

Practical solutions for any property

44 OCTOBER 2018 /

wood floors are not recommended for kitchens and bathrooms as moisture can cause them to swell and crack; but if you do choose to fit in these areas, always clear up any splashes and spills straightaway and include good ventilation. Engineered flooring with a reclaimed wood top layer is less likely to be affected by humidity and heat.

Turnmill rustic grade flooring in sand with distressed edges, from £138 per sqm, Ecora (020 7148 5265; ecora.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM

Rare Finds Cotton Mill skip sawn Swiss pine flooring, £187 per sqm, Ted Todd (01925 283 000; studiotedtodd.com)

Rill rustic American oak herringbone wood flooring, £143.94 per sqm, Havwoods (01524 737000; havwoods.co.uk)

WORDS JO MESSENGER PHOTOGRAPHY FIONA WALKER-ARNOTT

Salvaged floorboards can be found from all eras, but are most commonly Victorian. As well as adding a heritage look, reclaimed planks are useful if you are trying to match existing or replace damaged floorboards.

Rustic, industrial, parquet; choose a style and species to suit the age of your home and opt for the thickest boards you can. Solid

Gazco Loft with Steel Log Store Base and Top Section. A

Firing imaginations for over 37 years

Woodburning

| gas

M u lt i - F u e l

www.stovax.com

| electric

Inspiration from abroad Design influences from Los Angeles and the Mediterranean had a major impact on the transformation of this London house

WORDS SOPHIE VENING PHOTOGR APHY JULIAN CORNISH-TRESTR AIL

IN BRIEF –

NAMES Felix and Anouska Armstrong AGES 49 & 48 LOCATION Ealing, London TYPE OF PROPERTY 1920s detached house BEDROOMS 5 & annex BATHROOMS 4 & 2 WCs PROJECT STARTED August 2015 PROJECT FINISHED December 2016 SIZE OF HOUSE 337sqm BUILD COST £950,000

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HOMES WEST LONDON

A Lutron lighting scheme has been installed throughout the home and garden

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F

elix and Anouska Armstrong’s stunningly modern home is a far cry from its former tired exterior and internal layout.

In 2013, Felix, a commercial property developer, and Anouska, a marketing executive in the film industry, along with their two teenage children, decided to relocate from the laid-back sunny climate of California to London. Having lived in a spacious, light-filled LA home, the couple knew what they wanted.

‘We had a detached house in mind, with good transport links, that we could transform into our family home,’ says Felix. ‘We wanted to include lots of light and space, and a beautiful mix of natural materials. Our aim was to take something very ordinary and make it extraordinary.’

While still living in LA, the couple spent nine months scouring the internet looking for suitable properties located between the M40 and M23. They came up with a shortlist of 20 homes in Ealing, Barnes and Chiswick that they then flew over to view.

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HOMES WEST LONDON

F L O O R PL A N S

EN SUITE

BEDROOM STORAGE

SECOND FLOOR BEDROOM

BATHROOM STUDY/ BEDROOM

BEDROOM

BEDROOM

FIRST FLOOR

KITCHEN AREA

LIVING AREA

DINING AREA

ANNEX

BOOT ROOM BEDROOM

STUDY

TV ROOM

EN SUITE

GROUND FLOOR

A striking dining table by designer Stefan Knopp adjoins the island; the sleek kitchen is from Halcyon Interiors

GYM

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HOMES WEST LONDON

Cabinet doors disguise the entrance to the guest room

‘It soon became clear that we could get more for our money in Ealing and when we saw this house, which had space to extend, we knew it had potential,’ says Anouska.

Once the sale went through, the couple began searching for an architect and came to admire Robert Dye’s work.

‘We fell in love with his architectural style and use of materials,’ says Anouska.

With a plot and architect in place, the family moved into the house in 2013, spending six months working on a renovation and extension plan with Dye. ‘He would come up with a dramatic concept and then the three of us, along with his colleague, Jason Coleman, would debate and shape it. With Felix’s background in engineering and mine in marketing and design, it was a wonderful fusion of creativity and technical know-how,’ says Anouska.

In terms of design and layout, the couple were keen to have a series of interconnecting spaces through the house. ‘We wanted our home to feel modern, but not brutalist,’ says Felix. ‘Using a restrained colour palette and natural materials, we created a warm and cosy home.

We also wanted to create intimate areas within bright, open spaces,’ explains Anouska.

50 OCTOBER 2018 /

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Dye’s solution was to build a rear and two side extensions to create space for a generous open-plan living-kitchen-dining space. The first-floor internal walls were rearranged to integrate more storage, and a loft extension was added to include Anouska and Felix’s bedroom and en suite. The garage was converted into an annex for visiting family and friends, while the design of a separate studio-gym mirrored the look of the house, using a similar palette of materials. This can be found at the end of the plot, with the garden separating the two buildings and acting like a central courtyard – a layout that is very reminiscent of Mediterranean villas.

A sculptural wall, combining hundreds of oak pieces with integrated lighting, runs the full height of the stairwell and creates a dynamic connection between the three floors. A single run of glazing pierces a side wall on the ground floor and goes all the way up to the roof, filling the centre of the house with natural light. Clever use of varying floor levels, materials and ceiling heights, and a strategically placed fireplace, were critical in creating intimate zones within the open-plan space that Anouska was so keen on. A similar amount of attention to detail

‘A restrained colour palette and natural materials create a warm and cosy home’

A drop in the floor level helps to create an intimate living area

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 51

HOMES WEST LONDON

The staircase, by Dan Clark Furniture and PMF Metalwork, cleverly highlights light and shade 52 OCTOBER 2018 /

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Views from the first floor study take in the extension’s sedum roof and the garden beyond

went into the purely functional areas, too. A boot room was included on the ground floor, with a warm-water hose placed outside to wash the family’s dog, Rolo.

The couple knew that they wouldn’t be able to do all the work under Permitted Development (PD). Dye’s solution was to break the project down into individual PD elements applied for one after the other. ‘We signed off the basic envelope of the house in September 2014 and our first PD application went through in November 2014,’ says Felix. ‘In total, we had nine different planning applications of various types and having certified our PD rights we applied for full planning for the overall scheme,’ he says.

‘It was a really intense period and the most stressful

part of the whole project,’ says Anouska. ‘When we finally applied for full planning permission, we had already spent 18 months and a lot of money getting to this point. There was still a risk that planning would be refused,’ she says.

Thankfully, planning was granted in May 2015 and the family moved into a house nearby. Building works began in August 2015 with three boreholes dug at key places before any foundations were laid. Once the engineer was happy with the site, the back of the house was demolished and the staircase, ceilings and internal walls were all removed.

Next, the foundations were laid and the steel frame went in, ready for the brick and block extensions to be built and internal walls rebuilt.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 53

Sleek fitted wardrobes in the eaves provide a serene, clutter-free bedroom for Anouska and Felix

The bespoke glazing had to be lifted over the roof by crane

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HOMES WEST LONDON

The house was finished predominantly in render, in keeping with the local vernacular. To meet Felix and Anouska’s desire for an eco-friendly home, solar thermal panels were placed on the loft extension roof to provide the home with hot water. Sedum roofs have been fitted over the side and rear extensions, which help with insulation. Efficient underfloor heating has been fitted throughout the ground floor, the loft extension and in each of the bathrooms. Thermal blocks have also been used in all the new walls to stop heat from going into the foundations, all the windows have thermal breaks, and all the new external walls are insulated, too.

In December 2016, the house was ready and landscaping began soon after. Despite the planning process and issues around the build, the couple are happy. ‘People talk of how architecture can affect lives and that is totally true for us,’ says Felix. ‘We have the home of our dreams that our family gets pleasure from every day. Our teenagers have their independence, but still live under the same roof.

It is our special place.’

SU PPLI ER S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Robert Dye Architects (020 7267 9388; robertdye.com) Garden designer Charlotte Rowe (020 7602 0660; charlotterowe.com) Planning consultant WEA Planning (020 7993 2075; weaplanning.co.uk) Structural engineer Ling Engineering (07545 915 805; lingengineering.com) Main contractor Peake Projects (020 7207 4165; peakeprojects.co.uk)

Garden contractor Landform (01276 856 145; landformconsultants.co.uk) STRUCTURE Metalwork PMF Metalwork (01273 517 333; pmfmetalwork.co.uk) Glazing IQ (01494 722 880; iqglassuk.com) FIXTURES & FITTINGS Kitchen Halcyon Interiors (020 7486 3080; halcyoninteriors.com) Wood flooring Mardegan

Legno (+39 0423 467 939; mardeganlegno.com Lighting Lutron (020 7702 0657; lutron.com) FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Custom metalwork PMF Metalwork (01273 517 333; pmfmetalwork.co.uk) Joinery Dan Clark Furniture (07786 924 717; danclarkfurniture.co.uk) Dining table Stefan Knopp (+43 6991 002 6796; stefan-knopp.com)

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 55

HOMES WEST LONDON

TA K E A CLOSER LOOK –

Tailor-made clothes and shoe storage hidden behind floor-to-ceiling doors gives the ultimate seamless look

3 of the best fitted wardrobes

Super-sleek designs to hide clothes and clutter

56 OCTOBER 2018 /

Riva wardrobe with customisable interior, covered in faux leather and finished with contrast stitching. £POA, IQ Furniture (01494 722 880; iqfurniture.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM

Hülsta multi-forma wardrobe in matt white with core walnut panel, from £3,880 for a four-door bi-fold configuration, Chaplins (020 8421 1779; chaplins.co.uk)

Inclinato wardrobe with customisable bi-fold doors for sloping ceilings, from £1,860 for a four-door unit, Go Modern (020 7731 9540; gomodern.co.uk)

WORDS JO MESSENGER

The advantage of commissioning bespoke cabinets is that every inch of wall space can be maximised for storage and designed to your exact requirements with a mix of hanging space, shelves and drawers. Ceiling-height doors are grand and dramatic, giving the perception of a taller, more expansive space.

In this project, the internal doors into the bedroom and dressing room, as well as a side panel, were crafted from the same material to create a continuous look.

Wardrobes with hinged doors will form a smoother line, as opposed to sliding designs where one door glides behind the other – although these are particularly good for small or narrow spaces. Opt for handleless or letterboxstyle doors or hidden push-button catches for a completely flush finish.

HOMES YORK

Double-barrelled design An unusual ceiling feature is the hero element of a terraced-house refurbishment in an idyllic riverside setting in York

58 OCTOBER 2018 /

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WORDS JANE CRITTENDEN PHOTOGR APHY MEL YATES & HOMEOWNERS’ OWN

The load-bearing vaulted ceiling was built with reclaimed bricks. High-level glazing draws light into the kitchen and dining area, which has a utility cupboard and bike store at the rear

IN BRIEF –

NAMES Lilly Shahravesh and Paul Kirkman AGES Both 51 LOCATION York PROPERTY Victorian terrace BEDROOMS 3 BATHROOMS 1 PROJECT STARTED April 2015 PROJECT FINISHED March 2016 HOUSE SIZE 118sqm RENOVATION COST £172,084

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 59

HOMES YORK

The main garden is at the front of the Victorian terrace, which is built with handmade York bricks

G

uests visiting Lilly Shahravesh and Paul Kirkman’s Victorian terrace in York for the first time would be forgiven for thinking that the brick, barrelvaulted ceiling is original. ‘It’s such a striking feature and fits in so well that visitors often assume it’s always been there,’ says Paul. ‘We’d never done a renovation on this scale before and didn’t consciously set out to make our home out of the ordinary.’

But, with its striking arched roof and glass-framed courtyard, this house certainly has some stand-out design touches, sprung from the creative mind of architect Ben Allen from Studio Ben Allen. ‘His ideas were exciting and so simple,’ says Lilly, a textile specialist who designs luxury dog clothing and accessories for her online shop. Paul, too, has a keen eye for design: as a museum director, he has overseen many creative exhibitions and installations.

The couple’s move from London came about when Paul was offered a job at the National Railway Museum in York. The pretty Victorian house they bought was like every other terrace in the area – brick-built with a rear kitchen opening on to a side return and a small yard that backs on to a lane behind the houses.

The front of the property faces a large garden and looks over the River Ouse, where a riverside path wends its way towards the city centre. ‘The location is beautiful,’ says Lilly. ‘We didn’t care that the house was in a terrible state and didn’t even have a kitchen.’

Paul began working at the museum and moved into the house as soon as the sale went through, while Lilly continued to live in the capital until the renovation was completed. She met the architect Ben Allen by chance after he moved into their block of flats in London. ‘He had the perfect blend of experience and imagination,’ she says. ‘He’d collaborated on a range of quirky, award-winning projects with the artist Olafur Eliasson, and had also worked for the architect Jonathan Tuckey – a specialist in remodelling old buildings – before setting up on his own.’

60 OCTOBER 2018 /

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Concrete arches echo the ceiling shape and support a cast concrete worksurface in the kitchen. Shelves are made from engineered oak planks set on brass dowels

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 61

‘The design frames a courtyard, which helps to bring light deep into the existing rooms’

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HOMES YORK Their initial ideas for change were straightforward – an attic conversion and more downstairs space. ‘We didn’t want open plan, but as we got into the design process we realised we wanted something visually interesting,’ says Paul. While the living room at the front has a large bay window, the back was more closed and inward-looking. ‘We wanted to retain that point of difference,’ explains Paul.

Inspiration for Allen’s unusual roof design came from the nearby houses and boundary walls. The load-bearing pair of vaults was built using softwood strut formwork and bent ply swathing, laid with reclaimed bricks. The 18 square metre rear extension spans the full width of the house, and forms a U-shaped layout.

‘Instead of filling in the side return, the design frames a courtyard, which helps to bring light deep into the existing rooms,’ says Paul. ‘It’s an obvious thing to do, yet very inspired.’

Despite the house being in a conservation area and needing both conservation and planning approval, the process was straightforward, if not particularly quick. The budget was a sticking point for the couple, but Allen was keen to make the design work and engineered cost savings. The multi-ply engineered oak for the kitchen cupboards was cut with minimum wastage, inexpensive chrome-plated shower fittings and taps were stripped back to their brass base and he even suggested experimenting with a cement screed, typically used as a subfloor, instead of a more costly polished concrete floor.

Allen also designed a birch plywood staircase and wardrobes as a single element. ‘I didn’t want a pastiche of a Victorian staircase,’ explains Paul. ‘The ply stair arrived in a complicated

F L O O R PL A N S

BEDROOM FRONT ROOM

BEDROOM

LIVING ROOM

KITCHEN

The old dining room is now an informal living area opening onto the courtyard via tall glazed doors

DINING AREA

GROUND FLOOR

BATHROOM

FIRST FLOOR

BEDROOM

SECOND FLOOR

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 63

Painted floorboards complement the birch-ply wardrobes and built-in seat

Birch plywood stairs lead to the converted attic. The CNC-cut design interlocks through the central wall of the house

‘I didn’t want a pastiche of a Victorian staircase. The ply stair arrived in a complicated kit that was assembled on-site’

Bespoke shelves set into the chimney breast are a striking centrepiece of the new attic bedroom

64 OCTOBER 2018 /

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HOMES YORK kit, but our joiner James Byrne did a fantastic job of assembling it on-site – as well as building the architect-designed, engineeredoak kitchen.’

The kitchen has a utilitarian look to fit in with the brick vaults and Allen had thought carefully about the detail. The building contractor, James Pike, cast the seven-metre concrete worksurface in three pieces set on distinctive arches – an echo of the ceiling shape – providing support and useful storage. ‘Both craftsmen were highly skilled – we love the solidity and drama of the room,’ says Paul. ‘We see the ceiling as a valuable asset, particularly in a modest house, where there isn’t much space for architectural expression,’ adds Allen.

Upstairs, changes were made to a bathroom that had also contained an odd kitchenette. The new design opened up the floor plan to include a stylish bathroom with wet room, shower and a freestanding bath. The adjacent boiler room has now become a separate WC, and the attic has been converted into a third bedroom.

