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Amazing Timber Cabin Retreat Designed for living in a rugged and remote landscape
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THE UK’S BEST-LOVED SELF-BUILD BRAND TV EXCLUSIVE Your first look at the incredible houses from the new series BUILD FOR LESS 10 low-cost projects incl £160k 4-bed home
LOVELY OUTSIDE Upgrade your home’s exterior RENOVATION DIARY Choosing and installing a woodburning stove
CLEAN AIR ACT Buying advice on all aspects of MVHR
MAKE MORE SPACE Ways to extend and improve your kitchen
A Perfectly Coordinated Classic Kitchen Get the look for less
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Contents
January 2021
Regulars 13 EDITOR’S LETTER 19 KEVIN McCLOUD
Our editor-at-large on the anxiety of moving home 138 MY GRAND IDEA Architect Lizzie Fraher on extending a Walter Segal house
138 15
News 15 TV SERIES PREVIEW
A spotlight on the new projects 105 KITCHEN UPGRADE The latest cabinets, surfaces and appliances 121 BATHROOM EDIT Stylish new additions for the smallest room
121
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 7
CONTENTS
Homes 22 REMODELLED TERRACE
A Victorian villa renovated and extended to suit the needs of one young family
35 UPDATED 1970S HOME
How a detached property has been transformed by a contemporary makeover
47 EXTENDED URBAN HOUSE
An ingenious glass extension brings space and light to a split-level home in London 56 CABIN SELF-BUILD This long-awaited project was designed to make the most of its stunning coastal setting
79 Projects 75 RENOVATION DIARY Things are
56
getting cosy as the family have their woodburning stove installed 79 GRAND GUIDE Ten budget-friendly projects that have been designed and built in the most cost-efficient way 87 BUYER’S GUIDE TO MHVR What to consider when buying a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system
94 HOW TO UPGRADE YOUR HOME’S EXTERIOR Give your house a whole
new look with these design ideas
111 PROJECT KITCHENS Ways to gain
more space and arrange a much better layout by extending your home 125 PROJECT BATHROOMS Inspiration and practical advice for creating the perfect lighting scheme
22
125 8 JANUARY 2021 /
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new houses | extensions | refurbishments | basement excavations | swimming pools
If you have an architectural or interior design project please email gp@gregoryphillips.com
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EDITORIAL
GO ONLINE Find more from Kevin McCloud and our exclusive TV house tours, plus inspiring self-builds, real-life extensions, conversions and home-improvement projects. GRANDDESIGNSLIVE.COM
EDITOR K AREN STYLIANIDES ART DIRECTOR TONY PETERS CHIEF SUB-EDITOR MATT GL ASBY ACTING ASSOCIATE EDITOR JO MESSENGER DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR HUGH METCALF DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER BECCA GREEN EDITOR-AT-LARGE KEVIN McCLOUD
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MANAGING DIRECTOR RICHARD MOREY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER LEE NEWTON 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). © 2020. ISSN 1742-0695
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EDITOR’S LETTER
A
s I write, Boris Johnson has announced a ten-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. Driven by the need to meet the UK government’s commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and with the aim of creating 250,000 jobs, he also revealed plans to extend the Green Homes Grant by a year to the end of March 2022. This will come as welcome news for those wanting to take advantage of the scheme who were unable to book a TrustMark-registered installer by the original deadline (trustmark.org.uk). You can find the latest information via the Green Homes Grant hub on the magazine website (granddesignsmagazine.com/green-homes).
Encouraging more of us to drive electric cars, the prime minister also confirmed that the UK will end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, ten years earlier than planned, promising £582 million in grants for those buying zero or ultra-low emission vehicles. If you’re thinking of going electric, find out how to install a chargepoint at home on page 100, where there’s expert information and advice on what’s involved. To end this letter, I send thanks for your continued support of Grand Designs. On behalf of everyone working on the magazine, the website, the live event and, of course, the TV show, we wish you a happy Christmas and a peaceful new year.
COVER PHOTO LISE BJELLAND/A DESIGN FEATURES
K AREN ST YLIANIDES , EDITOR
PHOTOGRAPHY LISE BJELLAND/A DESIGN FEATURES
@StylianidesK
John Arve Lunde and his wife Gunn built a timber cabin-style home on Norway’s rugged coast. See page 56 for more
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 13
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TV SERIES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW
New TV houses From experimental eco builds to a converted mill, this is a taster of what to expect when Grand Designs returns Originally scheduled to be on our screens in 2020, Grand Designs is back, and its new stars have had to overcome more than their share of setbacks. The Covid-19 pandemic threw a huge spanner in the works of build schedules, added complications to filming during lockdown, and tested the mettle of everyone involved in producing the show. But now, at last, it is an absolute delight to be able to bring you a first look at the phenomenal projects from the new series.
Fenland design LOCATION South Lincolnshire GRAND DESIGNERS Nathan, 40, and Amye, 30, Marshall PROPERTY TYPE Modern Dutch-style barn BEDROOMS 5 BATHROOMS 3 SIZE 400sqm BUDGET £400,000 PLOT COST £100,000 CHARTERED ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGIST Kris Baxter (studio11architecture.co.uk)
Builder and entrepreneur Nathan Marshall, who is more used to constructing estate housing, tackled a complex self-build designed for three generations of his family. Located on reclaimed marshland and designed to withstand rising water levels, the steel-framed main house is reminiscent of a Dutch barn and echoes the double-mansard silhouette of local buildings. But this one has a few unexpected twists, from glamorously glazed gables and twin brick chimneys to all-over tile cladding. An annexe on the site is home to Nathan’s mother and stepfather.
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 15
Unusual setting LOCATION South-west London GRAND DESIGNER Justin Maxwell Stuart (47) PROPERTY TYPE Lodge restoration with extension BEDROOMS 6 (one used as a study) BATHROOMS 5 SIZE 489sqm BUDGET £2.7 million PLOT COST £1.8 million ARCHITECT Simon Gill Architects (simongillarchitects.co.uk) A luxury home in south-west London has been forged from two unlikely buildings in an unconventional setting. One is a neo-gothic cemetery warden’s lodge, the other a multipurpose 1960s shed, and the pair sit side by side in a graveyard. Justin Maxwell Stuart decided to restore the dilapidated lodge and demolish the shed, replacing the latter with an ultra-modern extension and linking the two together. He even dug below ground to create more subterranean space, including room for a swimming pool.