Now finished, the house has an element of surprise with its traditional Victorian frontage, original front room and tiled hallway giving way to the new arched brick ceiling and glass courtyard in the cooking-dining-living space. ‘It was worth every penny,’ says Paul. ‘We’re absolutely delighted. Ben Allen saved us more money than we paid and, along with the building team, has given us a truly unique home.’

SU PPLI ER S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Ben Allen at Studio Ben Allen (07866 263 978; studiobenallen.com) Structural engineer Mason Clark Associates (01904 438 005; masonclark.co.uk) Building contractor James Pike at JA Pike Building Contractor (07739 765 840; japike.co.uk) Joinery James Byrne at Broadleaf Joinery (01759 318 659; broadleafjoinery.com) STRUCTURE Vaulted roof structure (including reclaimed bricks) and cement screed floor James Pike at JA Pike Building Contractor (as before) Staircase, bedroom wardrobes, windows and doors James Byrne at Broadleaf Joinery (as before) FIXTURES & FITTINGS Kitchen cabinets Made with multi-ply oak from Tintab (01273 515 155; tintab.com) by James Byrne at Broadleaf Joinery (as before) Concrete worksurface James Pike at JA Pike Building Contractor (as before) Bathroom brassware – chrome removal on taps and shower fittings Allenchrome Electroplating (01759 303 788; allenchrome.co.uk) Kitchen tap Saneux (020 8686 5100; saneux.com) Bathroom taps Ultra (01422 417 110; ultra-finishing.co.uk) Washbasin Duravit (duravit.co.uk) WC Hugo Oliver (020 8853 1153; hugooliver.com) Tiles Villeroy & Boch (villeroy-boch.co.uk)

Chrome-plated taps stripped back to the base brass make eye-catching fittings. The towel rail is made from copper pipe

HOMES YORK

TA K E A CLOSER LOOK –

Aged metal surfaces create an industrial finish in a pared-back scheme

3 of the best wall-mounted mixer taps These industrial designs will free up basin surfaces

66 OCTOBER 2018 /

Acme wall-mounted basin mixer in scuffed brass, £354, Aston Matthews (020 7226 7220; astonmatthews.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM

Gessi Incisso Copia wall-mounted basin mixer in aged bronze, from £555.60, CP Hart (0345 873 1100; cphart.co.uk)

Union three-hole wall-mounted basin tap set with lever handles in brushed brass, £625, Crosswater (0845 873 8840; crosswater.co.uk)

WORDS JO MESSENGER PHOTOGRAPHY MEL YATES

The trend for metallics has moved on with the desire for brushed, scuffed and worn surfaces, as well as patinas, on metals such as copper and bronze. Materials with an aged effect are available, but it’s relatively easy to ‘antique’ some metal surfaces yourself with traditional methods such as salt water and vinegar. It’s advisable to check with your supplier and try a sample first, though.

Advances in laser technology mean that cutting sheet metals is quicker and simpler, so making splashbacks and cladding from these materials is easier to achieve. A local fabrication company should be able to give you a quote.

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HOMES SOUTH AFRICA

Street smart

A Johannesburg family home is transformed, connecting with nature at the back and street life at the front WORDS GR AHAM WOOD ST YLING SVEN ALBERDING/BUREAUX PHOTOGR APHY GREG COX /BUREAUX

IN BRIEF –

NAMES Georg and Rhoné van Gass AGES 42 & 40 LOCATION Johannesburg, South Africa TYPE OF PROPERTY Detached house BEDROOMS 5 BATHROOMS 5 PROJECT STARTED July 2017 PROJECT FINISHED December 2017 SIZE OF HOUSE 413sqm BUILD COST ZAR15.8million (approx £904,000)

Sleek glass boxes and a distinctive screen around the entrance contrast with the earthy, organic softness of the Tyrolean wall, rendered in a stippled plastering technique that is known for weathering MAGAZINE.COM /OCTOBER 2018 69

S

outh African architect Georg van Gass has redesigned a 1960s ranch house for himself, his wife and their two children, in the Johannesburg suburb of Victory Park. This family home is a stone’s throw from Braamfontein Spruit, a stream that runs through the city that’s a well loved mountain biking route, as well as a popular spot for joggers, families with pushchairs and even baptisms on Sundays.

Ever since completing his first project, on the other side of the waterway, with his own practice GASS Architecture Studios, Georg has wanted to live on the spruit. So when his wife Rhoné found a property in a quiet cul-de-sac right next to it, they jumped at the chance, and Georg set about revolutionising the house’s appearance and workings.

At the front, the house looks out to the Johannesburg skyline with views of iconic buildings, such as the Ponte City skyscraper and the Hillbrow Tower. Georg has done quite a bit of work in the city centre and has a real passion 70 OCTOBER 2018 /

MAGAZINE.COM

for creating safe public spaces in and around buildings, as well as designing the actual structures. He was delighted that this house was right on the road, not set back behind a wall, as this would allow him to practise what he preaches, in terms of linking up the building’s interior with the street at the front. At the back and sides, he also worked hard to integrate the inside spaces with the outdoors.

Although Georg himself grew up in a rather more eccentrically-designed home, the work of his architect father, this house reminded him of the type his friends lived in, once ubiquitous in the Johannesburg suburbs, with bedrooms typically leading off a central passage.

Georg was quite restrained in terms of reconfiguring the internal layout. He moved the main entrance to the street – where previously it was up a path and round the side – and squared off the street-facing wall, giving it a Tyrolean finish. This kind of stippled plastering technique is known for taking on a patina with time. ‘I like

HOMES SOUTH AFRICA

F L O O R PL A N S BEDROOM

BEDROOM BEDROOM LIVING AREA KITCHEN

DINING AREA

BEDROOM

FIRST FLOOR

GARAGE

Indoor-outdoor space is maximised at the side of the house, with its extended patio and a wide stair leading to the park-style garden

BEDROOM

PLAYROOM

GROUND FLOOR

Facing the street, the home has an open presence in the neighbourhood and the family can see out across the road to the field and spruit beyond

Made from black Zimbabwean leathered granite, the island draws the kitchen forward, forming an integrated living space at the top of the stairs

buildings that age gracefully,’ he says. The distinctive screen on the front of the house, which Georg says is a detail people always pick up on, is inspired by a midcentury pattern he found on a modular aluminium detail, while working on a refurbishment project in the city centre.

Above the garage at the front, Georg has added a beautifully refined glass box to serve as a study and guest room. Rhoné works mainly from this room and loves its openness and light. ‘What a sense of well-being and connectivity you gain,’ she says. While passers-by might be able to catch a glimpse of the goings-on inside, the family still have enough privacy. There is a front gate and a small, fenced-in courtyard surrounding the front of the house.

‘It never feels cut off from the street,’ says Georg. ‘It’s great because you can just open the garage and go out for a cycle.’

At the side, Georg completely removed the wall between the living room and patio and put in glass doors that slide away, completely blurring the boundaries between outside and inside spaces. ‘It has made a massive change to our lives, having things open and being able to engage with the garden,’ he says.

A low wall with planters extends from the patio and continues along the side of the house, past the bedroom shared by Ferdinand, eight, and Sofi, four. The window in the children’s bedroom extends to the ceiling and further low horizontal windows have been introduced.

Georg designed the handles for kitchen drawers and units, and has featured the same detail on cabinetry

72 OCTOBER 2018 /

MAGAZINE.COM

HOMES SOUTH AFRICA

Almost all the pieces of furniture are prototypes from the couple’s design studio

Stairs lead from the entrance hall to the main living area; the steel and oak Insert chandelier is from GOET, the couple’s design studio MAGAZINE.COM /OCTOBER 2018 73

‘It has made a massive change to our lives, having things open, and being able to engage with the garden’

The master bedroom was extended, with the addition of a glass box with a sliding door opening it fully to the garden 74 OCTOBER 2018 /

MAGAZINE.COM

HOMES SOUTH AFRICA

The master bedroom was one of the few rooms that Georg extended, adding another glass box with a sliding glass door opening onto the garden. Georg loves the narrow vertical window next to the bed. ‘When you walk down the passageway, all you see is greenery,’ he says.

Georg deliberately kept to just two flooring materials: an engineered wood with an oak finish, which he stained a darker shade of brown, and terrazzo, for the bathrooms.

In the kitchen, a large monolithic island unit, made of Zimbabwean leathered granite, has been moved, so it now extends into the living area. Its position was important to Georg because it creates a vantage point from which to enjoy both the street and the spruit beyond. Almost all the other pieces of furniture are prototypes from the couple’s product design studio, GOET. The dining table, for instance, features a laser-cut steel top with a pattern based on a map of Johannesburg, while the coffee table is a variation on this theme, bearing a map of Cape Town.

These one-off pieces, coupled with the van Gass’s art collection, lend the interior distinctive character. And while Georg has given his children the conventional layout he never had growing up, creating a sense of familiarity and warmth in the home, he has unlocked its architectural potential, too, innovating in the heart of suburbia.

Georg extended the patio outwards to make more space, while creating an overhang to shade the playroom below

Square Johnson tiles line the children’s bathroom, while GOET hanging baskets bring in the greenery

SU PPLI ER S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Gass Architecture Studio (+27 11 482 2045; gass.co.za) Interior decorator Rhoné van Gass, GOET Furniture (+27 82 773 2056; goet. co.za) Main contractor Vision 5 projects (+27 12 940 9300; vision5.co.za) Electrician Manny da Silva, MA Electrical (+27 83 226 7928) Plumbers Geezers Plumbing (+27 81 533 6267; geezers.co.za)

STRUCTURE Aluminium Alumac (+27 11 615 0340; alumac.co.za) Joinery Green Desert (+27 82 534 9055; greendesert. co.za) Steel screen GOET Furniture (as before) FIXTURES & FITTINGS Flooring Oggie Flooring (+27 11 262 3117; oggieflooring.com) Lighting Darkroom (+27 11 042 8798; dark-room.co.za)

Bathroom fittings Hansgrohe (01372 472 001; hansgrohe.co.uk); Victoria & Albert (01952 516 800; vandabaths.com); Gerberit (01926 516 800; geberit.co.uk) FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Furniture GOET Furniture (as before); Vitra (020 7608 6200; vitra.com)

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 75

HOMES SOUTH AFRICA

TA K E A CLOSER LOOK –

Factor decorative screening into the architectural design of your self-build, extension or renovation

3 of the best patterned screens

Off-the-shelf designs for both interior and exterior use

76 OCTOBER 2018 /

Aden laser-cut metal screen in burnt orange, from £295 for a 880x1800mm panel, including two posts and feet, Decori (01952 204 950; decori.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM

Bespoke screens can be commissioned through fabricators and metalwork companies, but you can also include smaller, ready-made panels in both external and internal walls to create a design feature.

Another way to bring pattern into architecture is the introduction of midcentury-style painted breezeblocks. This humble, inexpensive material is making a comeback hot on the heels of the midcentury furniture revival and can form internal and external screening and partial walls. Decorative wood screens are another option, but they require regular treating.

Alhambra weatherproof and waterproof wood composite 1800x900mm panels in black, £120, Screen With Envy (0333 577 3324; screenwithenvy.co.uk)

Yamuna laser-cut screen in gold with bronze frame and adjustable pedestal fixings, from £400 per sqm, Miles & Lincoln (020 3637 0807; milesandlincoln.com)

WORDS JO MESSENGER

The bespoke metal screen at the front of this house is a nod to the property’s 1960s roots. Balancing privacy and personality, it shields the interior spaces from passersby, while adding a design element to its modernist facade.

It filters sunlight and provides partial shading. The double-height design has a midcentury feel, influenced by patterned breezeblocks, but the look can be adapted to suit different styles and ages of house; from the elaborate detailing found on Victorian properties to geometrics and abstracts for contemporary builds.

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HOMES EXTENSION NORTH LONDON

Bright outlook One couple took an unusual approach to converting their attic, creating a cathedral-like space with huge windows overlooking the city

WORDS HELEN PARTON PHOTOGR APHY FR ANCESCO RUSSO

IN BRIEF –

NAMES Mandy and Ivan Taylor AGE Both 40s LOCATION Crouch End, north London TYPE OF PROPERTY Loft conversion BEDROOMS 2 BATHROOMS 2 PROJECT STARTED May 2016 PROJECT FINISHED March 2017 SIZE 142sqm COST £300,000

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 79

HOMES EXTENSION NORTH LONDON

Clad in zinc to blend with neighbouring roofs, the extension includes two balconies faced with structural glass

M

andy and Ivan Taylor’s loft conversion in Crouch End, London, dramatically increased the overall volume of their home, as well as making the most of the spectacular views over north London.

Having lived in the top-floor flat for a decade, the couple then purchased the attic from a neighbour, in order to create more room for themselves and their French bulldog. ‘We wanted to improve the quality of our living environment, as well as maximise the floor space,’ explains Mandy.

The couple approached JaK Studio to take on the task, after reading about its work in a newspaper. ‘I knew this was the company I had to call,’ says Mandy. ‘Jake [Low, partner at JaK Studio] listened to my requests and we hit it off from day one. As far as a design brief went, I wanted an industrial touch and a bit of drama.’

Rather than creating a straightforward, two-storey flat,

80 OCTOBER 2018 /

Mandy and Ivan wanted a doubleheight space. ‘I love cooking and we wanted a place where we could entertain and people could stand around and chat,’ adds Mandy.

The original living room was divided from the kitchen and had a small window that offered a glimpse of nearby Alexandra Palace. This space has been transformed into a new open-plan kitchen and dining room, the double-height zone finished with an expanse of glazing that gives far-reaching views over the neighbourhood, from the redevelopment of Tottenham, sweeping north over the capital via the leafy surrounds of Crouch End. The glazing measures an impressive 5.5 metres in height, filling the room with light and leading to a small terrace, through folding doors.

The couple’s bedroom on the upper level, also with its own terrace, offers another chance to soak up the vista.

‘I sometimes have a cup of coffee

MAGAZINE.COM

The double-height living area, minimally furnished with a few key pieces, looks out over north London. Rising from the oak floor, the unusual staircase leads to the master bedroom and upper terrace

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HOMES EXTENSION NORTH LONDON The antiqued brass units and vintage oak surface of the kitchen island provide a stark contrast of materials

The kitchen island gives this place wow factor. ‘I wanted it to be very tactile’ here in the morning,’ says Mandy.

‘Jake has a really good relationship with the planning officers,’ explains project architect William Deleporte.

As the property is in a conservation area, this was an invaluable asset in gaining planning permission.

‘Despite seemingly initially quite a radical design, it is really in keeping with its surroundings,’ Deleporte continues. ‘The dormer is lower than the top of the roof, the zinc had to match the traditional roofing materials used in the neighbourhood and the same went for the new brickwork.’

From the ground-floor entrance of this Victorian building it’s a few flights of stairs up to Mandy and Ivan’s home. One of the first things that

gives this place the wow factor is the kitchen island with its antiqued brass facade and vintage oak top. ‘I wanted it to be very tactile, with nothing matching,’ says Mandy.

This is highly evident in the contrasting palette of materials, from the stainless-steel sinks, oak worksurfaces and grey lacquered drawer fronts of the kitchen to the solid oak floor, the combination of exposed brick and trompe l’oeil paintwork for the walls. A steel beam above the kitchen window is there for structural support, while the bracing leading off it is merely decorative, to give the desired Manhattan loft-style look. A hidden pantry and adjacent utility room are home to the

F L O O R PL A N S KITCHEN LIVING AREA

SNUG

BEDROOM

LOWER FLOOR BATHROOM

BEDROOM

UPPER FLOOR

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 83

HOMES EXTENSION NORTH LONDON Instead of stark white walls, Mandy and Ivan opted for a soft grey tint in their bedroom

SU PPLI ER S – PROJECT TEAM Architect JaK Studio (020 8746 0088; jakstudio.co.uk) Main contractor Joakim O’Connor (020 8245 1174; joakimoconnor.co.uk) STRUCTURE Specialist render John Harragan (07970 792 097; johnharragan.co.uk) Glazing Luxal (020 3002 2088; luxal.co.uk) Structural engineer CAR Ltd (01233 460 475; carltd.com) Approved inspector Salus (0333 800 5678; salusai.co.uk) FIXTURES & FITTINGS Flooring Havwoods wood flooring (01524 737 000; havwoods.co.uk) Paint Farrow & Ball (01202 876 141; farrow-ball.com) Tiling Domus (020 8481 9500; domusgroup.com) Lighting Buster & Punch (020 7407 0888; busterandpunch.com) Kitchen Sola Kitchens (020 3405 6799; solakitchens.com)

‘We used to go out a lot and now we prefer staying here.’ With views like these, who can blame them? property’s more practical elements and behind these is a guest bedroom.