Experimental eco build LOCATION Bletchley, Buckinghamshire GRAND DESIGNERS Andrew, 51, and Margretta, 48, Smith PROPERTY TYPE Self-heating house BEDROOMS 4 BATHROOMS 4 SIZE 285sqm (excluding courtyard) BUDGET £300,000 PLOT COST Inherited ARCHITECT Eco Design Consultants (ecodesignconsultants.co.uk), concept design, Ohomes (07879 695 987)
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This family home is the first of its kind in the UK. Constructed from poured concrete and surrounded by earth banks, it is designed to be self-heating. The soil dug out for the concrete slab foundation was redistributed on top of the building, with a layer of polystyrene and plastic sheeting as insulation and turf on top. The idea is that, during the summer, heat from the sun will be absorbed by the fabric of the building and transferred into the earth banks, then in colder months this stored heat will be drawn into the interior as it cools. It will take two years to tell whether the plan is a success.
TV SERIES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW
Backyard project LOCATION Sevenoaks, Kent GRAND DESIGNERS Greg, 30, and Georgie, 34, Whitaker PROPERTY TYPE Barn conversion BEDROOMS 4 BATHROOMS 4 SIZE 232sqm BUDGET £250,000 PLOT COST Gifted by Georgie’s parents ARCHITECT Kaner Olette Architects (kanerolette.co.uk)
Undeterred by serious health challenges, restrictive planning regulations and a tight budget, Greg and Georgie Whitaker turned a timber-clad barn in a field on Georgie’s family farm into their first home. The project demanded huge amounts of ingenuity, determination and hard graft, but the couple overcame all the odds to build a stylish home with plenty of eco-friendly features, while retaining reminders of the building’s agricultural past.
Historic renovation
WORDS ALICE WESTGATE, KAREN STYLIANIDES PHOTOGRAPHY JEFFERSON SMITH
LOCATION Liskeard, Cornwall GRAND DESIGNERS Leigh, 57, and Richard, 53, Woods PROPERTY TYPE Converted mill BEDROOMS 3 BATHROOMS 3 SIZE 200sqm BUDGET £250,000 PLOT COST £235,000 ARCHITECT Samantha Hamilton, Robert Rowett Architectural Services (robrowettarchitecturalservices.co.uk) Dynamic duo Leigh and Richard Woods moved from Derbyshire to Cornwall to undertake the renovation and conversion of a near-derelict 500-year-old flour mill that had been abandoned for six decades. Hoping to save most of the original woodwork, the couple had some difficult choices to make when the full extent of the timber damage was revealed. With their budget at risk, they found a way to turn this historic relic into a sensitively restored modern home. ● The new series of Grand Designs is on Channel 4 from January. Features on each of the TV houses will be published in Grand Designs magazine. All information correct at time of going to press
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 17
Hello Sunshine
Plan Studio Architecture Photography: Grafimar
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EXCLUSIVE COLUMN
Kevin
McCloud This month, our editor-at-large suggests taking time for spiritual reflection to combat the angst of moving home
T
he 1984 British film The Chain never really got the critical plaudits it deserved. Directed by Jack Gold and written by Jack Rosenthal, its stellar cast included Phyllis Logan, Nigel Hawthorne, Anna Massey, Billie Whitelaw and Leo McKern. It was criticised for its overly layered plot – a removal man, played by Warren Mitchell, muses on the seven deadly sins as he moves seven households in one day, all connected in a long chain of sale – but the film endures because of Rosenthal’s sharply observational script that, in retrospect, has turned The Chain into a document of 1980s mores. It is delightful and ambitious. Try and find it. Its central structure is a circular one, nicked from a French film, La Ronde. At the top of the chain sits the successful Leo McKern. Everyone else is moving up the property ladder except him. He’s decided he will go and live in the tiny home he first owned at the beginning of his career, the very home at the bottom of the same chain – which he, unaware, closes into a loop. For a film set in the early days of the 40-year property goldrush that’s seen us all come to treat our homes like investment portfolios, there are some enjoyable and predictable scenes as greed, lust and avarice consume the buyers and sellers. And the action is heightened by the extreme stresses of moving house: the angst of leaving, the fear of the unknown, the terror of it all having to happen on the same day.
If you’ve ever had to up sticks and move, you’ll be familiar with these anxieties. Moving house, even when it goes well, can be a deeply disturbing experience, shaking our confidence to its foundations, creating an atmosphere of rootlessness and mistrust. You can be moving to a neighbourhood you know well, it can all be faultlessly arranged and yet still the process will rock you to your core. Why is that? Environmental psychologists have the answer. They talk of ‘place attachment’ – the ways in which we make friends with where we choose
Moving house, even when it goes well, can be a deeply disturbing experience to live, put down roots over time and come to learn, take to heart and then embroider its stories to make them our own, even making our contribution to the stories of others in that place. The process helps us make sense of the world and encourages us to feel good about where we live and feel safe and happy there. We even do this collectively: by sharing that positivity with neighbours we all get to feel safe and happy. A huge amount of place attachment happens in the community, in a big loop that Rosenthal would recognise.
At some point in history – maybe four or five thousand years ago - just around the corner from your house, a tribe of settlers decided your part of the world seemed a safe place to set up camp. They found fresh water there, thought the ground was good for growing crops and discovered a plentiful supply of wild animals to kill and eat, with warm furry pelts from which to make underpants. Life seemed idyllic in this sweet place. So they foraged and planted, built huts and all agreed how pleasant life was as they put the bins out each night. Then one day a big pack of bears appeared on the rock above their smallholdings. They prowled and roared and everyone felt very threatened and frightened, knowing they had to leave this beautiful but now dangerous place and move on to find a new safe home, somewhere maybe closer to a school or mainline train station. Today the dangers no longer appear in animal form. Their fangs and claws are more insidious. Our world can be turned upside down by the threat of a wind farm, bypass or housing development. And these unknowns can be just as terrifying because they might destroy our place attachments. Any disruption to the delicate web of
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 19
EXCLUSIVE COLUMN
Packing up your home can make even the most emotionally stable mover feel like a terrified nomad
Graven Hill in Bicester that we’re filming for a follow-up series to Grand Designs: The Street. Her solution to the stress of moving is simple, she will do what she always does when the family change home. She goes to the new house a day or two beforehand prepared for an act of contemplation with a small statue of Ganesha – one of the most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon but who also has an important role in Jain and Buddhist faiths too. Ganesha is honoured at the start of any new venture because he is the Remover of Obstacles and the God of Beginnings. Simmi will begin her family’s new life in a new place with a spiritual moment. Our conversation made me realise that in our obsession with the material
– the here and now of completion with the solicitor, getting Wi-Fi up and running, and the packing and unpacking of thousands of things – we might have just lost touch with the one faculty that can really help defuse the appalling stress of moving. Whether we are trading up or down, accumulating more or letting go of stuff, whether we are going from one rental to another or self-building our lifetime home, we should all, I think, find the space and time to pause, reflect, meditate on the new beginning and even offer up a prayer in anticipation of an obstaclefree journey. You might ask Ganesha for help. Many British homes used to carry the generic motto Bless this House. If you’re not religious, you could simply write the words No Bears Here.
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
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Jaime and Mimi Fernandez made Dinton Castle, Buckinghamshire, their home
PHOTOGRAPHY ISTOCK, FIONA WALKER ARNOTT
socially reinforced good vibes about where we live can disinter a host of deep fears and suspicions. So when we move house, even though it may be entirely under our own volition, it’s as though the bears have arrived along with all the associated emotional chaos. Suddenly we’re uprooted, even if it’s just for one day – we are, once again, terrified nomads. You can feel a tiny bit reassured that when you next move home the overwhelming sense of grief, loss and fright is completely normal. To be expected. An inevitable fact to which I have always resigned myself. Until last week when I was talking to a doctor from Mumbai who’s about to move house. Simmi is one of the second generation self-builders at
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The extension has separate areas for cooking and eating, plus a play space for Rufus. The vibrant green cabinets contrast with the subtly marbled white quartz composite worksurfaces
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HOMES NORTH LONDON
Beautifully crafted A keen attention to detail has resulted in a renovation that turned a house into a family home WORDS ALICE WESTGATE PHOTOGR APHY JONATHAN GOOCH
IN BRIEF –
LOCATION North London TYPE OF PROPERTY Victorian terrace BEDROOMS 4 PROJECT STARTED October 2018 PROJECT FINISHED September 2019 SIZE 157sqm PROPERTY COST £1.06 million BUILD COST £450,000
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 23
HOMES NORTH LONDON
A
building project was always on the cards for Laura and Matt Grey. ‘We’ve always felt that a house never feels quite right unless we’ve worked on it ourselves,’ says Laura. The couple began looking for a property when they were expecting their son Rufus, now three. ‘Even though this house was dark and had low ceilings, it was well loved and we felt confident it could be adapted to suit us.’ Laura, 35, a creative director, and Matt, 36, who works in marketing, also spotted that the two neighbouring homes already had extensions – a useful precedent for planning – and that several houses nearby had mansard loft conversions, giving full-height rooms rather than being restricted beneath a sloping roofline. The property had a typical townhouse layout, with two living rooms on the ground floor, one at the front and another at the rear, and a narrow kitchen at the back that led to a rather poky downstairs loo. Upstairs were three bedrooms, though the third was effectively a corridor that led to the bathroom.
‘We’ve always felt that a house never feels quite right unless we’ve worked on it ourselves’ A friend who works in construction recommended Matt and Laura contact Paul Archer Design, a Londonbased architectural practice. Architect Richard Gill oversaw the project. ‘We liked his approach and we were impressed by the scale and style of the work he had done on several other homes in the area,’ says Matt. A particular attraction was the practice’s flair for bringing contemporary design into period houses. ‘Matt and Laura wanted a modern extension that would work well with the original Victorian features,’ says Richard. ‘It’s an old-meets-new look that we do pretty well.’ Plans for a simple loft conversion and kitchen extension soon turned into a more drastic remodelling, including rewiring and re-plumbing, and Richard devised three key design elements that were central to the scheme. The first was to dig out the floor of the new kitchen. ‘The extra height makes a huge difference when it comes to getting light into a space,’ says Richard. The second solved a problem caused by the garden being slightly wedge-shaped rather than rectangular. 24 JANUARY 2021 /
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ABOVE Sliding glass doors extend above the ceiling height to make the new kitchen-diner feel bigger. It was built on the footprint of the old kitchen and a strip of garden that ran alongside it. Rufus’s play area includes a wall-mounted TV tucked into a recess LEFT The built-in bench beside the dining table is upholstered in Linwood’s English Oak to complement the green kitchen
ABOVE In the living room, the couple reinstated original elements such as the cornices and window seat. Cupboards were installed in place of the chimney breast and fire
26 JANUARY 2021 /
MAGAZINE.COM
HOMES NORTH LONDON Instead of making the whole extension narrower to compensate for the inevitable pinch-point, Richard simply took a small bite out of one corner of the new room, avoiding a clash with the boundary wall and losing just a tiny amount of precious kitchen space in the process. His final suggestion was to move the wall between the two downstairs reception rooms to create a bigger living room at the front of the house and a utility room in the smaller, darker area behind it. ‘People with houses like ours often knock through and join these two rooms with an arch, but the bit at the back tends to become a dumping ground,’ says Laura. ‘Richard’s suggestion was brilliant as it makes a much bigger and brighter living room, gives us a downstairs loo and frees up kitchen space because the laundry happens elsewhere.’ Laura and Matt felt it was well worth increasing their original budget to bring these ideas to life. ‘At first we were a little naïve about the build costs, but as we looked at the scale of what needed to be done – and upped our spec in some areas – we accepted we needed to pay more,’ says Matt. Critically, all the design decisions were made before work began, so there were no nasty surprises. ‘We always put as
RIGHT On the stairs, a fabric-edged runner echoes the tones of the original planked floorboards, which were sanded and oiled to revive their natural colour
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 27
On the first floor, above the new kitchen, the family bathroom is a serene space with walls painted the same shade of off-white as the porcelain tiles
F L O O R PL A N S
BEDROOM LIVING ROOM BEDROOM
BEDROOM UTILITY
WC
KITCHEN STUDY BEDROOM BATHROOM DINING AREA
GARDEN
GROUND FLOOR
28 JANUARY 2021 /
FIRST FLOOR
MAGAZINE.COM
SECOND FLOOR
ABOVE The main bedroom is painted in Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball. To make sure the colour worked alongside their other choices, Laura and Matt made huge swatches from lengths of lining paper during the planning stages
HOMES NORTH LONDON
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 29
much detail on the drawings as possible,’ says Richard. ‘Nothing is left to chance, everything is considered.’ As a consequence of this careful approach the couple found themselves having to browse tiles and taps before any of the bathrooms existed. ‘It was really hard to chose things without knowing what the spaces looked like, but with hindsight it was invaluable. It saved time, avoided mistakes and stopped the decision-making process becoming too overwhelming,’ explains Matt. One of their most striking choices was the apple-green kitchen. Laura originally wanted green Shaker-style cupboards, but as the plans evolved, she felt it didn’t seem right to put something traditional in the most modern part of the house. ‘When the first panels were installed, I knew we’d done the right thing because they looked so vibrant. It’s such a light, happy room,’ she says The whole house, and especially the kitchen, was put to the test when Laura and Matt hosted their first Christmas for extended family. ‘We suddenly realised what all the hard work had been for,’ says Laura. 30 JANUARY 2021 /
MAGAZINE.COM
HOMES NORTH LONDON With its adjoining bathroom, the new attic bedroom was an obvious choice to become the guest room. The walls and joinery are all painted in Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 31
HOMES NORTH LONDON Laura and Matt dug out the garden so that the inside and outside spaces would be on the same level