Although Mandy and Ivan’s home has underfloor heating, there are two fireplaces, similar in shape but not identical. However, as Mandy explains, with this being a top-floor flat, rarely does it get cold enough to have both of them lit. Recessed, colour-changing lighting above both fireplaces in the living room transforms it into the perfect place for a party.

And tipping function and form in favour of the latter is the showstopping wooden staircase. ‘It’s really a feature; a piece of art,’ Mandy explains, though it serves a practical purpose, leading to the couple’s bedroom and providing intrepid guests with a route to the upper terrace. Another, more regular, 84 OCTOBER 2018 /

staircase provides an alternative route to the master bedroom. ‘Everyone expected me to have white walls, but I thought that would look too much like a show home,’ says Mandy.

Instead there are soothing grey hues in the bedroom and the en suite. The bold, patterned tiles in the bathroom were a source of much debate. ‘I knew it was a big risk,’ says Mandy ‘but again, nothing here is 100 per cent matching, and yet there is still a sense of unity.’ The one-way mirror tucked away in the shower, meanwhile, was a cheeky touch by Low. The cathedral-like quality of the main living space defies the traditional idea of a loft conversion.

‘We used to go out a lot and now we prefer staying here,’ says Mandy.

And with views like these, who can blame them?

MAGAZINE.COM

Mandy consulted interiors magazines and Pinterest boards to create her perfect interior, including the bathroom, where decorative lighting interplays with a more utilitarian basin, set atop a wooden plinth. Patterned tile flooring completes the look

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The door frames are designed to your requirements, and perform to a high standard in terms of durability, quality and speed of manufacture.

This means that the frames look just the way you imagine and are delivered as quickly as possible.

Fabco door systems are also incredibly versatile. They work well as a stand-alone feature in your

home, but can also be combined with window sections and other doors to create larger screen assemblies.

As part of a project to renovate this home in Fulham, west London (pictured above), Fabco designed, manufactured and installed two bespoke Georgian-style double-door and screen sets on the ground floor.

Then, on the first floor, a bespoke steel window of the same size and design was installed, creating a beautifully coordinated look.

Meanwhile, at a property in Wandsworth, south London (pictured right), Fabco installed floor-to-ceiling twin French-door sets. The doors were separated by a fixed panel in the centre, with openings above each set. This clever arrangement allows natural light to flood into the open-plan space.

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● For information, call 01903 718 808 or visit FABCOSANCTUARY.COM MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 85

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PROJECTS This month

SETTING A BUDGET ●

SECURING FINANCE ●

CONTINGENCY FUNDS ●

PLOT FACTORS ●

MAKING SAVINGS ●

RECLAIM AND REUSE

This two-storey new-build in Haringey, north London, is connected to a rebuilt lodge, on a site that falls away from the road

Arrange your self-build finances Check that your budget adds up and help your money go further

Whatever your reason for self-building, whether it’s to create a forever family home, somewhere to retire to, or an investment for the future, establishing and sticking to a budget is crucial. Don’t underestimate what your dream home will cost – big plans and a small budget simply don’t add

up. It’s also easy to get carried away with making changes to the layout or specification of your project once work has started,

Work out exactly what you want to spend before you start on-site, and then stick to it but this can dramatically increase your costs. Work out exactly what you want to spend before you start on-site, and then stick

to it. As you’re responsible for paying the bills, you have to make sure that every bit of the budget is spent wisely and is accounted for.

Stage by stage

Unless you’re in the fortunate position of having enough money in the bank to cover the entire cost of your build, it is likely you’ll be looking to get a self-build mortgage to help with funding the project. Rather than the lump sum of conventional MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 89

PROJECTS GRAND BUILD

Made of timber with a green roof, this curved eco home in Milton Keynes was planned with a budget of £400,000

mortgage. Seek professional advice from self–build finance specialists such as BuildStore (0345 223 4888; buildstore. co.uk) or Mary Riley Custom Build Funding (01202 673 456; pfmassociates.co.uk).

mortgages, funds for self-builds are usually released in stages. Prospective lenders will want to see such things as a projection of costs and planning-permission details, in order to grant a self-build

In any case, from the outset, it’s important to have as much detail about incomings and outgoings as possible, so you know precisely how much funding is required for each stage. In most cases, you

will buy the land, make another payment when the foundations are finished, then another one when the walls and roof are up, and so on until the property is complete. For an estimate of what your scheme will cost, the BuildStore website offers a free self-build calculator.

Plot costs

This striking post-industrial riverside home in East Sussex features Corten steel on the outside, which at £60,000 was a substantial part of the budget

90 OCTOBER 2018 /

MAGAZINE.COM

The biggest single impact on your budget will be the price of the plot. It’s likely to be 30 per cent, if not more, of your overall outlay. Also, whatever your project, it’s vital to factor in a contingency fund.

An additional 10 per cent is generally recommended for a flat site where the ground conditions are known, and 20 per cent for a sloping plot or one where you’re not sure what may lie beneath the

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PROJECTS GRAND BUILD

BEST LAID PLANS Charles Bettes, managing director of gpad London (020 7549 2133; gpadlondonltd. com) gives his top tips for managing a self-build budget – some learned from his own project ● Have a rough plan at the

start. There will be some figures you won’t be able to reduce or omit. Knowing these fixed costs tells you how much you have left to spend on the rest. The budget needs to be broken down into segments – don’t simply have a total cost.

Originally a semi-derelict cowshed in Somerset, this renovation features a large open-plan space.

The size of the project pushed up costs for painting and decorating

surface. A very rough guide is that one degree of incline costs an extra £1,000, so a 45-degree slope may give you those views you’ve always dreamed of, and easier drainage, but could mean an extra £45,000 in groundworks. The exact amount depends on a number of factors, including ground stability, the height of the water table and whether the spoil has to be taken away to landfill.

Remember that a contingency is for unexpected costs only; do not be tempted to use the fund

● Tight control of your

The price of the plot is likely to be 30 per cent, if not more, of your overall budget to up the specification of something non-essential.

Money-saving tips

There are ways you can reduce construction costs. Try to source materials through your builder, usually the most cost-effective method as you

benefit from trade accounts.

If managing your own project, don’t be afraid to ask suppliers for trade discounts. If you can be flexible about materials, try online for companies that aim to keep building materials out of skips (recipro-uk.com, builders-surplus.co.uk and buildtrade.co.uk). They all list available stock. In addition, try to reclaim as much as you can when clearing the site, and then reuse these materials in your new-build, as this saves on skip hire and disposal.

budget is crucial, particularly in the early stages of the project, otherwise the choices available later on can be very limited, or you will end up hugely overspending. You don’t want to have to skimp on items you interact with every day as that will be a constant irritation.

● To get value for money,

decide on a particular look and research different budget options for that.

You may end up choosing a more expensive option but you will know it is good quality and will last.

● Create economies of

scale by limiting the number of materials, as buying in bulk reduces unit price. For example, we bought lots of bricks and used these to create interior features, with no extra cost on delivery price.

PHOTOGRAPHY BEN WEBB, MATT CHISNALL, CHRIS TUBBS

● Don’t attempt to save

money on elements that move or are intrinsic to the workability of the house, even if this means sacrificing something else. We made a mistake trying to save money on windows and have ended up with a system that doesn’t do everything we would like it to.

The shortfall in funding this home and next-door cookery school was plugged with £60,00 of online crowdfunding as well as a mortgage

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 93

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10 Innovative urban homes that fill the gaps between other buildings

WORDS EMILY BROOKS

ingenious infill projects Some self-builders wait years to find the right plot, especially if they’re looking in places where land is scarce – and expensive. But suitable pockets do exist, between, beside and behind existing buildings. It takes some clever design thinking to see the potential in an awkwardly shaped plot, and there may be additional hurdles, such as poor access or the need to preserve the privacy of neighbours. The results can be worth the effort, though; quirky examples of thoughtful architecture that are true one-offs.

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CORNER PLOT The team behind this clever project, Studio 54 Architecture (020 7729 7818; studio54architecture.co.uk), describes the two-bedroom house in north London as an ‘urban cabin’. The irregularly shaped site had previously been used as a car workshop and then as parking, and sits at the crook of a bend in the road, where two terraces of housing meet. A two-storey building was not acceptable to planners (because it would have visually closed the gap between the two terraces) so the answer was a single-storey house, with a rear facade that is stepped to avoid privacy issues with neighbours. Similar materials used for outside and in – cedar cladding and exposed brickwork – unify the two spaces, and the building is naturally lit via a series of large rooflights.

The green roof is planted with wild flowers.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 97

PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

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will often turn to courtyard layouts for houses on infill sites because of privacy issues with neighbours, which, when combined with lots of well-thought-out overhead glazing, can produce a home that feels wonderfully intimate and protected from the busy world beyond. One example is Whole House in south London by Hayhurst & Co (020 7247 7028; hayhurstand.co.uk), which the architects describe as ‘an exemplar for backland urban living.’ The 92sqm property is arranged around a central courtyard, which, together with rooflights, provides natural light in the absence of windows on the outer perimeter. There are still views, but they are directed upwards and also through, down and around the interior of the house. Stairs step gently between levels, with a more definitive drop down to a basement level, which is filled with daylight via the glass blocks that form the floor of the courtyard above.

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SKINNY HOUSE Designed by architects Gwendolyn Huisman and Marijn Boterman as their own home, this 140sqm house in Rotterdam fills a gap between existing buildings that was just 3.4m wide and 20m deep. Dubbed SkinnySCAR, the house is fairly public in its outlook, with projecting bay windows off the main living spaces, where the Gwendolyn and Marijn can watch the world go by on the street. The black brickwork includes decorative elements to echo the historical styles of adjacent architecture, while perforated sections of brick cover three of the windows, filtering daylight into dappled patterns inside. Interiors are clad in pine ply, with a staircase that runs up the centre of the house. Playful elements include a void that vertically connects the living spaces on the ground and first floors, with netting strung across that acts as a hammock, offering views of the peaceful garden.

Perforated sections of brick cover three of the windows, filtering daylight into dappled patterns inside 98 OCTOBER 2018 /

COURTYARD DESIGN Architects

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PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

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LOCAL INFLUENCE Having made its name designing infill projects, 31/44 Architects (020 3735 7820; 3144architects.com) was asked to work its magic on an end-of-terrace site in south-east London. It’s clear where Red House derives its name but the bright red brickwork also helps to create a relationship with nearby houses, since the same red is used as a detail on the adjacent Victorian properties. An arched window at the front also echoes the entrance to the older house next door. Inside there’s a double-height atrium, a courtyard, and a top-lit oak staircase leading to two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor, and a master bedroom at the top of the house. The project cost £465,000.

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MODERN MEWS Tucked

on the end of a row of houses, this 102sqm Dublin home by DUA (+353 1 525 2216; dua.ie) subtly updates the character of its neighbours. A more traditional style of property had already received planning permission for the infill plot. It was the architects’ challenge to create something that was more modern without fundamentally changing the proportions, so it could still fall under the existing permission. Inside, DUA flipped the layout so that the bedrooms were on the ground floor, with the living spaces moved to the airy first floor, closer to the rooflights. The simple materials – brick, concrete, pine ply and white-painted plasterboard – were chosen as much for cost-effectiveness as for the warm, tactile feel they lend the interiors. The project cost (approx) €250,000 (£222,900).

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 101

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PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

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IN-BETWEEN TOWNHOUSE

This 145sqm modern townhouse by 31/44 Architects (020 3735 7820; 3144architects.com) sits in an Amsterdam neighbourhood that was once an extensive building yard, and hence had been developed over the centuries in a more irregular and piecemeal way than other areas of the Dutch city. With its brick front facade and pitched gable roof, 31/44’s design pays homage to the traditional townhouse, while bands of structural concrete and large window openings reference historic facade details from local workshops. In contrast, the rear aspect is clad in Equitone fibre-cement panels, which give it a simple, functional look.

Internally, rooms run the full width of the narrow house, with a split-level ground/ lower-ground floor that creates a kitchen-living space, with full-width glazing opening to a garden at the rear.

With its brick front facade and pitched gable roof, the design pays homage to the traditional townhouse

7

SIMPLE AND SUSTAINABLE Once a

disused garage and derelict garden, this mews house by Russell Jones (020 3770 3026; russelljones.net) in Highgate, north London, is a compact 68sqm. The pale brickwork was specified partly to differentiate the house from its neighbours, with similarly pale mortar used to create an almost ghostly presence – planners also liked it because of the way it helps increase light levels along the cobbled passage. The house’s visual simplicity helps to create a feeling of greater space – the same paving is used externally and internally, and the brickwork continues inside.

A rainwater harvesting system and photovoltaic panels make this house small but mighty when it comes to sustainability, too.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 103

PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

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PANHANDLE PLOT This house in

north-east London, by T-space Architects (020 8989 7180; t-spacearchitects.co.uk) occupies a backland site known as a panhandle, because of its shape, accessed via a gap between two houses.

They can be tricky to develop because of the privacy issues that arise when there are so many overlooking neighbours – in this case there were 20 adjoining back gardens. A flat-roofed design helps to make the house less obtrusive, and the walls closest to neighbours have a canted profile (with the corner chopped off) to make them recede visually. Green walls create further camouflage. The house was built from timber frame, which was cut and installed on site by traditional carpenters rather than prefabricated. It’s highly insulated and features a ground source heat pump and solar panels for heating and hot water.

It takes some clever design thinking to see the potential in an awkwardly shaped plot

New Malden, Surrey, spotted an opportunity to develop the detached garage of their existing home. They asked Duncan Foster Architects (020 8973 0066; duncanfosterarchitects.co.uk) to design this four-bedroom, 145sqm home on the site. The new home is a contemporary take on a bay-windowed Edwardian house, with similar materials (brick, render and slate) but fewer embellishments – such as the two corner windows in frameless glass, a modern version of a bay window. Planners stipulated that the roof ridge be between the height of the neighbouring properties, and that there should be a one-metre gap off the boundary on each side of the house, to preserve the rhythm of the street. The project cost £450,000 (approx).

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CLEVER GEOMETRY A tricky end-of-terrace plot shaped like a right-angled triangle – with a history of failed planning applications – was ingeniously developed by Undercurrent Architects (07866 440 066; undercurrent-architects.com).

The resulting two-bedroom house does not feel like it has awkward wasted spaces – rather, all the angles make the space look more engaging. On the ground floor, a bedroom and en suite have been sited in the right-angle of the triangle, with an open-plan kitchendining-living space adjacent; upstairs is an additional bedroom and terrace, overlooking a triangular courtyard below. The house is named after the unusual cladding material, Palmwood, which is derived from coconut palm stems, a sustainable alternative to hardwood.

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PHOTOGRAPHY SARAH BLEE, KILIAN O’SULLIVAN, RORY GARDINER, AISLING MCCOY, KASIA GATKOWSKA, NEIL PERRY, DAVID BUTLER

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CHANGE OF USE The owners of this new-build in

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Biomass heating Wood-fuelled boilers and stoves offer an energy-efficient way to heat your home WORDS ANDREA MANLEY

FUEL TYPE

Wood-fuelled heating is often referred to as biomass. It’s considered a renewable energy source because when wood is burned, it emits the same amount of CO2 that the tree absorbed while it was growing. Logs or pellets can be used. Pellets are made from compressed sawdust and fine wood shavings. They are more convenient to use than logs, and their heat output is higher. Look for ENplus accreditation (enplus-pellets.eu) as an indication of quality, and source from a trader registered on the Biomass Supplier List (biomass-suppliers-list.service.gov.uk), so you can qualify for Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments.

In this pre-fab, low-energy Baufritz house, a highly efficient biomass system using wood pellets from sustainable sources provides heating and hot water (baufritz.com/uk)

ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTION

Biomass boilers provide hot water and heating highly efficiently. The downside is you’ll need plenty of space to accommodate one and to store fuel.

Pellets need to be stored close by and kept dry, so housing a boiler in a utility room, garage or outhouse is the best option. Some models also require a thermal store to maximise efficiency.

Choose from basic machines with manual fuel loading, to more sophisticated models with automatic fuel delivery via a hopper. They can be programmed like conventional boilers and some will automatically clean themselves. The ash needs to be removed on a regular basis – either automatically or by hand, depending on model.

‘Biomass is an excellent partner to a solar thermal system, which also qualifies for the RHI scheme as, in the summer, the boiler can be switched off for hot water from the solar system,’ says Darren McMahon, marketing director at Viessmann.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 109

PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE

WHAT’S THE COST?

The fully automated Vitoligno 300-C compact pellet boiler costs from £24,000 including silo, pellet feed, buffer vessel for an output of 4-18kW, Viessmann (01952 675000; viessmann.co.uk)

Biomass boiler systems cost more to buy than gas or oil types, but affordable ongoing fuel prices and RHI payments make installation attractive.

According to the Energy Saving Trust (energysavingtrust.co.uk) an automatically fed biomass pellet boiler costs between £8,000£15,000, including installation.

Pellet costs depend on quantity and method of delivery; bulk buying and storing is by far the most economical option.

Biomass boilers and stove boilers qualify for the RHI scheme, the current rate is 6.74p/KWh, but rates change, so check at ofgem. gov.uk. To qualify, systems must be fitted by an installer accredited under the Microgeneration Certification System (MCS) and use MCS-certified products.

SEEK ADVICE

A specialist heating engineer can tell you if a biomass boiler is an appropriate, cost-effective heating solution for your needs. Correctly installed and maintained, they have an efficiency of around 80-90 per cent, which is significantly higher than conventional fossil-fuel boilers. They need an annual service and a flue that meets regulations for wood-burning appliances. HETAS (hetas.co.uk) recommend the flue or chimney should be swept twice a year to remove soot deposits and blockages.

MAKE THE LINK

Pellet stove boilers have a back boiler specified to provide hot water for central heating or to provide hot water as well. They’re unlikely to satisfy 100 per cent of your needs but can be linked with other renewables, such as solar thermal panels. They have automatic ignition and some models have an integral hopper that can hold two days’ worth of fuel. Only stoves with a back boiler qualify for RHI. Pellet stoves are space heaters but, unlike their log-burning counterparts, are controllable and can be programmed to turn on automatically. They’re over 90 per cent efficient and produce far less ash than log burners.

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PROJECTS LOFT CONVERSIONS

Life at the top

Making living space in the attic is relatively simple, and represents a good return on your investment WORDS EMILY BROOKS

Whether it’s used as a master suite, a child’s bedroom, an office or hobby space, a room in the roof makes good sense. As long as there’s adequate headroom, it opens up a world of options – and many projects can be done without planning permission.

‘You can expect to pay anywhere in the region of £20,000, or more, for a quality loft conversion,’ says Daniel Caplan, CEO of interior designers New i.d (020 8200 5556; new-id.co.uk). A loft is generally considered to be the type of home extension where

Mulroy Architects (020 7267 5123; mulroyarchitects.com) undertook a whole-house refurbishment and extension, maximising the roof spaceto create a bedroom and en suite

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 115

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PROJECTS LOFT CONVERSIONS

L-shaped and split level, this loft (exterior pictured below), features a bedroom, with a bathroom and dressing room on the upper level

A clever use of space characterises this project

by Rees Architects (020 3393 1337; rees.archi)

you’ll add the most value, particularly in areas where there’s a multitude of two-bedroom houses but a scarcity of three-bedroom ones. As with any project, though, there’s a risk of over-development. Costs can add up with disruptive interventions such as full-width dormers or mansard roofs, but the space and light that comes with them is often deemed worth it.

Planning permission

A host of restrictions apply when it comes to extending into the loft. An important one regards how much volume is being added – the limit is capped at 40 cubic metres for terraced houses, and 50 cubic metres for semi-detached and detached houses. This cap also incorporates any other extensions over the lifetime of the property, so if, say, you’re building a new kitchen/diner at the same time, or one has already been added, you might have used up your allowance.

The materials used externally need to match what is already there, which is why you see so many fairly unimaginative extensions clad in slate roof tiles. If you have ambitions to use interesting materials that stand out rather than blend in, get some pre-planning advice to find out whether your local authority would be amenable to a bolder statement – some take a more relaxed approach about matching materials. Having a look around to see what the neighbours have done is a useful barometer, too.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 117

PROJECTS LOFT CONVERSIONS

Dazzlingly bright, this loft by Your Architect (020 3405 6820; yourarchitect.london) provides daylight all the way to the ground floor

LIGHT AND SPACE MATTERS

Rachel Forster of interior designers Forster Inc (07973 874 504; forsterinc. co.uk) shares her design advice ● Choose external materials that last a long time and look good for the neighbours. I like zinc, because it weathers well – you won’t have to redo it for 80 years or so. ● Carefully consider that ‘journey’ leading up through the house. Steep narrow staircases can feel jarring and clunky. It’s worth sacrificing some space to have a well-proportioned staircase. ● Bringing in as much light as possible is the main thing. We’re designing a lot of lofts with wider, bigger windows and incorporating a ‘light amenity’. It’s not quite a terrace, as you can’t step on to it, but setting back the wall a little creates an outside area. You lose some floor space but the extra light creates the illusion of a larger room. ● Spend money on windows, save money on flooring – the extra light will give you the most long-term benefit, and you can always upgrade the floor later. ● Built-in cupboards will cover up any odd angles, but can start to really eat into the floor space. ● Getting a shower in can be tricky because of the head height. We push for having a shower downstairs and a bath in the loft, because it can be tucked under the eaves. Add a large rooflight above the bath for great quality of light and a bit more head height.

Design and layout

A head height of around 2.2m at the highest point, and a roof pitch of more than 30 degrees, will make a loft conversion feasible. The placement of the staircase is another make-or-break factor – if the new flight can go over the existing one, that’s great, but if not you’ll be eating into the floor space below.

The simplest configuration is to leave the roof as it is and insert rooflights, while a dormer (especially a full-width one) will feel less claustrophobic, give you more floor space and open up views. Other formats include mansard roofs (with a shallow slope to the rear and a section of flat roof), which feel even more generous internally. If you have a hipped roof (with a sloping side, as well as slopes on the front and back, such as an end of terrace), the hip can be converted to an upright gable, adding even more space.

Clever design can make the most of sometimes awkward attic spaces. ‘Odd-shaped rooms with low ceilings are a challenge,’ says Charles Bettes, managing director of architects Gpad London (020 7549 2133; gpadlondonltd.com). ‘If changing the shape is not an option, make sure any furniture is low level and 118 OCTOBER 2018 /

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This airy loft bedroom was part of a whole-house renovation, also pictured above, that cost £750,0000

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PROJECTS LOFT CONVERSIONS

This high-spec loft in London is by Browning Architects (020 3700 4683; browningarchitects.co.uk) and cost £3,500 per sqm

‘If changing the shape is not an option, make sure any furniture is low level and more compact’

more compact, and square off rooms with custom storage.’ Design the layout around what’s critical to have at full head height, such as a shower, and put desks and dressing tables in the lower areas.

‘Use the converting of the loft as an opportunity to bring light into the centre of your home,’ adds Bettes.

This is a key trend: by installing a large rooflight over the stairs to the floors below, it can transform the way light flows around the house, especially if there is some transparency in the design or the materials, such as glass floors or open treads.

A flat-roofed design for this loft, also pictured above, allowed for a ‘floating’ opening with wall-to-wall glazing

Under construction

A typical project would see the existing floor reinforced with steel or timber beams, to structurally secure the space before work begins on reinforcing the roof trusses (removing the sections that are obstructing the space).

The roof is then opened up for windows or dormers to be installed. The timing of breaking through to the floor below can be tricky. Access is easier when there’s a proper staircase in place, but you may not want the dust to prematurely penetrate the rest of house.

As with any build, prefabrication is disrupting the traditional way of doing things. Companies such as Moduloft (0800 195 3855; moduloft.co.uk) and Landmark Lofts (020 3150 0505; landmark-lofts.com) are manufacturing the whole thing off-site, cutting the project timeline from a couple of months to a couple of weeks, but at a price; expect to pay around £50,000 for a typical mid-terrace Victorian property. ● Turn to p124 to read the loft conversion case study

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 121

Reading room

A tranquil escape at the top of this south London house provides storage space for an extensive archive and a place to relax P R OJ EC T PROF ILE –

LOCATION South-west London TYPE OF PROPERTY Victorian terrace DURATION OF BUILD 5 months THE BRIEF Contemporary loft conversion SIZE 25sqm COST £80,000

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PROJECTS CASE STUDY

Built under permitted development, exterior materials had to be similar to the existing ones

To lessen disruption, much of the raw black steel staircase was made off-site

One stipulation was that a large fixed Architect Chris Romer-Lee was already very rooflight, which had been installed at the top of familiar with his client Teal Triggs’ house when the house during the first phase of renovations, he was asked to convert the attic. His practice, must stay. This feature had had a transformative Studio Octopi (020 7633 0003; octopi.co.uk), effect on the rooms below, throwing light right had renovated her house a few years previously; down to the previously dark Victorian hallway, so now it was time to break through into the loft.

The brief wasn’t for your usual bedroom and it somehow had to be incorporated into the new bathroom up top, but a space to store and read plans. ‘Our initial response was to put a new Teal’s collection of fanzines (she is a professor at rooflight in, but also to work with a material that’s the Royal College of Art and an author, and has both affordable and has a transparency to it, been collecting fanzines which is where the mesh for decades). ‘Teal wanted stair came in. That was The steel staircase’s somewhere to store “the the starting point,’ says perforated treads collection” as she calls it, Romer-Lee. but also somewhere to The steel staircase’s allow the light to filter escape to at the top of perforated treads allow down below, with the the house, and to enjoy the light to filter down rooflight a key feature the view across the below, with the rooflight of the new room rooftops of south-west (now flat, rather than London,’ says Romer-Lee. angled to follow the old The extension comprises two separate rooms. roofline, as it had been before) a key feature There’s a long, slim space, not much wider than a of the new room. A slim strip of space next to the corridor, which extends over about half the width staircase has been utilised as valuable extra of the house’s outrigger and acts as storage storage, and has a glass walk-on floor to further space for the boxes of fanzines. This opens out help with the flow of light from top to bottom. into a larger space, a few steps up, that is used as ‘Another constraint was that it all had to be a peaceful reading room and a place to sit and done under permitted development,’ says linger, looking out of the large picture window.

Romer-Lee. The extension is clad in slate, to MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 123

PROJECTS CASE STUDY

stick within the rules, which state that materials should be similar to the existing house. Oak-framed windows that complement the models installed during the previous renovations were installed for the same reason.

Because the house had never had any previous extensions, the full permitted allowance for the volume of the loft could be utilised.

Whereas many loft conversions seek to make a seamless transition with the house below, in this case both architect and homeowner agreed that it should have a markedly different aesthetic, because it was a new space that was being created, rather than an old one being renovated. Not only does the steel staircase mark the new phase of the house, but the oiled plywood that lines the rooms gives a clean, modern appearance. This is in contrast to the rest of the property, where the approach had been to peel back and expose the historic fabric.

Having lived on site for the previous renovations to her house, which had been quite disruptive, Teal asked Studio Octopi to make the loft build as quick, clean and easy as possible. That also helped govern the choice of plywood: ‘It meant that there were no wet trades – so there was no plastering at all,’ explains Romer-Lee. The steel staircase was also made in as few sections as possible, so it could be installed quickly with no need for welding on-site. ‘It had to come in through the front door, and took an amazing amount of juggling to position it in place,’ says Romer-Lee. ● Look out for next month’s Projects feature, which is on home heating systems 124 OCTOBER 2018 /

MAGAZINE.COM

In the archive area, a small desk sits beneath a window and rooflight, with the rear wall mirrored to give the illusion of more space

PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS SNOOK

Walls are lined with spruce plywood, oiled to give it a paler, knocked-back look, to stop it from going a golden yellow in the sun

COMPETITION

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Humanscale workspace designs are developed in consultation with ergonomic experts

WIN! A HUMANSCALE HOME OFFICE MAKEOVER Create an ergonomic workspace featuring Humanscale’s award-winning designs Working from home used to involve improvising at the dining table or slouching on the sofa with a laptop on your knee. But as more of us opt out of office-based work, there’s an increasing need for home workspaces that are comfortable and efficient.

Humanscale is a world leader in ergonomic office tools, from seating to cable management. Its award-winning designs are created with simplicity and performance in mind and are developed in consultation with ergonomic experts.

Each design solves a functional problem as simply and elegantly as possible, while supporting the user’s posture and encouraging physical activity. Based in New York, the

Humanscale design studio is a hub of creativity and innovation, bringing together the industry’s finest minds, including designers such as Todd Bracher and Niels Diffrient, to produce a range that is stylish and intuitive.

Each Humanscale product is designed for maximum comfort, has a long serviceable life and leaves a minimal environmental footprint.

The Humanscale ergonomic home office has arrived. See right, for the chance to win your own Humanscale workspace.

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For a chance to win a home office makeover with a Humanscale ergonomic workstation worth up to £5,000, and home accessories, such as lighting, from luxury online retailer Houseology, simply email emeamarketing@humanscale.com with a video or photo of your home office space and explain what you love or loathe about it.

Don’t forget to include your name, telephone number and write Grand Designs Competition – Humanscale in the subject area.

T&Cs apply: for full details, visit granddesignsmagazine.com/termsandconditions.

All entries must be received by 30 October 2018.

● For information, or for your nearest retailer, call 020 7566 7990 or visit HUMANSCALE.COM MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 125

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K I T C H E N N E WS

Simple and subtle

If you are looking for a light-coloured kitchen that isn’t a bright, glossy white, Caple’s Juko units provide an altogether softer approach. The 22mm-thick slab doors have a silk matt finish in either ash, pictured, or cloud. This kitchen costs from £6,400, (or from £204 for a 600mm high-line base unit). (0117 938 1900; caple.co.uk)

Graphic lines

WORDS JO MESSENGER/ ISABELLE KULICK PHOTOGRAPHY RUSSELL HARPER/SCHMIDT

Dovetail is textile designer Neisha Crosland’s third collaboration with flooring brand Harvey Maria.

Drawing inspiration from Roman and Italian Renaissance stone inlay floors, the luxury vinyl tiles are suitable for use in bathrooms and with underfloor heating.

They are available in five colours, including Oxford blue, and cost £44.80 per sqm. (0845 680 1231; harveymaria.com)

Match maker

The quartz surface brand Radianz (radianzquartzeurope. com) has introduced eight new finishes to its Cirrus Collection, with detailing to emulate the appearance and veining of natural stone. Non-porous, heat-resistant and scratchproof, the high-density surfaces include this Verona Verde design and cost from £280 per sqm, available in the UK from Gerald Culliford (020 8390 4656; geraldculliford.co.uk).

Cook shop

French kitchen manufacturer, Schmidt, has recently opened its 21st UK showroom in Sevenoaks, Kent. The company offers made-tomeasure, customisable designs with options for features such as super-functional floor-to-ceiling cabinets and extra-deep base units for greater storage capacity. The stunning kitchen pictured above includes units from Schmidt’s Strass and Glamour ranges. Prices start from £10,000.

(14-18 London Road, Sevenoaks TN13 1AJ; 01732 755 555; schmidt-sevenoaks.com) MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 129

SERIOUS ABOUT STYLE? UTOPIA KITCHEN & BATHROOM DELIVERS THE TRENDS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT By using only the most beautiful photography Utopia Kitchen & Bathroom features the latest interior trends as well as presenting stylish interiors and iconic designs.