S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Paul Archer Design (paularcherdesign.co.uk) Construction JBS Building (jbsbuilding.co.uk) Structural engineer Hardman Structural Engineers (hardmanengineers.com) Garden contractor Germinate Gardens (germinategardens.com) STRUCTURE Glazing Maxlight (maxlight.co.uk) Rooflight Vision AGI (visionagi.co.uk) Joinery Woodland (London) (020 8830 6442)
32 JANUARY 2021 /
FIXTURES & FITTINGS Kitchen design Paul Archer Design Kitchen worksurfaces Silestone (silestone.co.uk) Kitchen and bathroom tiles Mosa (mosa.com) Guest bathroom floor tiles Fired Earth (firedearth.com) Kitchen downlights Mr Resistor (mr-resistor.co.uk) Kitchen wall lights Wever & DucrĂŠ (weverducre.com) Paint Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com)
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Dining table light and guest room wall lights Pooky (pooky.com) LED ceiling light and living room floor lamp John Lewis (johnlewis.com) Bedroom radiators Stelrad (stelrad.com) Freestanding bath Wickes (wickes.co.uk) Family bathroom basin Duravit (duravit.co.uk) FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Dining table Habitat (habitat.co.uk)
Dining chairs Perch & Parrow (perchandparrow.com) Kitchen bench fabric Linwood (linwoodfabric.com) Framed prints Homefront Interiors (homefrontinteriors.co.uk) Bar stools Heals (heals.com) Living room rug West Elm (westelm.co.uk) Sofa Loaf (loaf.com) Hallway storage unit Wayfair (wayfair.co.uk)
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HOMES EAST SUSSEX
From on high One couple took on the top-to-bottom remodelling of their home and gave it a whole new outlook WORDS EMILY BROOKS PHOTOGR APHY BRUCE HEMMING
IN BRIEF –
LOCATION Lewes, East Sussex TYPE OF PROPERTY Detached house BEDROOMS 5 PROJECT STARTED May 2016 PROJECT COMPLETED March 2017 SIZE 255sqm HOUSE COST £780,000 BUILD COST £320,000
LEFT Zinc tiles clad the upper storeys of this 1970s-built house. The integrated garage became a utility room and study, and the entrance was moved to the single-storey side extension MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 35
A vintage chest of drawers stands at the far end of the entrance hallway. Its glass counter provides a glimpse of the top drawer’s contents
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HOMES EAST SUSSEX
O
nly one family had previously owned Patrick and Cressida Murray’s home since it was built in the 1970s. It had been loved and cared for, but was very much of its era. When the couple bought it in February 2014, they saw the potential to bring it up to date and, with the help of architect Ben Jones, the house is now zinc- and cedar-wrapped, and extended to the rear, side and into the loft. It’s 30 per cent bigger and has an impressive new top-floor bedroom, a spacious kitchen-diner and a terrace. With friends in the area, the couple were keen to live in Lewes, and taking on a big project was their best chance of being able to afford the kind of house they wanted. They’d renovated and extended a couple of properties before, but
nothing on this scale. ‘It was a pretty innocuous house. It wouldn’t exactly have leapt out at you,’ says Patrick. But it had an unusual, steeply pitched roof shape that they liked and felt was worth preserving. Patrick, 50 a technology CFO, and Cressida, 52, a photographer, found Ben via a local advert. As well as renovating and extending the house, the couple also wanted him to alter and improve the layout. ‘The kitchen and living room were upstairs, and access to the garden was through a balcony and down some stairs, or via a utility room on the ground floor. We wanted to move it downstairs,’ says Cressida. Ben also brought plenty of his own ideas, including moving the main entrance to the side of the building to improve the flow of the internal layout, and creating
ABOVE Floorspace was taken from the first floor for the atrium. The staircase is powder-coated steel with oak treads and handrail. Patrick made the scaffolding shelving himself
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 37
HOMES EAST SUSSEX
‘It was a pretty innocuous house,’ admits Patrick. ‘It wouldn’t exactly have leapt out at you’ a dramatic double-height entrance hall by taking some space from the first floor. Harriet Browne, who works at Ben’s practice, also contributed to the scheme, coming up with the idea of having a pantry leading off the open-plan kitchen. Planning permission went to committee, with some locals concerned about having the proposed contemporary front facade, with its zinc shingles and cedar cladding, in a conservation area of mainly Victorian houses. In the end, though, the committee sided with Patrick and Cressida and the plans were passed. The start of the build was delayed by a few months while the couple sorted out an issue with their bridge 38 JANUARY 2021 /
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financing – the regulations changed between getting it approved and actually having the money in the bank, which required a few more hoops to be jumped through. As experienced renovators, and because they were on a fixed budget, they took on some of the project management themselves. Their main contractor was in charge of sub-contracting the tradespeople, while Patrick and Cressida sourced most of the materials. With jobs to hold down and a family bereavement to cope with, it was a stressful period. They were responsible for making sure that materials arrived on schedule for the relevant trades. Particularly challenging was trying to time the work of the cladding installers, which they had sub-contracted themselves, around everything else. ‘Project-managing a build brings a lot of pressure, in particular when it comes to signing work off,’ says Patrick. ‘We still have a small leak issue in one of the flat roofs which stems from this, but we’re working to get it resolved.’ In March 2017 the couple and their daughters Ella, 18, and Libby, 16, moved in, but the work
ABOVE There are no wall cabinets in the kitchen. The decision to have only base units helps make the area look spacious RIGHT The walnut dining table is an inherited piece and has been paired with vintage chairs
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 39
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HOMES EAST SUSSEX
F L O O R PL A N S
BEDROOM
LOFT
BEDROOM BEDROOM
BATHROOM
BEDROOM
SECOND FLOOR
VOID
LOUNGE BATHROOM
FIRST FLOOR
DINING AREA
KITCHEN
LIVING AREA
LARDER SNUG
HALL
WC STUDY UTILITY
The atrium staircase leads to a bright first-floor living room, which has access to the extension’s roof terrace
GROUND FLOOR
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 41
was far from finished. With their main contractor busy on other jobs, a sub-contractor stepped in to help take things to completion. Though the steeply pitched roof remains, the zinc cladding at the front gives the house a more distinctive look, broken up by bigger windows and a new balcony. At the rear, it’s clad in cedar, and the ground-floor extension is a couple of steps lower than the original level – partly to create a broken-plan layout that delineates old and new, and also to give extra ceiling height. The first-floor living area can be partitioned off to create a guest bedroom, and on the floor above there are three bedrooms, with Patrick and Cressida’s domain in the newly converted loft. Besides the couple’s vintage furniture, some features were designed as a nod to the property’s 1970s roots, from the rattan hanging chair in the hallway to the cedar-clad ceiling in the kitchen. The family particularly enjoy the way the house captures the surrounding scenery. ‘We love the doubleaspect first-floor living room in summer, watching the sun go down – the light is very special,’ says Cressida. ‘And our bedroom has incredible views towards Hamsey and over the South Downs National Park. It feels like a privilege to live here.’