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2018

PROJECTS KITCHEN

Choose environmentallyfriendly paints. Units and shelf in Harley green; above shelf and wall return in tea with Florence, from £22 for 1L, Little Greene (0845 880 5855; littlegreene.com)

Stylish and sustainable From eco-friendly materials to energysaving appliances, there are plenty of ways to be greener in the kitchen WORDS CIAR A ELLIOTT

Fitting a new kitchen or updating your existing scheme is the perfect opportunity to make your room as eco-friendly as possible. Installing ingenious and beautiful designs that promote your well-being and that of the planet is key.

Ideas to consider include upcycled, recycled and sustainably sourced materials, hi-tech products for reducing water and energy use and efficient appliances.

Build well

If you have renovation or building work to be done, hire recommended local architects, builders, joiners and suppliers that have proven experience in sustainable building.

The Green Building Store (01484 461 705; greenbuildingstore.co.uk) and The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (asbp.org.uk) are good places to start when looking for materials and advice. ‘When shopping for

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 131

PROJECTS KITCHEN

Sustainable walnut cabinets with limed-oak floor, from £25,000 for cabinets, Naked Kitchens (01328 838 854; nakedkitchens.com)

cabinets look for designs made from FSC-certified plywood, wheat board, bamboo or formaldehyde-free MDF,’ says Daniele Brutto, co-founder of Hub Kitchens. ‘Stainless steel is also considered an ecologically friendly material as it can be made of anything up to 70 per cent reclaimed steel and it can be recycled after use.’

Recycle, reuse, revamp

Upcycled and salvaged furniture brings character to a scheme and can be used as a striking contrast to more contemporary elements. Before you buy a brand-new kitchen, consider companies such as Used Kitchen Exchange (0151 541 9420; usedkitchenexchange.co.uk) and The Used Kitchen Company (020 8349 1943; theusedkitchencompany.com), which both sell good-quality, second-hand cabinets and worksurfaces at a fraction of the original cost.

Take time to investigate the eco-credentials of suppliers and manufacturers of new furniture, fixtures and fittings. ‘We use sustainable timber for our cabinetry,’ says Katie Gladman from Naked Kitchens (01328 838 854; nakedkitchens.com). ‘We also turn all of our sawdust waste into briquettes that can be used in wood burners, to ensure our impact on the environment is as small as possible.’

Consider the effects of any paints you use. Brands such as Earthborn (01928 734 171; earthbornpaints.co.uk), Little Greene (0845 880 5855; littlegreene.com), and Lakeland Paints (01524 852 371; lakelandpaints.co.uk), specialise in water-based formulas with low levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Another major consideration at the planning stage is kitchen waste disposal. Make sure you include sufficient space and practical, out-of-sight storage for recycling bins.

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Take time to investigate the eco-credentials of suppliers and manufacturers of new furniture, fixtures and fittings A stainless steel worktop complements birch plywood cabinets. Kitchens from £25,000, Sustainable Kitchens (0117 325 6937; sustainablekitchens.co.uk)

Feels like Sunday morning

Hampton Highland Stone

North Bakewell 01629 812200 Blackburn 01254 693765 Bury 01204 772870 Cleckheaton 01274 862323 Doncaster 01302 364809 Eccleston 01257 806226 Fleetwood 01253 283786 Grimsby 01472 343853 Harrogate 01423 862286 Leeds 01133 910179 Lytham St Annes 01772 631316 Macclesfield 01625 464955 New Mills 01663 746851 Northallerton 01609 780289 Retford 01777 707656 Sheffield 01246 416642 Wirral 0151 632 1670 York 01904 479792

Midlands

Coleford 01594 809682 Dudley 01384455755 Gloucester 01452 310451 Hampton-in-Arden 01675 442705 Henley-in-Arden 01789 488899 Hereford 01432 262820 Leicester North 01530 833960 Leicester South 01455 561200 Lichfield 01543 440020 Ludlow 01584 871960 Northampton 01604 385050 Nottingham 01159 842842 Towcester 01327 358180 Uttoxeter 01889 565151 Wolverhampton 01902 710545 Worcester 01905 335408

East Anglia Attleborough 01953 482032 Cambridge 01223 466634 Halesworth 01986 835538

Ipswich 01473 742200 March 01354 662000 Norwich 01603 666161 Royston 01763 271991 Saffron Waldon 01799 583000 Stamford 01780 654321

South Abingdon 01235 554773 Arundel 01243 696700 Basingstoke 01256 810460 Bideford 01237 423444 Bourne End 01628 528712 Bradford-On-Avon 01225 783118 Brighton East 01273 628618 Bristol 01179 246002 Chelmsford 01245 392792 Cheltenham 01242 251113 Chingford 020 3903 813 Eastbourne 01323 642075 Esher 01372 467464 Fareham 01329 223406

Order a copy of our brochure at: masterclasskitchens.co.uk

Folkestone 01303 647022 Fulham 0207 3840511 Godalming 01483 424466 Hazlemere 01494 718585 Helston 01326 565522 Horley 01293 786116 Ingatestone 01277 350800 Ivybridge 01752 897800 London - Perivale 0208 616 2722 Lymington 01590 678767 Purbeck 01929 422345 Ringwood 01425 484731 Romsey 01794 338555 Sailsbury 01722 328777 Seaton 01297 22559 Sherborne 01935 817111 Staines upon Thames 01784 463909 Storrington 01903 741004 Taunton 01823 256369 Tring 01442 827997 Uckfield 01825 766976 Wadebridge 01208 813231

Waterlooville 02392 176380 Witney 01993 704105 Wokingham 0118 978 3393 Worthing 01903 201901

Wales Abergavenny 01873 850911 Cardiff East 02920 485888 Cardiff West 02920 593969 Dyffryn Ardudwy 01341 242015 Haverfordwest 01437 763623 Hay-on-Wye 01497 821374 Nefyn 01758 721081 Newport 01633 252187 St Asaph 01745 582786 Swansea 01792 790088

Channel Islands & Isle of Man Guernsey 01481 710500 Isle of Man 01624 623222 Jersey 01534 865750

PROJECTS KITCHEN

GREENER LIVING

This scheme features oak cabinets, cement worksurfaces and a sliding island. TM Italia hidden kitchen, from £40,000, Hub Kitchens (020 7924 2285; hubkitchens.com)

Designer Oliver Heath (oliverheathdesign.com), offers his eco-advice ● If you are going to have

a new kitchen, consider its durability and longevity. Aim for something that is good quality, will perform well and look great for many years. ● Can you do something with your old kitchen rather than put it in a skip? Could it be re-used or upcycled? ● When it comes to materials, cork flooring is environmentally friendly and has great thermal and acoustic properties.

Reconstituted stone is also sustainable, and great for flooring and worksurfaces.

My favourite for surfaces is terrazzo-like Resilica (01424 576 887; resilica.com), which is made from recycled glass waste in solvent-free resin.

‘All appliances carry an energy label; look for the product with the best energy rating for the size you want’ Ratings matter

Aim to save as much energy and water as possible by selecting the most efficient appliances. The latest models use less power than older machines, but age isn’t the only consideration. ‘If your old appliance has a poor energy rating there are greater annual savings to be made by choosing an A+++ model,’ says James Wakelin at the Energy Saving Trust (energysavingtrust. org.uk). ‘All appliances carry an energy label; look for the product with the best energy rating for the size you want. If you’re unsure, Topten (toptenuk.org) lists the most efficient models available and their running costs, prices and dimensions.’

Hi-tech appliances monitored from your smart device give you more control over energy use. ‘They provide greater flexibility and allow the right levels of energy to be used,’ says James Kington, group manager, innovation, at BSH Home Appliances (bsh-group.com).

When it comes to heating your water, you can improve the efficiency of a combi boiler with a passive flue gas heat recovery device. It uses warm flue gases from the boiler, that would otherwise be wasted, to heat the water. This is most effective and beneficial in family homes with high heat and hot water demands.

Even small changes can add up to a significant saving over time. If you have a music system, TV or any small appliance that operates with a standby mode in your kitchen, it’s worth investing in a standby saver that switches them off when not in use.

Further information on how to save energy and water can be found at the Energy Saving Trust (energysavingtrust.org.uk).

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This Sebastian Cox kitchen is made from English beech, an under-used native timber. From £15,000, deVOL (01509 261 000; devolkitchens.co.uk)

● Consider installing a pedaloperated tap, to minimise water wastage. And fitting an instant hot water tap reduces the electricity otherwise used in frequently boiling a kettle.

P R OJ EC T PROF ILE –

LOCATION Muswell Hill, north London STYLE OF PROPERTY Four-bedroom new-build THE BRIEF A modern family kitchen SIZE 20sqm (approx) COST Approx £49,000

136 OCTOBER 2018 /

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Fab and future-proof

This sleek scheme blends durable surfaces, renewable energy and contemporary design

PROJECTS CASE STUDY

Integrated handles on the island’s birch veneer drawers give the kitchen a streamlined look Interior designer Jennifer Titmas and her husband Andrew, a lawyer, were able to design an eco-friendly kitchen as part of their new-build family home. The couple have two daughters, Imogen, 12 and Amelia, 10, and wanted a contemporary scheme with robust cabinets built to cope with busy family life. The couple worked in collaboration with their architect Richard Davies (020 7483 0669; daviesarchitects.co.uk) and

‘Formica is incredibly hardwearing and durable, which makes it a good eco-friendly choice’

The designers at Finch used the same mix to create the polished concrete floor and the monolithic worksurface

Finch (finchlondon.co.uk), a design company gaining a reputation for stylish eco-friendly ideas.

Solar panels were installed on the roof of the property to supply the family with hot water and electricity, and these are supplemented by an air-to-water heat pump.

The couple were keen to invest in renewable energy, even though this was likely to involve greater initial costs than standard fixtures and fittings. ‘We debated going on to the grid, but now I love checking to see how much energy the panels have produced. We have no regrets,’ says Jennifer.

The couple chose Formica doors in matt diamond black with birch ply edging; these provide the facing for a run of cabinets that takes up an entire wall of the room. A matching formica worksurface and splashback contrasts with stainless steel built-in appliances. Directly in front of this wall of units is an island with breakfast bar, which includes a concrete worksurface and birch ply MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 137

PROJECTS CASE STUDY

doors. The tactile quality is a key feature. ‘I love to run my hands over the surface and as time goes by it seems to have more character,’ says Jennifer.

The open-plan room is south-facing and has large windows, so the concrete floor and worksurface soak up the warmth of the sun.

The kitchen has been built to last. ‘Formica is incredibly hard-wearing and durable, which makes it a good eco-friendly choice for the doors as well as the worksurface and splashback,’ says designer Helen Munro at Finch. ‘And the birch ply and veneers are from a sustainable source.’ The formica doors are

6

OF THE BEST ECO LIGHTS

Complement your new scheme with innovative fittings

‘Building from scratch gave us the chance to make each room as eco-friendly as possible’ spray-painted and can be easily updated in the future.

‘Any scuffs and chips can be smartened up and the doors can be repainted if Jennifer wants to change the look,’ says Munro. ‘We use a water-based spray formula with minimal VOCs.’ Open the cabinets and a flash of green from the interior walls and shelves offers an unexpected element of colour. ‘It certainly wakes you up on a dreary morning,’ adds Jennifer.

‘Building our home from scratch gave us the chance to make each room as eco-friendly as possible,’ she says. ‘And the results are every bit as good as we had hoped for.’

OLD AND NEW

DUAL-PURPOSE

AGE AND BEAUTY

GLASS WORKS

Reclaimed from a church in Surrey, this 1920s GEC antique wall light with polished-copper fixing costs £690 at Skinflint (01326 565 227; skinflintdesign.com)

This unusual design makes a virtue of reusing materials. Upcycled clear glass bottle lampshade with coconut string, £135, Ian Snow (01271 858 649; iansnow.com)

FUN FOLIAGE

MODERN UPDATE

Solid reclaimed oak and industrial-inspired fittings make an eye-catching statement piece, £220, PobiShop at Etsy (etsy.com)

Made from reclaimed teak and recycled pipes, this design includes a shelf. Upcycled Hoxton wall light, £282, Harley & Lola (0800 033 7263; harleyandlola.co.uk)

The Bloomingville Flora Gold Pendant light also serves as a plant holder, £67, Beaumonde (01202 707 770; beaumonde.co.uk)

A mix of reduced depth shelving and drawers plus a spice rack in the door makes good use of space in this larder cupboard

138 OCTOBER 2018 /

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An antique nickel light fitting, exposed braided cable and recycled wood combine in this pine wall light by CopperWick, £37, Etsy (etsy.com)

WORDS CIARA ELLIOTT PHOTOGRAPHY POLLY TOOTAL

● Next month’s kitchen feature is on savvy storage

ADVERTISING PROMOTION

SCREEN STARS Fitting a stylish Crittall steel screen will allow light to flow from room to room

The amount of natural light coming in to your kitchen is a key consideration when planning a new scheme, particularly if the space is open-plan. A Crittall interior screen is a practical and stylish way to maximise the flow of daylight through adjoining rooms.

‘The kitchen is the home’s focal point, so along with choosing the styling of cabinets, storage, surfaces and appliances, getting the windows and doors just right is important, too,’ says Stuart Judge, managing director of Crittall Windows, makers of steel window frames, screens and doors for almost 170 years. The company is renowned for its innovative and stylish designs.

Steel has three times the strength of aluminium and Crittall screens are an effective combination of strong frames and contemporary slim profiles, which allows for large expanses of glass, bringing in plenty of light. A glazed steel screen can be used

to create a link between indoor and outdoor areas, and can also make small spaces seem bigger.

See the light

Crittall brings a new dimension to openplan partitioning with its InnerVision range of bespoke glazed steel-framed internal screens, pictured above and right. Designed for modern living, they provide an airy sense of space with clean lines and subtle detailing.

The slim steel framing – with single, double or sliding-door options – is secure and unobtrusive. Frames can be powdercoated to match any colour scheme, and the screen’s acoustic properties ensure noise reduction and privacy. ● For more information visit CRITTALL-WINDOWS.CO.UK or call 01376 530 800

If your property has Crittall screens, windows or doors, the company would love to hear from you, for potential inclusion in Crittall’s brochure, or on its website or social media platforms. Just email interior and exterior JPEG images to hq@crittall-windows.co.uk, with a brief description and your contact details.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 139

Bring comfort and individuality outdoors Enjoy your garden and enhance your home with a new Luxaflex® Awning.

Awnings provide perfect shade to keep you cool on the hottest days and are an extension to your home on a warm summer evening or even in showery weather.

To find out more about Luxaflex® Awnings and the full Luxaflex® Window Blind Collection visit your nearest Luxaflex® showroom or go to luxaflex.co.uk

The Art of Window Styling

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B AT H R O OM N E WS

Minimal design Cabinet issue

Scandi simplicity plays a big role in the design of Vitra’s latest range. The modular collection of Sento cabinets comes in soothing shades of white, cream and anthracite, with oak accents. This two-drawer washbasin unit, in matte anthracite, costs £972 (including the basin); basin mixer, £146; and illuminated mirror cabinet, W80cm, £690. (01235 750 990; vitra.co.uk)

WORDS CAROLINE RODRIGUES

Understated luxury The new Elegante floor-standing bathshower mixer, £879, from Clearwater (01322 473 222; clearwaterbaths. com), is precisely what’s needed to put the finishing touch to a statement bath. The minimalist design is finished in gleaming chrome, and the range also includes deck-mounted bath taps, a basin mono tap, and a simple bath filler for use with wall-mounted taps.

Roman has made its Innov8 range more flexible and easier to access by including inward-opening bi-fold doors for enclosures and by omitting the previous top and bottom rails. For wet rooms, there are also new outwardopening bi-fold panels, which can be installed straight to the floor. This Inward Opening bi-fold door with In-line panel enclosure, H1967xW1400xD900mm, costs £1,584.06 (excluding the tray).

(01325 311 318; roman-showers.com)

Great lengths

Create a woodland vibe with these timber-effect Kaze porcelain tiles.

Fewer joints are needed to lay the plank-format (L2400xW240xD6mm) tiles, giving a seamless finish for big bathrooms or open-plan spaces.