RIGHT Patrick and Cressida’s bedroom is on the top floor. Cressida was inspired by an image she’d seen of the late designer Alexander McQueen’s East Sussex home, which also had a bath under the window of an attic bedroom
LEFT A frameless glass screen adds a sense of spaciousness in the first-floor shower room. The black and white colour scheme is echoed in the attic en-suite bathroom
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HOMES EAST SUSSEX
‘Our bedroom has incredible views over the South Downs National Park’
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 43
HOMES EAST SUSSEX The extension spans the full width of the ground floor and includes a roof terrace. The zincclad fourth storey is the newly converted loft
S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Ben Jones Architects (benjonesarchitects.co.uk) Structural engineer Ings Engineering (ings-engineering.business.site) Contractor James Marshall (07387 797 595) Electrician New Generation Electrical Southern (07920 263 489) Plumbing TRP Heating (01273 056 531) Additional carpentry Scott Hyde Design and Joinery (07939 047 494) STRUCTURE Windows Project Glazing (projectglazing.co.uk)
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Rooflights Roofmaker (roof-maker.co.uk) Roof and cladding Kingsley (kingsleyroofing.co.uk) Staircases T Miles & Son (01273 492 921) FIXTURES & FITTINGS Kitchen Neptune (neptune.com) Bathroom sanitaryware Duravit (duravit.co.uk) Nickel bath William Holland (williamholland.com) Radiators Luxury Designer Bathrooms (luxurydesignerbathrooms.co.uk) Wooden flooring Source Wood Floors (sourcewoodfloors.co.uk) Tiles Topps Tiles (toppstiles.co.uk) Paint Johnstone’s (johnstonespaint.com)
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Lighting Ocean Lighting (oceanlighting.co.uk), Wickle (wickle.co.uk) Woodburning stove Ecosy (ecosystoves.co.uk) Front door Rawington (rawington.com) FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Vintage furniture Lovely & Co (lovelyandco.co.uk) Lot hanging chair Broste Copenhagen (brostecopenhagen.com) Photography Cressida Murray (cressidamurray.com) Artwork Carolyn Cox (carolyncoxstudio.com) Sofas Sofas & Stuff (sofasandstuff.com) Chairs John Lewis (johnlewis.com), Made (made.com)
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M U LT I - F U E L
HOMES EAST LONDON
IN BRIEF –
LOCATION East London TYPE OF PROPERTY Victorian terrace BEDROOMS 4 PROJECT STARTED 2016 PROJECT FINISHED 2018 SIZE 150sqm COST Approx £350,000
This sleek extension was designed to mirror the V-shaped roofline above. The brick party wall conceals the drainage and wiring
Edge of brilliance
A structural glass extension to this Victorian terrace has a weightless look that belies some clever engineering WORDS EMILY BROOKS PHOTOGR APHY REI MOON
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 47
The couple took on a complete upgrade, excavating the basement, adding a side return and renovating throughout he broken-plan layout of the Victorian terrace that Leigh-Anne Males, 45, a solicitor for a bank, and Gary Mitcalfe, 51, a digital communications director, bought a decade ago was something they were delighted to discover. ‘The house is built on half-levels and we liked the way the kitchen was separate from the TV room in the basement, but they were still close enough that you could shout down the stairs to one another,’ says Leigh-Anne. The couple moved to London from South Africa in 2006 and bought the property when their son Sam, now eleven, was a baby. With the arrival of their second son, James, eight, their living requirements started to
T
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change, and as the boys grew up they thought about how they might improve the house. ‘The kitchen was quite small, with just one set of French doors at the end, and the basement had the potential to become a fourth bedroom,’ Leigh-Anne explains. Once it got to the stage where the couple needed to start spending money on routine maintenance, they decided to take on a complete upgrade instead, excavating the basement, adding a side-return extension and replacing the windows, plus renovating and redecorating throughout. The split-level arrangement of rooms caused some head-scratching among the first architects they spoke to. The first-floor window facing on to the side return
HOMES EAST LONDON
F L O O R PL A N S
BEDROOM
BEDROOM LIVING ROOM
MUSIC ROOM BEDROOM KITCHEN
ABOVE The extension is supported by structural glass and a single white-painted column. The glass is solar-controlled to stop the room from overheating
DINING AREA
ABOVE RIGHT A brick party wall carries on into the garden to give a continuity of materials
BEDROOM
TERRACE
BASEMENT
GROUND FLOOR
FIRST FLOOR
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 49
LEFT Amrita designed an external void – essentially a tiny courtyard complete with pebbles and a potted shrub ABOVE A joiner made all the kitchen units, with oak detailing that is picked up in the rest of the house. The pendant light is Mimosa by Atelier Areti
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HOMES EAST LONDON
was much lower than in a standard layout, so an extension would have cut right through it. When the couple met Amrita Mahindroo of Droo - Da Costa Mahindroo Architects, they found someone with a more can-do attitude. ‘We just clicked with her,’ says Leigh-Anne. ‘The other architects were saying, “Oh, this is hard – are you sure you don’t want to leave it like it is?” Amrita was more like, “Hmm, maybe you could do it this way, or maybe you could do it that way.”’ The window problem was solved via a small external void, which serves as the tiniest of courtyards, furnished with pebbles and a shrub. The extension itself is an angled glass structure with a shape that points upwards mirroring the V-shaped roofline as its dips down. It extends into the garden in another V-shape, and has a weightless feel that hides some complex engineering. Structural glass and
a single column support the roof structure, while the brick boundary wall conceals the drainage, insulation, wiring and electrics, making everything look sleek and seamless. ‘The most transformative aspect is the way it breaks down the inside and outside space,’ says Gary. ‘Coming from South Africa, I’m used to wide-open spaces. All the places I’ve lived in here have felt claustrophobic. Now I really enjoy being in the kitchen with the huge amounts of glass.’ Underfloor heating has made a big difference, and what used to be a cold, poky space is now the centre of the home. A basement room was excavated and underpinned, with a full-size window added in the light well at the front of the house, and the upstairs former dining area is now a room for Gary’s beloved books and music. The family moved out during the build, financing it through re-mortgaging plus some savings. Amrita put MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 51
The living room shutters were restored to their former glory. New oak flooring was added when the original couldn’t be salvaged
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HOMES EAST LONDON LEFT Amrita added a full-size window at basement level to bring in more natural light BELOW RIGHT New joinery in oak makes great use of the alcove for built-in storage
the project out to tender, sourced a main contractor and looked after everything from the planning permission to the interior design, which features a lot of bespoke joinery, including the kitchen cabinets. ‘We would never have got this done if we’d managed the builders and made all the choices about the interiors,’ says Leigh-Anne. ‘Our jobs are demanding and we’re not that great at making decisions between the two of us. Amrita made the whole thing work.’ The extension is far beyond what the couple had imagined, but building something so original was stressful in itself, because it had no precedent: ‘Even though Amrita created computer-generated images to show us what it would look like, it still felt like we were taking a risk - although now it’s one we are glad we took,’ explains Leigh-Anne. She agrees with Gary that the new addition is now the highlight of their home. ‘It’s quite calming, you can look out and see trees and sky and birds – as well as the giant tower blocks, which are all a part of the picture of living in the East End of London,’ she says. ‘It’s an urban landscape and this house is our refuge in the middle of it.’ MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 53
HOMES EAST LONDON
S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Droo – Da Costa Mahindroo Architects (drooprojects.com) Structural engineer Parmarbrook (parmarbrook.com) Main contractor Tetra Building (tetrabuilding.com) Joinery Szubert Carpentry (07792 930 249) Landscaping Catriona Caldwell Studio (catrionacaldwellstudio.com) STRUCTURE Extension glazing Cantifix (cantifix.co.uk) Bespoke double-glazed windows and staircases Tetra Building
ABOVE RIGHT In the family bathroom, an oak frame surrounds the window with mirrors inset on either side and room to display toiletries ABOVE The downstairs shower room replaced a scullery. A wallmounted vanity unit makes the area look bigger 54 JANUARY 2021 /
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FIXTURES & FITTINGS Custom kitchen joinery Szubert Carpentry Bathroom wall and floor tiles Imola Ceramica (imolaceramica.com) Sanitaryware Duravit (duravit.co.uk) Taps Grohe (grohe.co.uk) Appliances Miele (miele.co.uk) Solid oak joinery detailing, engineered oak floors and stairs Havwoods (havwoods.co.uk) Paint Dulux (dulux.co.uk), Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com) FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Kitchen island pendant Atelier Areti (atelierareti.com) Dining chairs Vitra (vitra.com) Day bed Carl Hansen & Søn (carlhansen.com) Bar stools Made.com (made.com)
HOMES NORWAY
The cabin and its annexe make clever use of a modest footprint, with the latter extending down into the gully beneath
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WORDS NAME HERE PHOTOGRAPHY NAME HERE
John relaxes beside the woodburning stove with its soapstone panels. The cabin’s main heating is supplied by an underfloor hot water system
Above it all Nestled into Norway’s rugged coastline, this rustic, timber-built home was inspired by the epic landscape in which it stands WORDS PAUL CATTERMOLE/A DESIGN FEATURES PHOTOGR APHY LISE BJELL AND/A DESIGN FEATURES
WORDS NAME HERE PHOTOGRAPHY NAME HERE
IN BRIEF –
LOCATION Dalane, Rogaland, Norway TYPE OF PROPERTY New-build with annexe BEDROOMS 4 PROJECT STARTED May 2017 PROJECT FINISHED April 2018 SIZE 100sqm BUILD COST £3,500 per sqm
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 57
The two-part property was inspired by the low mountains rising between the site and the sea
Clad in silvery Siberian larch planks, the house is almost lost among the surrounding crags
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HOMES NORWAY
F
ormed and shaped by the retreating glaciers of the last ice age, the rugged coast of south Rogaland in Norway offers a dramatic getaway for the city dwellers of Sandnes and Stavanger. It was this rock-strewn landscape that appealed to John Arve Lunde and his wife Gunn Bjørg Wee Lunde when they were looking for a plot to build a holiday home for three generations of their family. The project took eight years to complete, with the couple’s patient approach echoed in their career choices. John, 58, is a senior pastor and family therapist, while Gunn, 56, works as an education coach for young adults. It was their shared links to school and church that led them to the site and their architect Bryon Murdock in the first place. ‘The plot came to our attention because
we have a connection to a church in the area,’ explains Gunn. ‘We got to know the farmer who owned the land and already knew Bryon because he was the architect who designed the Christian school run by our church.’ Bryon’s minimal barn-style design is a response to the landscape. First sketched from the backseat of John and Gunn’s car during a site visit, the two-part property was inspired by the low mountains rising between the site and the sea. The precise positioning of the main cabin and guest annexe was calculated so that the front windows of each wing frame separate sea views either side of the peaks, with further vistas on show through the long lines of glazed folding doors down each side of the cabin. ‘The site level for the main foundation was extended towards the annexe, but only to provide
Floor-to-ceiling glazing brings light into every corner of the living space, framing views out to the North Sea
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 59
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HOMES NORWAY
LEFT This doubleheight kitchen, dining and living room is the heart of the house. In good weather, sliding back the bi-fold doors opens up the space to the terrace ABOVE The dark anthracite doors of the Ikea kitchen units complement the powder-coated window frames