Digital printing creates a realistic wood-grain effect but unlike the real thing they’re non-porous and don’t need sealing.

They come in pure, original and (shown here) natural finishes, £70.80 per sqm, from Beswick Stone (01285 885 795; beswickstone.co.uk).

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 143

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PROJECTS BATHROOM

Upgrade to a wet room Design and install from scratch or turn your existing bathroom into a dedicated shower space

A wet room can be kitted out with spa-style fittings for the ultimate in luxurious well-being or kept simple and minimal for quick, fuss-free showering. It’s easily accessible and a good option for small en suites – where squeezing in a bath is just not practical – plus, a thoughtfully designed, well-built scheme will be very easy to keep clean.

Neutral plaster walls give this space by RT Interiors (rtinteriors.com) a pared-back look. Elements shower fittings, from £967, The Watermark Collection (020 7740 7340; thewatermarkcollection.eu)

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 145

PROJECTS BATHROOM

A shower screen with a return provides extra splash protection. EauZone Plus Radius-20 wet room panel, from £1,554, Matki (01454 322 888; matki.co.uk)

Luxury spa-style or simple and minimal, a thoughtfully designed, well-built wet room will be very easy to keep clean A watertight structure

If you’re self-building, a wet room can be planned at the early design stage, which makes the work easier to accommodate than if you are renovating your home and want to turn your bathroom into a walk-in shower space. With a retrofit, the entire room will have to be stripped back for waterproofing and the installation of new pipework and fittings.

Waterproofing and effective drainage are essential. Get these wrong and water leaks could damage the structure of the subfloor and walls, or cause problems with damp in the future. The basics of waterproofing involve establishing a gradient in the floor to ensure water runs towards a drainage point. The floor and any areas of wall within the splash zone must be lined with a suitable proprietary impermeable membrane.

You can buy wet-room shower plates and waterproofing kits with preformed trays that are 146 OCTOBER 2018 /

MAGAZINE.COM

designed to slope towards the drain, and special tape for sealing the joints between the tray and walls.

Shower power

The whole point of a wet room is to have the best shower possible in the available space. To this end, it is vital to install a system that will work effectively with your home’s water supply. You may need to fit a pump to boost the pressure if you want features such as spa-style body sprays, or are converting a space in the loft. Seek advice from an experienced plumber before investing in fittings that might not be suitable. To ensure your waste system will handle the amount of water draining away, and to avoid puddles around the room, work out your chosen shower’s flow rate.

Most digital showers have controls that can be placed wherever it’s most convenient rather than connected to the water outlet, making them easy to install in renovations as well as new-builds.

A frameless glass panel and highlighted recess create a spa-like feel. Bathrooms from £12,000, Ripples (0800 107 0700; ripplesbathrooms.com)

The NexSys shower surface is an innovative tray with pre-assembled waste channel. From £691.20, Kaldewei (01480 498 053; kaldewei.co.uk)

PRACTICAL LUXURY

Dena Kirby, designer at Ripples (0800 107 0700; ripplesbathrooms.com), advises on key planning issues ● Due to the amount of

preparation work involved, you should allow around two to three weeks for installation. ● Make sure the surface

is level before installing a tiled floor. An uneven subfloor can cause movement in the surface, which will result in cracks in any grout and could affect the tanking below. ● Consider fitting

underfloor heating; kits are available that are suitable for wet areas.

This will help the space to dry out quickly.

● Choose anti-slip

porcelain for safety; polished floor tiles will become a slip hazard. ● If you have room,

consider fitting two showers, one at either end of the space. This will require two drainage points. A built-in bench and storage niches are also useful additions. ● Opt for a recessed

drainage gully for a sleek finish. The drain is fitted at the bottom edge of the wall and all that’s visible is a linear gap alongside the shower area.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 147

PROJECTS BATHROOM

These teak tiles are treated with a protective shield, making them waterproof and rot proof.

Complete wet room installation, £17,000, William Garvey (01404 841 430; williamgarvey.co.uk)

A wet room-style shower area can be fitted without causing as much disruption as tanking an entire room Reduce the humidity

Good ventilation is essential to prevent condensation, which can lead to mould. Building Regulations state that bathrooms must be ventilated by means of a window opening or an extractor fan, but including both is the best option. An extractor in a new bathroom is required to remove at least 15 litres of moisture per second, with a 15-minute overrun after it has been switched off.

Wet-room style

Thanks to durable, composite shower trays, including designs that fit flush with the floor, and glass screens with minimal profiles that are structurally stable enough to carry larger areas of toughened glass, a contemporary wet room-style shower area can be fitted without causing quite as much disruption as tanking a whole room. Try Kaldewei (01480 498 053; kaldewei.co.uk), for the NexSys easy-fit, floor-level shower surface, from £691.20, and Abacus Bathrooms (0345 850 5040; abacus-bathrooms. co.uk) for the Infinity Single Fall Tray Kits, from £779. ● Next month – how to create the perfect en suite

148 OCTOBER 2018 /

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PowderRain micro droplets reduce splashing and noise.

Axor Showerpipe 800 overhead shower in polished brass, £5,080.83, Axor (axor-design.com)

Quality bathrooms without splashing out

15-23 SEPTEMBER

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PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE

FOCUS ON

Wood flooring Solid timber, engineered boards and reclaimed flooring can all be practical, hard-wearing and sustainable WORDS ANDREA MANLEY

REAL APPEAL

Oak Boulevard wide board floor in solid oak with natural grain pattern and oil finish (L1800xW185xD205mm), £152 per sqm. (01376 534 700; junckers.co.uk)

Solid wood is incredibly hard-wearing and, when well cared for, improves with age. It can be sanded down and resurfaced several times but in most cases, signs of wear add to its character. When buying solid wood, check for the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) stamp of approval to ensure it’s been sourced and manufactured responsibly.

Hardwoods such as oak, walnut and teak are durable for areas of heavy footfall and don’t scratch easily. Softwood such as pine,

fir and beech are more budget-friendly but not as durable so are best fitted in low traffic areas such as bedrooms. Oak is most commonly used for flooring and Douglas fir is harder than pine.

‘Moisture is the enemy of wood floors,’ says Robert Walsh, MD and owner of Ted Todd.

‘So we recommend careful use in bathrooms or kitchens that have high moisture content and are liable to spills. With the right care, though, wood flooring is a suitable option for these areas.’

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 153

PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE

NATURAL VARIETY

Robert Walsh, MD and owner of Ted Todd (01925 283 000; tedtodd. co.uk) offers expert advice on wood types ● The terms softwood and

hardwood don’t refer to the density or hardness of the wood itself. They refer back to the type of tree. In general, hardwood comes from a deciduous tree, whereas softwood comes from a conifer, which usually remains evergreen.

● There are some exceptions

to the above so do your research.

Modern pine is regarded as softwood and most pine used today is grown quickly and harvested before it reaches its full potential in relation to size.

Pitch pine also comes into the softwood category and is regarded as one the hardest of the softwoods.

● Woods within the same

species provide very different looks due to the number of different grades available. Only one in a thousand boards are selected as prime grade, which is characterised by a clean, uniform appearance with minimal knots, sap and colour variation, so it has a higher price point. Nature grade, on the other hand, shows a broad range of natural characteristics, such as knots, sap and colour variation. Choosing comes down to personal preference and a floor that fits the look and character of your space.

● There are so many ways to

Oak engineered parquet flooring in silver white oiled finish (L600xW120xD15mm), £69 per sqm. (020 8871 9771; naturalwoodfloor.co.uk)

PATTERN PLAY

Parquet is enjoying a revival and its classic, geometric, wood-block style is affordable thanks to modern manufacturing techniques.

Patterns include herringbone, chevron, basket weave and hexagon, but inlaid floor designs can be bespoke, and there are endless varieties of wood types, styles and finishes to tailor to your floor space. Consider 154 OCTOBER 2018 /

MAGAZINE.COM

upscaling to 60cm blocks, which gives a cool, contemporary look in an open-plan area.

‘The trend for pale finishes has grown from wooden boards to parquet blocks,’ says Peter Keane, director at The Natural Wood Floor Company (020 8871 9771; naturalwoodfloor. co.uk). ‘The beauty of paler shades is that they don’t overpower, and work with the wood to enhance its natural features.’

achieve different end results, from the way the timber is cut to the finishes that are applied. Oak floors, for example, range from those with a weathered, bleached look with characteristic saw marks, to textured, undulating wide boards with knots and lots of grain detail. On the other side of the spectrum, there are smooth, clean boards that have minimal variation in tone and grain detail.

● Teak is valued for both its

beauty and durability. It naturally resists decay, insects, and rot and is nicknamed ‘king of the hardwoods’ due to its extreme stability. Teak is known for its beautiful, tight grain and ages gracefully to a regal silver.

T: 01622 790 356 W: flooringmegastore.co.uk

Specialists in poured resin and polished concrete floors.

Urban Chic Utility. Hip. Polished.

Polished Concrete Puur PSR Polished Concrete Private Commission Shoreditch

puurfloors.com 020 7084 6266

PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE

Block herringbone engineered oak wood flooring, with four-side bevelled edge, sanded and finished on-site (L280xW70xD12.5mm), £43.14 per sqm.

(01524 737 000; havwoods.co.uk)

SURFACE FINISH

Most timber flooring is pre-finished but you can buy unfinished boards for painting, varnishing or oiling yourself. Different treatments offer varying degrees of protection and determine the overall look.

‘Oiled floors are easier to manage and retain the natural appearance of the wood,’ says Roger Hemmings, senior marketing project development manager at Havwoods (01524 737 000; havwoods.co.uk). ‘The oil penetrates deep into the grain, bringing out the colour and natural variations, and these floors lend themselves to being spot-repaired in the event of surface damage.’

For busier areas of the home, lacquer is a polyurethane finish that is hard and resilient.

But if it’s gouged or seriously scratched, lacquer is difficult to spot-repair. Matt and ultra-matt lacquers have a low sheen and are less reflective.

‘UV-cured hard wax oil is also practical, adds Hemmings. ‘This combines the wear advantages of a lacquer with the subtlety of oil, it’s water-repellent, stain-resistant and will not crack, flake, peel or blister.’

BEAUTIFUL BOND

Engineered flooring is constructed of several layers of criss-crossed plywood or recycled wood fibre, bonded to form a base, then finished with a top layer of solid wood. The greater the number of layers, the better the quality of flooring, and the thicker the top layer, the more it appears like solid wood.

Layered construction makes engineered boards more stable than solid wood and less affected by temperature changes, so they work well with underfloor heating. Most engineered flooring can be sanded back over the years but take the supplier’s advice on this as it depends on the thickness of the veneered top layer.

Wood-effect laminate is achieved by producing a layer of plastic printed with an Balterio Xpressions image of wood, which is then block effect laminate bonded to a back board. Top flooring, in a matt quality versions have convincing finish, £21.99 per sqm. textures and finishes. If you’re (0330 333 3444; fitting in a bathroom, choose carpetright.co.uk) one that’s waterproof.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 157

PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE

AGED TO PERFECTION

Reclaimed timber is an environmentally sound choice and brings an authentic, aged patina that is difficult to replicate in new wood. Perfect for period renovations, it also creates an impressive feature in a contemporary self-build and is available as board, strip or parquet. Usually salvaged from old industrial premises or large historic houses, reclaimed flooring is most commonly British or European oak or pine, with rarer woods such as elm available from some dealers.

It is a lot stronger and more resilient than new wood as it has been exposed to humidity and developed durability. Make sure the whole batch you are buying is useable, dry, undamaged by water and de-nailed.

‘Always see a sample first and buy from a reputable dealer who can confirm provenance. We supply boards that are de-nailed and cleaned up ready for fitting yourself or by one of our recommended fitters, who can price up the job,’ says Nick Newman, head of flooring at Lassco (020 7394 2100; lassco.co.uk).

OF THE BEST WOOD EFFECTS FOR BATHROOMS

Convincing timber alternatives that are waterproof and hard-wearing

158 OCTOBER 2018 /

PRACTICAL CHOICE

Albini porcelain tiles in wild brown mimic the warm, rustic texture of worn timber, from £78 per sqm, CP Hart (0345 600 1950; cphart.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM

ON-TREND GREY

Opus Columba luxury vinyl extra-wide plank wood-effect flooring, £34.99 per sqm, Karndean Designflooring (01386 820 100; karndean.com)

EASY INSTALLATION

Eligna water-resistant laminate flooring in estate oak grey with a matt finish, £19.99 per sqm, Quick-Step (02830 250 477; quick-step.co.uk)

PHOTOGRAPHY ROBBATTERSBY.COM

3

Reclaimed Georgian solid Baltic pine boards, supplied unfinished, available in random lengths and 6 to 12in widths, £168 per sqm.

(020 7394 2100; lassco.co.uk)

Discover underfloor heating.

Discover True Warmth.

Polypipe Underfloor Heating may be more affordable than you think.

Our energy-efficient systems together with our innovative Smart Plus controls, provide a more even and cosy temperature throughout your home, delivering value and controllability at the touch of a button. And with no radiators, you’ll have no restrictions. Just effortless comfort and ultimate design flexibility.

To get a guide price and start your journey, visit polypipeufh.com/priceguide

COMPETITION

PRIZE WORTH £7,000

WIN! BEAUTIFUL KÄHRS WOOD FLOORING Transform your home with this rustic and characterful range of engineered oak planks

From traditional schemes to modern spaces, a wood floor looks great and brings comfort and a sense of wellbeing to all styles of interiors; keeping your feet warm on chilly days and refreshingly cool during hotter weather.

The Vedbo engineered oak design,

by Swedish manufacturer Kährs, has all the natural beauty of real wood, with naturally occurring knots, graining and a brushed and hand-scraped surface to enhance its texture and character.

Finished with a natural oil to create a golden honey finish, it’s durable, easy to clean and will retain its beauty for years to come.

Just one of 11 designs from Kährs’ Småland Collection, Vedbo is made from sustainable oak, with a pine and spruce middle layer. Easy to install

using Woodloc, the company’s innovative locking joint system, the single planks are bevelled on all four sides for an authentic look.

Kährs offers hundreds of different styles of engineered wood flooring made from a range of species and with various surface treatments. As wood is a natural material it can be affected by swelling and shrinking, depending on changes in humidity. But the multilayered construction of Kährs engineered flooring minimises this movement, ensuring it remains stable in all conditions, meaning the floor can be used with underfloor heating systems. ● For more information, call 02392 453 045 or visit K AHRS.COM

How to enter the competition

For the chance to win £7,000 of Kährs Oak Vedbo flooring, visit granddesignsmagazine.com/ competitions and answer the following question:

How many designs are there in the Småland Collection?

T&Cs APPLY. FOR FULL DETAILS VISIT GRANDDESIGNSMAGAZINE.COM/ TERMSANDCONDITIONS. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 19 OCTOBER 2018.

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 161

see us at

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BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018

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BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018

Plan your show visit

See top exhibitors, hear advice from industry experts and shop for all you need for a successful project For anyone planning a self-build, home improvement project or renovation, Grand Designs Live, proudly sponsored

by Anglian Home Improvements, is an event not to be missed. It’s an incredible resource of inspiration, innovation and information, all under one roof. Whether you are just beginning to research your next project, looking for expert advice for a tricky planning or design issue, or want to find the latest on-trend products and all-important finishing touches, you will find all the know-how and ideas you need at the show. With a host of things to see as well as specialists on hand, it’s a fantastic day out, and there are plenty of places to stop and grab a bite to eat as you mull over what you’ve seen.

I hope to see you there – do say hello!

K AREN ST YLIANIDES, EDITOR

What’s on

Organised in easy-to-navigate areas, the show features hundreds of exhibitors covering design and planning, construction and landscaping, interiors, kitchens, bathrooms and tech. Listen to talks in the Grand Theatre, sponsored by Airflow, and meet some of the Grand Designers from the current TV series. Find the best products for your project in the Grand Build, Grand Interiors and Grand Kitchens and Bathrooms zones, and complete your scheme at the Grand Gardens section, sponsored by Hydropool.

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018 Kevin McCloud’s top tips for a stressfree build

1

Hire a good architect and the fees will pay for themselves. They will be able to let you know what works in a home and, more importantly, what doesn’t.

2

Appoint an experienced project manager. They will know about important issues, such as negotiating with utility companies regarding pipes and cabling, and will keep the build on schedule.

Show highlights

● More than 400 exhibitors, including RIBA architects, building suppliers, kitchen and bathroom designers, as well as a Design Arcade in Grand Interiors, where you’ll find unusual pieces, bespoke designs and original artwork.

Get the build costed by a professional quantity surveyor.

Never rely on figures produced by your builder or architect.

● A packed itinerary of experts and speakers lined up to appear in the Grand Theatre, sponsored by Airflow. ● Free 30-minute consultations with architects, designers, eco experts and financial advisers in the Ask An Expert area in Grand Build. ● Check out the Interior Room Sets and Studio, sponsored by AXA Insurance, and book a free interior design consultation to help you create the perfect moodboard. ● Kevin’s Green Heroes Live – meet his pick of eco-innovations, from small-scale start-ups to big businesses.

3 4 5 6 7

Add around 20 per cent to your budget to cover any unforeseen costs that almost always crop up.

● The Smart Kitchen – learn about the latest technology and gadgets in a series of 15-minute talks and demonstrations. ● Plastic awareness – at this year’s Grand Designs Live, we are working alongside the NEC to prohibit the sale of plastic bottles from all in-show catering points, along with the distribution of plastic straws. Plastic cutlery and show goody bags have been replaced with biodegradable alternatives, too.

Show treats

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the show with a bite to eat at the Gnome Sweet Gnome café, or treat yourself to a glass of fizz at the Champagne Bar, sponsored by Hydropool.

Sit back and relax in the Premium Lounge, part of this year’s Premium Package. Start the day with fast-track entry, enjoy a

Professional trades are key – they do this for a living, so use recommendations and always check for references.

Go green – the build stage is the best time to cut long-term costs, add insulation and solar panels.

Don’t just go for the latest trends – incorporate elements that you know will make you happy and add value to your life in your new home; it’s not just about boosting the asking price. ● Catch Kevin live on stage at the event

complimentary glass of prosecco and read your free issue of the latest Grand Designs magazine, then explore the show before enjoying a deli lunch. At the Grand Theatre, sponsored by Airflow, you’ll also find priority seating for the day’s programme of talks and demonstrations. ● Find out more at granddesignslive.com

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •

ADVERTISING PROMOTION

BRING THE OUTDOORS INSIDE

BalconyLife has a range of balcony styles available for self-builders to buy direct

A Vista View bolt-on cantilever balcony

For more than 15 years, BalconyLife has been designing, manufacturing and supplying bolt-on balconies to the construction industry from its East Midlands base.

Complete balcony packages

Now, self-builders can take advantage of the company’s expertise and buy direct.

Balconies are supplied with everything needed for installation, including cantilever balcony supports that can be fixed to timber or concrete. The extensive range includes the glass balustrade, Vista View, with a stainlesssteel handrail capping, and the Panorama, with its metal-railing balustrade. Both come in cantilever or Juliet styles, in a range of sizes and a variety of colours, so your balcony will complement the external facade of your home.

Design coordination

To make ordering and installing your balcony as straightforward as possible, BalconyLife offers free, technical support throughout the process. So, the delivery of your balcony can be timed to fit your build schedule.

Ease of installation

An experienced general builder will easily be able to install the BalconyLife’s Vista View and Panorama ranges using the installation instructions provided.

Great value

BalconyLife prices start from £5,151.60 for a bolt-on cantilever balcony, and £487.20 for a Juliet balcony.

● For information, call 01509 844 233 or visit BALCONYLIFE.CO

The Vista View glass balustrade Juliet balcony

MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 167

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018

Grand Build Check out some of the highlights to be found at the heart of this year’s show

Whether you are self-building, extending or renovating your home, head for this unmissable section of the show. Find design inspiration, key suppliers and experts on hand to offer free advice for your own project. Plus, you’ll find the latest information on technology, sustainability and energy efficiency.

Talks and experts

If you are in need of ideas from an architect or advice about funding your next project, don’t miss the programme of on-stage seminars with industry experts. Our team will include Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs magazine Editor Karen Styliandes and TV presenter and property expert Kunle Barker.

There are also free, 30-minute one-to-one consultations with RIBA architects and other specialists in Ask An Expert.

Visit granddesignslive.com to reserve your slot and see full timetables.

Kevin’s Green Heroes Live

Every year, Kevin McCloud selects his favourite conceptual and eco-friendly ideas, from small-scale start-ups to big businesses. At the show, he will be joined by heroes past and present, with live demos of some of the products that will shape our future.

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018 Meet the Grand Designers

TV property expert

Head to the Grand Theatre, sponsored by Airflow, to hear the real-life stories of some of the most memorable and inspiring Grand Designers from the TV show, including those from the latest series. They will be joined on stage by a panel of resident experts for dynamic Q&A sessions exploring the various aspects of their projects, covering everything from architecture to finance, planning to project management, interior decor to sustainability and much more.

shares his tips

1 Adding light

Sister companies VELFAC (01536 313 552; velfac.co. uk) and VELUX (01592 778 225; velux.co.uk) provide glazing solutions for the entire house. Windows and doors from VELFAC and roof solutions from VELUX are designed to bring daylight and fresh air into homes, improving the living environment and enhancing the beauty of both contemporary and traditional buildings.

Try to avoid the pitfalls.

There are many reasons build costs can rocket and, of course, some are out of your control, such as builders or suppliers going into administration. If a build takes longer, then it may have an effect other things, such as rental fees and loans, as well as increasing build costs. Changes to original specs can also add to your budget.

2

Choose the right builder.

This decision is perhaps the one that has the most significant effect on whether your job is delivered on time and on budget. Ask your architect to produce a complete tender pack; this way, you can compare prices accurately, as it will be clear what has been priced and all builders will submit their quote in the same format.

3

Good project management is key to a successful build, and an experienced project manager will save you money in the long run. But remember you can employ one on a part-time basis if you feel confident about taking on some of the project work yourself.

4 The heat is on

Market-leading manufacturer of heating products, Firebird (01752 699 1177; firebird.uk.com) offers an extensive range of renewable and traditional heating solutions. Established in Ireland in 1980, its product range includes air source heat pumps, biomass boilers and stoves, solar thermal systems, underfloor heating and high-performance oil-fired boilers.

Be prepared to make payments in advance, otherwise things could be delayed. Most builders and suppliers will ask for payments up front. A project architect or manager will administer contracts and procurement processes at the beginning of the work, so this can be negotiated before you take on any builders/suppliers. It’s not unusual to be asked for deposits, but in terms of suppliers, be wary of paying more than half in advance or before goods have been delivered to- site. ● Kunle will be on stage at the event

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018

5 more must-see exhibitors

1

Aalco (01322 610 900; aalco.co.uk) is the sole distributor of stainlesssteel handrail systems from IAM Design, Europe’s leading designer and manufacturer of handrail systems. It supplies stainless-steel handrails, glass handrails, balustrades, railings and staircase systems, which provide complete and elegant solutions to suit any architectural style.

2 Glazing experts

For more than a decade, Kloeber (01487 740 044; kloeber.co.uk) has provided self-builders and renovators with a range of bespoke glazing solutions, helping homeowners select the perfect doors and windows for their projects. Its vast range of high-end products includes bi-fold, sliding and French doors as well as the award-winning FunkyFront door. It also offers windows, rooflights and fixed glazing elements. The company can also offer a detailed site survey to guarantee a smooth installation, carried out by its own in-house fitting teams.

Stylish welcome

A new front door could give your home a grand entrance. With four collections that encompass virtually every dimension, colour and surface treatment, Pirnar (020 3793 3377; pirnar.co.uk) offers a huge range of options.

PHOTOGRAPHY ALISTAIR VERYARD

On the level

Established in 1984, Polyroof (01352 735 135; polyroof.co.uk) is a well-known and respected name in the flat roofing market.

Polyroof’s range of BBA-approved, advanced liquid roofing systems is highly versatile and ideal for a wide range of applications including flat roofs, balconies and simulated metal finishes.

Airflow (01494 525 252; airflow. com) will be displaying the latest in ground-to-air heat recovery technology. By harnessing the constant temperature below ground, air circulated in a tubed pipe array can be used to cool a home in summer while adding warmth in winter through a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system.

3

The expert craftsmen at Oak & Home (01384 939 206; oakandhome.co.uk) are passionate about wood – if you dream of having a beautiful oak-framed building then this family-run company is the one to create it. The timberframed constructions are ideally suited to withstand the high demands of modern living, combining both traditional and contemporary building techniques.

4

Underfloor heating from Polypipe (01709 770 000; polypipe.com) helps make your house a home, providing warmth and freeing up wall space that might otherwise be fitted with radiators.

Efficient and invisible, it can be installed in any room of the house, under the flooring type of your choice, while being operated from easy-to-use controls.

5

Internorm (internorm.com), the leading window brand in Europe, offers high-quality, low-energy and passive house window and door systems. The company’s innovative product range includes uPVC, aluminium and timber windows and external doors, all with a choice of handles and glazing.

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018

Meet the experts

Need help with tech-based self-build issues? Then book a free, 30-minute one-to-one session with a tech guru at AskAn Expert. Visit granddesignslive.com to reserve your place.

Get switched on

Technology Trail

MDU Lighting Design (0121 663 0013; lighting-projects.com), supplies and installs media, music, TV, cinema, networking, CCTV, security and heating controls. Specialising in lighting design and controls, it has bases in Birmingham and Dublin, with an impressive portfolio of projects worldwide.

Find a wealth of hi-tech innovations throughout the show, along with the latest smart home products

What’s new?

Pop by the Tesla (tesla.com) display and check out the Powerwall battery (left), which integrates with your solar panels to store excess energy generated during the day, and makes it available when you need it. A completely automated system, it can be floor or wallmounted, either indoors or outdoors, and an app allows you to view your energy remotely.

Keep it simple

Focused on creating uncomplicated, easy-to-use products designed to make life easier, Gtech’s (01905 345 891; gtech.co.uk) range now includes cordless floorcare, lawnmowers and even bikes. See the new Gtech AirRam MK2 in action at the show – a cordless upright cleaner, designed to move seamlessly from carpets to hard floors with no need to change settings or plug sockets.

The smart choice

With so many different smart home products available, choosing what your project needs can be daunting. Macro Level (023 8089 0813; macrolevel.co.uk) can help you select the devices and technology that are right for you. From lighting to heating, audio to security, the team will guide you through the options. Chat to them at the show to find out more about the SmartCORE system, which integrates all your home automation into one system.

Record and rewind

With a camera history available to access anytime, anywhere, you can check in with people or pets with Hive View, the smart indoor camera from Hive (0333 202 9614; hivehome. com). Designed by Yves Béhar, it’s packed with must-have features, including two-way audio, HD live streaming, person detection, and can even send a notification to your smartphone.

Hive View is available in two stylish finishes.

Sponsor showcase

Lexus (lexus.co.uk) arrives at Grand Designs Live, Birmingham, with the highly anticipated UX 250h. With bold SUV-inspired design and the agile handling of a hatchback, the UX offers a fresh take on luxury city living, and makes a strong statement on the commitment of Lexus to design and performance.

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •

Making those moments last

Stay closer with reclining dining chairs from Stressless ÂŽ

See them in store now stressless.com

Transform your space Shuttercraft makes light work of providing stylish interior shutters, made-to-measure for the perfect fit. We supply premium S:CRAFT shutters, highly engineered, and available in a wide range of styles, materials and colours. We love curved and angled windows, and can colour match to blend seamlessly with your décor.

• • •

Free home design appointment – we conduct a survey and talk you through your options Expert, friendly service – we help demystify the technical aspects of shutters ‘No hard sell’ promise – we take pride in creating a bond of trust with our customers

e. hello@shuttercraft.co.uk w. www.shuttercraft.co.uk

PROUD TO FIT S:CRAFT PRODUCTS

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018

Grand Kitchens and Bathrooms

At the show, you’ll discover top brands, clever design ideas, expert advice and the latest smart appliances

Quality at a great price

German kitchens are renowned for their quality and design. At Kutchenhaus (0161 749 4110; kutchenhaus.co.uk), you’ll also find a budget-friendly price point. Due to its extensive range of designs, everyone can have their dream kitchen at a price they are comfortable with. The company is owned by Nobilia, the world’s largest manufacturer, so is able to offer affordable, custom-built kitchens. Visit the Kutchenhaus Design Studio at the show for special discounts.

Experts on hand

If you’re about to start a kitchen project and need help in planning the space or sourcing products, then help is on hand at the event. Just book in for a free 30-minute one-to-one with a kitchen specialist in Ask An Expert.

You could chat through your plans with Jeremy Price, pictured, a key designer in the luxury kitchen market, with a wealth of experience in both residential and commercial projects. He heads up Sustainable Kitchens (0117 325 2438; sustainablekitchens. co.uk). Or meet Zoe McKay of Henley McKay Kitchens (01905 612 287; henleymckaykitchens. co.uk), who joins Keith Myers of The Myers Touch (01962 600 084; themyerstouch.co.uk) as head designers at the show.

Bring along any plans, pictures or sketches and book your slot at granddesignslive.com.

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2018 175

The new simple way to buy tiles

BATHROOM TILES KITCHEN TILES FLOOR TILES MOSAICS NATURAL TILES UNDERFLOOR HEATING BATHROOM ACCESSORIES TILE ACCESSORIES FREE TILE SAMPLES NATIONWIDE DELIVERY

Crown Tiles is committed to offering you the best value for money for the highest quality products, sourced from some of biggest tile manufactures in the world.

We offer you the best possible choice of tiles, ranging from porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, inc. wood effect, everything to complete your project.

Any enquires freephone

0800 156 0756

www.crowntiles.co.uk

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018 New beginnings

Franke UK (0161 436 6280; franke.com) believes that every kitchen fitting should be as unique as its user – from the sink to the extractor and more. Exhibiting for the first time at Grand Designs Live, the company will showcase its instant boiling water taps in a range of chic colours and finishes, and its stunning new stainless steel worksurface.

Traditional cabinets

Offering hand-crafted kitchens and furniture, the team at family-run firm, Four Corners (01789 297 818; four-corners.co.uk), prides itself on listening to clients’ needs, helping them to visualise and create a dream space. Made using traditional cabinetry techniques with modern styling, its range includes kitchens, freestanding furniture and fitted options.

Design dedication

With more than 20 years in the industry, Smarthaus (01536 514 800; smarthaus. co.uk) has designed thousands of contemporary German-made kitchens, in all shapes and sizes, from its home in the heart of Northamptonshire.

From brief to installation, its dedicated designers and in-house fitting teams are there at every step.

In addition, there are gorgeous bathroom and tiling ranges on offer, too.

The Smart Kitchen

See how technology is transforming our kitchens and discover how to make the most of the latest innovations with a daily programme of 15-minute talks, which explore just how you can save time and effort in the kitchen. Find out what’s new in appliances and gadgets, with demos and experts taking you through the must-have features.

Pop by to pick up top tips and ideas in The Smart Kitchen, designed

by Clover Kitchens.

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •MAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2018 177

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018 Stylish tiles

With a vast array of porcelain, ceramic, glass, metal and natural stone tiles in a huge choice of sizes and shapes, Birmingham-based Solus Tile Studio (0121 753 6399; solustilestudio.com) is part of the Solus Ceramics group and home to one of the UK’s largest tile sample departments.

Explore trendsetting new tile ranges and discover the most sought-after patterns, designs and shades at the show.

Maximise space in a small bathroom

● Choose concealed fittings and shower valves, which will give you more showering space, as the area isn’t taken up by exposed pipework. It will also give more of a sleek, streamlined finish. For similar reasons, choose wall-mounted bath and basin taps. ● Think about a wish list for your new scheme. Do you need a bath, or would you prefer a larger walk-in shower? You may want to go for a made-tomeasure enclosure and screen to make the most of every inch of space. If you do want a bath, compact ones can be as little as 140cm long. ● Keep shapes simple in a small bathroom. Clean lines will enhance the sense of space, leading the eye away.