a terrace,’ Bryon explains. ‘Otherwise there was minimal manipulation of the ground.’ From every angle the architecture responds to the land, most ingeniously through the two-storey annexe that takes advantage of a natural gully to double the amount of space for guests. ‘Municipal planning codes focus on a building’s footprint, so adding a second floor within the same area did not cause them any concern,’ says Bryon. The couple bought the site in 2010, but it took another six years for them to gather the funds needed for the build, which included some money they inherited. During this time John and Gunn refined the design, so that work progressed steadily once the green light was given. ‘In 2016 we hired someone to excavate the ground and lay the foundations,’ explains John. ‘In May 2017 we started the build. We were very involved in the whole process from the start and I took a three-month sabbatical to oversee the MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 61
ABOVE John and Gunn’s bedroom is at the rear of the cabin and has a side window facing due east to receive the morning light. The colourful throw comes from a trip to Nepal
62 JANUARY 2021 /
project through the spring and early summer. Then every week through the autumn and winter we went to join in with the construction. Eleven months later the project was finished and we celebrated Easter there.’ Aside from the steel beam and column used to support the roof ridge, the rest of the cabin is made of timber and clad with silvery Siberian larch planks. Treated with iron sulphate, the cladding extends to the roof, so that it appears to merge with surrounding crags. The cool tones of the larch are in direct contrast to the warmth of the Norwegian oak inside. ‘Gunn has always loved wood, so we discussed with Byron and our contractor what the best choice would be,’ says John. ‘We picked up the oak from a local sawmill near Stavanger and drove it to the cabin.’ It is used on the MAGAZINE.COM
walls and ceilings, with concealed strip lighting helping to highlight the rich grain and colour. The open-plan kitchen and living space is given an airy, church-like quality by its full-height glazing. In summer, the bi-fold doors can be opened to bring the terrace into the living space. The cabin and its annexe are used by the couple, their four sons and their grandchildren all year around. But the weather changes constantly – and dramatically – sometimes in just a few minutes, hence why they called it Berglyd. ‘It’s an old Viking name,’ Gunn explains. ‘Berg means mountain and Lyd means sound but also shelter – a shelter between the mountains. It’s so quiet, so peaceful, and yet also energetic. We can be safe inside and close to the elements at the same time.’
HOMES NORWAY
ABOVE RIGHT An open staircase with oiled oak treads leads up behind the kitchen wall to two loft bedrooms RIGHT Bespoke solid oak furniture continues the timber theme in the main bedroom’s en-suite bathroom
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 63
HOMES NORWAY
RIGHT Like the main cabin in miniature, the upper floor of the annexe contains a chapel-like living room with full-height glazing BELOW In the guest bedroom a headboard made of Norwegian oak offers privacy for using the shower or washbasin behind
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This sheltered terrace between the two buildings offers protected access to the annexe
F L O O R PL A N S
LIVING ROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM
BEDROOM BEDROOM
GROUND FLOOR KITCHEN
DINING AREA
VOID
LIVING AREA
FIRST FLOOR
SECOND FLOOR
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 65
HOMES NORWAY
ABOVE Views of the lake and the North Sea from the annexe. The road up to the cabin has a steep gradient of almost 20 per cent
66 JANUARY 2021 /
S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Bryon Christopher Murdock, Aros Arkitekter (aros.no) Main contractor and structural engineer Grude Bygg (grudebygg.no)
Internal cladding and panelling Riska Sagbruk (riskasag.no) Windows and folding doors Vindu Skredderen (vinduskredderen.no) Floors Egeland Gulv (egelandgulv.no)
STRUCTURE Plumbing Selebø Rørservice (selebo-rorservice.rorkjop.no) External cladding and roof Moelven (moelven.com)
FIXTURES & FITTINGS Kitchen Ikea (ikea.com)
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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Dining table and coffee table legs
Hairpin Legs (hairpinlegs.com) Pendant lampshades and bedside lamps Lampe Guru (lampeguru.no) Wall lamps Grupa Products (grupa.com) Woodburning stove Scan Stoves (scan-stoves.co.uk) CH25 easy chair Fjørn (fjorn.com) Anglepoise lamps Grupa Products Wash basin Selebø Rørservice Shower cubicle Béton Ciré (betoncire.no) Metal chair Ikea
As award winning architects and designers we aspire to create extraordinary buildings and spaces for our clients, sometimes from the most difficult of design briefs. Central to our philosophy is that good design should reflect the needs of our clients and respond to the surrounding environment. Pushing the boundaries of design we are able to achieve timeless, highly innovative and sustainable projects. We offer a complete design service from initial advice through to the completion of your project. We complete works all over the UK and internationally with construction budgets from ÂŁ250,000. Please take a look around our website and email us or call with your new project enquiry for a free consultation. Tye Architects t: 01525 406677 e: nicolas@tyearchitects.com w: www.tyearchitects.com
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Making a virtue of simplicity, this four-bedroom self-build in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, cost just £1,000 per sqm. Turn to page 79 for more
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PROJECTS
Renovation diary: part 16
Beautiful homes on a budget
A buyer’s guide to MVHR
Inspiring exterior upgrades
75
79
87
94
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 73
ADVERTISING PROMOTION
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are machined through the frame rather than added on afterwards for a more secure hinge. This attention to detail at every stage of the process ensures that the company’s bespoke windows and doors are durable and attractive. Let light flood through your home with floor-to-ceiling windows, which can be used both internally and externally. Or, if you’d like to link inside and out, chose from Fabco’s range of French doors, opening up your home to the garden and making the most of the space. Other internal options include bespoke screens, sliding doors and shower screens. Whichever product you choose, Fabco Sanctuary’s doors and windows will become a stylish, contemporary feature in your home. All Fabco Sanctuary’s products are installed by the company, ensuring the highest levels of quality control from start to finish.