Likewise, choose the same tiles for the wall and floor. ● Go for wall-hung pieces when it comes to choosing your basin, vanity unit and toilet. The more floor you can see, the bigger your bathroom will feel. ● While white has always been the obvious choice for small schemes, dark shades, such as grey and inky blue can work well – just team them with large mirrors to reflect the space or use for pattern, adding a sense of wow. ● Choose lighting carefully, highlighting recesses with spotlights or LED strip-lighting, creating a sense of depth.

Attention to detail

The beautiful, bespoke designs by Bluewater Bathrooms & Kitchens (0121 745 3117; bluewaterkbb.co.uk) combine quality, luxury and purpose. The company’s ethos is to manufacture and install bathrooms and kitchens that not only look stylishly streamlined, but are also purposely functional to suit any interior, with thoughtful attention to detail.

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 • 178 SEPTEMBER 2018 / MAGAZINE.COM

● Banish clutter from surfaces by working in as much storage space as you can. Built-in units are available in a variety of different depths, so they won’t eat into the floor space.

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BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018

Grand Interiors A roundup of innovative design ideas, beautiful furniture and bespoke home accessories

This area of the show offers a wealth of inspiration for your next project, whatever your style or budget. Make sure you see the room sets and studio, sponsored by AXA Insurance, book a session with an interior designer and shop for all-important finishing touches.

All in the detail

Dowsing & Reynolds (0113 819 9985; dowsingandreynolds.com) focuses on those design details that matter, with beautifully created, high-quality finishing touches to complete any interior. Its range includes statement lighting, unique light switches and sockets, stunning furniture hardware and stylish door handles, plus the brand’s exciting exclusive capsule paint collection, which is designed to coordinate perfectly with its hardware and lighting pieces.

Signature style

As the UK’s leading online purveyor of hardwood flooring, Maples & Birch’s (0845 293 9374; maplesandbirch.co.uk) extensive range of quality hardwood floors is about to get even bigger. Launching at the show, the new Signature Bespoke range of hardwood flooring allows you to personalise an oak floor by colour, style and size. Interior designer Georgie Osborne – who helped to create a unique range of flooring for Maples & Birch called Designer Collezione – will also be on hand to chat through your next project.

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018

Talks and experts

Perfect panelling

The English Panelling Company’s MDF wall panelling is now available to buy direct from its dedicated website (01453 731 305; theenglishpanellingcompany.co.uk). The panels are made from moisture-resistant grade Medite, making them ideal for kitchens and bathrooms, and providing a superior paint finish. The open-backed system is easy to install, giving the look of traditional panelling at a fraction of the price – see for yourself at the show.

Games room must-have

Sir William Bentley Billiards (01264 731 210; billiards.co.uk) design and make some of the most beautiful billiard tables in the world. Each table and matching accessory is crafted to the client’s specification, using the finest materials. Specialists in fine antique billiards, its reputation has been earned over 40 years of restoration.

Leading interiors specialists will be sharing their expertise on stage, so stop by for valuable tips and ideas. Or you could book a free 30-minute consultation with an interior designer, such as Hugo Fleming, design director at Cranberry Home (01908 648 805; cranberryhome.co.uk), whose knowledge includes space planning and styling to sell, or Ellie Greisen, pictured (07734 665 922; studioeg.co.uk), who has worked with some of the biggest names in lighting and now focuses on residential projects, giving a personal design service while creating your perfect lighting scheme.

Raise a glass

Founded by Allan Gledson, The Wine Barrel Furniture Company was born out of his love of wine and woodwork. After working as a cellar master at a vineyard and winery in Australia, he moved back to the UK to launch a range of furniture designed for fellow wine lovers. From tables and chairs to storage made from decorative crates. Visit Allan’s stand at the show.

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •

Express yourself with Impress® Floors of unparalleled realism for unprecedented creativity.

Updating our Impress range, Moduleo bring you a new selection of Naturally impressive and Expressive floors.

Authentic wood and slate patterns will leave the timeless mark of nature on any interior, while our abstract designs allow you to create a unique look only possible in LVT flooring.

moduleo.co.uk/impressive

YEAR

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018

Handcrafted pieces

Based in her workshop in the idyllic Surrey countryside, Liv, pictured right, of Liv Cornall Design (07792 944 682; livcornall.com), creates beautiful bespoke pieces of furniture and home accessories inspired by nature.

With flowing lines in natural wood, the unique pieces feel at home in any space, whether rustic or modern. Her designs include coffee tables, benches, lamps, wine racks and even clocks.

Discover the Design Arcade

Room set inspiration

The theme for this year’s Room Sets and Studio, sponsored by AXA insurance, is ‘Design by you’, and promises to be packed full of ideas to steal for your own project. Top interior designers have created six stylish schemes using colour, pattern and light, and the sets are decorated using products that are easily accessible and available to visitors. The winner will be announced at the Grand Theatre.

An unmissable part of the show, the Design Arcade is the place to head to if you’re looking for something a little different for your home.

It’s an ideal opportunity to discover new brands as well as revisiting the collections of some Grand Designs favourites.

Find quirky accessories, bespoke furniture and original artwork, often at exclusive discounted prices.

Among the stands to visit are Artbox (07897 336 733; artboxltd.co.uk), Jo Probert Artist (07747 608 087; joprobert.co.uk), The Workshop Below (0121 439 1790; theworkshopbelow.com), Trendi Switch (020 3589 9520; trendiswitch. com), and Restoration Tree (07866 619 803; restorationtree.com).

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •

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BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018

Talks and experts

Grand Gardens

Find all you need for your outdoor space, from garden buildings to artificial grass, in this area of the show

SPONSORED BY

Pick up tips from the experts on stage or book a free 30-minute session to discuss your own project.

Garden designer Tom Wolstenholme, pictured (0800 310 2010; tomwolstenholme.co.uk) has a meticulous eye for detail and will be available in the Ask An Expert area, along with the hugely experienced Joyce Bullock (01543 622 321; joycebullockgardendesign. co.uk), whose projects include RHS mentoring and show-garden design. Book your slot at granddesignlive. com or at the show.

Add wow factor

As the longest established Hot Tub and Swim Spa company in the UK, Hydropool (01342 311 000; hydropoolspas.co.uk) is a pioneer of luxury technology, with the world’s only Self-Cleaning models. Discover the Hydropool that’s right for you at the show.

Traditional design

Garden lodges by Garden Exteriors (01827 705 215; gardenexteriors.com) are the 21st-century version of the Kota structures used by the nomadic Sami people of northern Sweden, Finland, Norway and Russia. The company is the sole UK supplier of these Arctic lodges that are handmade within the Arctic Circle, using sustainably sourced Scandinavian redwood.

Roaring success

Made in Hereford using British steel from Port Talbot, Woodee’s (01981 550 524; thewoodee.com) fire pits are a novel and practical addition to any garden. Designed for cooking on or sitting around simply enjoying a roaring fire, the artisan pits are made from raw steel with hand-forged metalwork. The flames crackle through the oak leaves to spectacular effect.

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •

The future of composite decking SmartBoard is a reversible decking with an appealing, tactile brushed matt finish creating a more natural surface than most composite alternatives.

Easy to fit Low Maintenance Matt Finish Brushed Feel 90% Recycled

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NATURE & TECHNOLOGY WORKING TOGETHER

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018 Outside edge

As a space for living, working or relaxing, modular garden rooms from Cre8a (01274 859 326; cre8a.co.uk) are designed to perfectly suit your requirements, right down to the positioning of the doors, windows and electrics. These stylish and versatile pods are ideal for use as a gym, home office or guest accommodation, and are clad in extremely hard-wearing, low-maintenance, solventand scratch-resistant material, with 244 colours and finishes to choose from.

A luscious lawn

The artificial range by Quickgrass (01527 579 841; quickgrass.co.uk), is so realistic looking that you will be amazed at how natural it feels.

This premium landscaping material is manufactured to the very highest quality, is beautiful to look at, soft to touch and made to last. The range of seven synthetic turfs has full UV-stability and is guaranteed not to fade.

Exterior appeal

With so many frame options available, plain white windows are becoming a thing of the past. And doors at the front and back of a property are now an integral part of a design, rather than an afterthought. Choose from Anglian Home Improvements’ biggestever selection of doors and windows to add style and colour to your home – both inside and out (0800 500 600; anglianhome. co.uk). Discover the full range at the show.

PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD P WALTON

● R ELAX AND TAKE A BREAK

Treat yourself to a quiet moment after a busy day at the show and enjoy a chilled glass of bubbles at the Champagne Bar, sponsored by Hydropool. Located in the heart of Grand Gardens, it’s the perfect place to take a break, catch up with friends and chat about the stands you’re going to visit next. Or if you want a bite to eat, drop by the Gnome Sweet Gnome Cafe.

BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST £10 * • 0844 854 1348 •

Plan your dream garden

Ready to start your project?

Check out these top tips

● PL ANNING If you are creating a garden for a new-build, you may have to provide a landscaping outline with the planning application.

You could consult a garden designer to maximise your new plot, and start planting early on in the build to help it mature quickly. Find out more at planningportal.gov.uk. ● SUN AND SHADE Work out sunshine patterns, and plan your planting and any seating or play areas accordingly. You could factor in additional shade, with an awning, canopy or sun sail. ● LEVELS OF INTEREST If your garden is sloped then terracing will make it much more manageable, but even in a flat plot, raised beds will create visual interest.

Sleepers are a great choice for terracing, as are gabions filled with decorative stone, while smooth-rendered and painted breeze blocks will give a crisp, modern look.

● LIGHTING Plan this at the beginning of your project, so cabling can be hidden, with low-level options to illuminate paths and steps, feature lighting to showcase plants or trees, and more practical solutions for patio areas. ● ON THE SURFACE Porcelain tiles are very hard-wearing and resistant to water, making them ideal for creating continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Otherwise, stone, decking, slate and pebbles create a traditional or modern look. ● FURNITURE Wood such as teak has a natural appeal, but can be heavy to move and needs regular oiling.

If you don’t have storage space, choose an all-weather material such as acrylic, resin or faux-rattan that requires little or no maintenance.

BIRMINGHAM NEC 10-14 OCTOBER 2018 QUOTE MAG10 AND BOOK ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR JUST

£10*

Essential Information

Grand Designs Live takes place from 10-14 October at NEC Birmingham ● 10am-5pm: 10, 11 & 14 October ● 10am-6pm: 12 & 13 October

Where

National Exhibition Centre, North Avenue, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT. Visit granddesignslive.com for further information.

Children

Children aged 15 or under enter free of charge when accompanied by an adult. You must present a child ticket, obtainable from the box office.

Those aged 16 or over will be charged the standard price.

SPONSORS

Disabled access

The NEC Birmingham aims to be fully accessible and user-friendly for disabled visitors. Visit granddesignslive.com for further information.

Premium Package

To enjoy the show in style, book your Premium Package at granddesignslive. com. This includes fast-track entry, a show pack to help plan your day, the latest issue of Grand Designs magazine, a glass of bubbly, a deli lunch and slice of cake, a cup of tea or coffee, and all-day access to the Premium lounge. There’s also a cloakroom and shop-and-drop facility for your purchases.

HEADLINE SPONSOR

Weekends Advance, £15/On the door, £20 Weekdays Advance, £12/On the door, £17 Premium Package £39

Children 15 and under, free (ticket is required)

Group discounts For bookings of more than 10 people, call 0844 412 4650 for reduced rates.

Call the 24-hour hotline on 0844 854 1348 or book online at granddesignslive.com *£10 ticket offer on standard tickets only. Visit granddesignslive.com and enter code MAG10 on the ticket booking page. Tickets must be booked in advance before midnight on 13 October 2018.

A transaction fee applies per order.

MEDIA PARTNERS

CHARITY PARTNER

KITCHEN & BATHROOM

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ALL INFORMATION CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRINT

Opening hours

Quote MAG10 and book additional tickets for just £10*

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Introducing the best products and services for your project

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Please call 020 3225 5200 ext 532 or email andy.mccallum@media-ten.com MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 195

SHOWCASE Doors

Suppliers featured on the Doors

TV programme

Bi-Folding Doors

Architects

Clear View Bi-Folding Doors

Urban Front

Klöeber UK

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With over 20 years’ experience, Clear View designs, manufactures and installs aluminium bi-folding doors, sliding doors, windows, roofing systems and curtain walling, throughout the UK.

Urban Front is a designer and manufacturer of contemporary hardwood front, garage and internal doors. Its products are designed and made in the UK, and the company offers a wide range of bespoke options.

Klöeber is a specialist manufacturer and supplier of beautifully engineered timber and aluminium bi-fold doors, and bespoke glazing solutions in timber, aluminium and alu-clad.

Your project is a big adventure. We can work with you from inception to completion and provide the input of an in-house Passivhaus designer to ensure the result is beautiful and comfortable.

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Bi-Folding Doors

Coffee Table

Exterior Signs

Flooring

Folding Sliding Door Company

Ark Cabinet Makers

House Numbers

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The UK’s largest design and manufacture specialist of bespoke folding sliding doors, available in aluminium, flush-glazed, engineered hardwood timber, ali-clad, GRP composite and PVCu.

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Suppliers of bespoke LED house numbers and names, laser-cut from stainless steel.

Designed and manufactured in the UK. Contact for free artwork services.

Factory Direct Flooring believes everyone should experience luxury wood flooring.

Our beautiful, natural and engineered woods are desirable and affordable, and we offer expert advice on design, functionality and fitting.

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Architects

Roofing

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This sustainable practice specialises in rural planning and has a reputation for integrating beautiful buildings within the Northern Irish landscape. Its projects feature on the North Coast’s most spectacular sites.

Sky Garden is the UK’s leading independent supplier and installer of green roofs. Our UK nurseries and variety of green roof systems guarantee quality, value for money and unbeatable service.

Specialising in the manufacture of purpose-made, hot-dip galvanised powder-coated steel windows and genuine leaded lights. The steel windows can also be double glazed.

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196 OCTOBER 2018 /

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MAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2018 209

PROFILE

M Y GR A N D IDEA –

Architect Luigi Montefusco gained permission for an extension by signing up the neighbours at the same time

210 OCTOBER 2018 /

— How did you solve this?

The planning policy also states that if there is already a side extension on the neighbouring property, the proposed new party wall might be built higher than two metres, therefore allowing a flat-roof skylight and more ceiling height internally. With that in mind, we proposed a side extension to the neighbouring property at the same time, to maximise the space on both sides and reduce the planning costs.

— How did you get the neighbours on board?

I knocked on their door and explained what I wanted to do. Luckily, they accepted my proposal and we went ahead with the two projects at once.

— Were there any other restrictions?

The only other constraint in this case was to build the two extensions at the same time. This became a great

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opportunity to tender the works with the same contractor simultaneously, making it more cost-effective.

— How did the two extensions differ inside?

The original clients’ build was more traditional with a wall of exposed brick to reference the original building, while the neighbours’ extension had a more contemporary feel.

— How long did planning take?

It took eight weeks and construction took six months to complete.

— What was the reaction from the owners of the houses?

Everyone was very happy. I’m pleased to have obtained two planning requests with one application and also to have managed two different clients with the same contractor so successfully. I’ve had many similar requests following this project.

LBMV (020 7483 3880 lbmvarchitects.com)

ABOVE In order to gain planning permission for a party wall, the architect submitted proposals for extensions to neighbouring properties LEFT Overhead glazing panels span the length of the addition, making the space light and bright

WORDS HELEN PARTON PHOTOGRAPHY LBMV ARCHITECTS

How did you come to work on the project?

The clients knew me because I’ve completed quite a few projects in Queen’s Park, north-west London, where they live – and also friends of theirs recommended me.

— What did the client want?

The brief was to extend the ground floor of their house into the side return. This allowed the kitchen to be reconfigured in a much more efficient way and an island to be placed in the middle of the space.

— What challenges did this present?

In the Queen’s Park Conservation Area, as in many other parts of London, there is a planning rule prohibiting a new party wall to be built as part of side extension higher than two metres.

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