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TOP Fabco Sanctuary’s steel-framed windows and doors maximise the light flow into a room ABOVE Bespoke French doors open up the interior to the garden, increasing the sense of space ● For more information, visit fabcosanctuary.com or call 01903 718 808
PROJECTS RENOVATION DIARY
Reena and Matt’s Stûv 21/95 inset stove is integrated into an external wall in the living area
Time to get hyggelig
WORDS NAME HERE PHOTOGRAPHY NAME HERE
Preparations are made to install an important feature of the open-plan living space
Reena Simon, 37, interior stylist and blogger (hyggeforhome.com), lives in Cardiff with her husband Matt, 41, and their three young daughters. Follow the family’s progress each month as they convert a 1960s bungalow into a two-storey home
It is finally getting cosy, or hyggelig as the Danish and Norwegians say, in the house. Progress on the interior fittings has continued in a stop-start way and, as I mentioned last month, the focus has been on finishing our open-plan living space. One of the main design features of the room is the woodburning stove. Matt and I spent months – actually more like the best part of a year – trying to decide whether to have a freestanding or inset model. In the end we chose an inset design. This type of stove is ideal
for self-builds, and especially when there is a need to save space. The seating area within the room is not particularly big, measuring around 4.5x4m, so we didn’t want to eat into the floorspace. A hole was cut into a wall for the stove to sit in, which saved approximately 200mm and is worth doing if you have an existing wall you can use, or something to consider if you’re building from scratch. Deciding to do this gave us a chimney breast depth of around 500mm. MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 75
PROJECTS RENOVATION DIARY
As regular readers will know, I love the pared-back look of Scandinavian architecture and interior design, so the stove we chose has simple, elegant lines that suit our scheme perfectly. It creates a focal point for the room and includes storage beneath the platform it sits on. Although Matt and I went for a space-saving installation, the stove itself is quite substantial. The room has a double-height ceiling, and on the advice of the supplier we calculated that the space would benefit from a generous heat output, so we went for a model that generates up to 18kW. Our house is very well insulated so we won’t need to run the stove other than on very
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The stove we chose has simple, elegant lines that suit our scheme perfectly cold days, but when we do it has an efficiency rating of 78 per cent, with its door shut. It also meets the new emission regulations that will come into effect in the UK in 2022. When the fire is lit, the generous viewing window is really dramatic, but my favourite feature is that the glass
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door slides up into the wall so we can enjoy an open fire effect for extra cosiness once in a while. The installation was completed by several teams working in sequence. Our builders made the hole in the wall, which took a day, and then two stove installers fitted the main unit and the flue. Fixing the flue on the exterior of the house took up the majority of this installation time, but even so the stove was done in a day. We paid extra to have the flue powder-coated in black so that it brings extra character to the exterior. Before they left, the installers lit a fire and showed us how to do it using the ‘top-down’ lighting method, which makes the process much easier.
BELOW A lighting designer friend created this mock-up so Reena and Matt could see if a large inset stove would work in context RIGHT The stove stands on blockwork with space for the air intake underneath
RENOVATION PROJECT PLANNING GUIDE
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FINDING A PLOT OR RUNDOWN PROPERTY Search via land and property websites, contact local estate agents and get on the mailing lists for upcoming property auctions.
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SEEK PLANNING PERMISSION It’s required before you start any work, apart from changes completed under permitteddevelopment rules.
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SET A BUDGET AND HIRE YOUR TEAM Work out a budget and then secure funds as a priority. Seek recommendations for architects and builders. Visit their completed projects.
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PHOTOGRAPHY MARIE PALBOM
PROJECT TEAM Architect Downs Merrifield Architects (downsmerrifield.com) Builder REG Construction (regconstruction.co.uk) Concrete floor Premier Concrete Design (premierconcretedesign.co.uk) Electrics Liam Broad Electrical (07948 834 166) Interior architecture Alex Nikjoo (nikjoo.co.uk) Kitchen Devol (devolkitchens.co.uk) Landscape architect Victoria Wade Landscape Architecture (victoriawade.co.uk) Lighting Nicholas Merchent, Home Lighting & Design (hldstudio.com) Planning consultant LRM Planning (lrmplanning.com) Plaster Vale Venetian (valevenetian.com) Staircase Ad Hoc Designs (adhocdesigns.co.uk) Flooring Waxed Floors (waxedfloors.co.uk) Woodburner Topstak (topstak.co.uk)
In short, the usual process is inverted by placing the biggest logs at the bottom of the stack, then the middle-sized ones, followed by the smaller pieces of wood and lastly the starter block under the smallest kindling right at the top (there are step-by-step guides on YouTube). The installers likened the stacking of the logs to the game Jenga. It was a special moment when the stove was lit, as it’s an aspect of the project we’ve been really looking forward to. It was then over to our build team, who spent four days constructing the
REENA’S RENOVATION TIP There are several interesting options for a chimney breast wall finish other than paint. Take a look at Venetian plaster, lime wash and microcement.
chimney breast and a shelf that wraps around the stove. It’s a multifunctional piece of built-in furniture which, at 640mm wide, is big enough to sit on. The fireplace area is now waiting for an off-white Venetian plaster wall finish. This tactile surface will complement the plaster-effect painted walls in the rest of the room. I can’t wait to show you the big reveal next month. In the meantime, Matt and I will be installing the kitchen worksurfaces and shelving as we push closer to completion.
MANAGE THE PROJECT Give your team a clear brief for the build. Set a schedule of works and make sure that the legally binding construction contract is ready.
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MAKE REGULAR INSPECTIONS Visit the site to ensure that everything is in order and the work is progressing as planned. Address any issues as they arise.
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SIGN OFF THE PROJECT Take a tour of the finished work with your build team and note down any snags that need to be corrected before signing off on the renovation project.
● Next month: Getting ready for the final sign-off
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10 Innovative selfbuilds, renovations and extensions achieved with an eye on budget WORDS JAYNE DOWLE
Stunning low-cost projects Setting out to build or renovate an affordable home is a challenge that can result in immense benefits. Self-builders can make savings by project managing or undertaking the work themselves. Renovators and those extending their homes often find worthwhile compromises when selecting materials, fixtures and fittings, a process made easier by the input of a skilled architect who’s committed to reducing costs. Employing innovative building techniques and the imaginative upcycling of existing structures can create the foundations for a project that ends up being rewarding in more ways than one.
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ADAPT AND REUSE An unfinished newbuild in the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, East Sussex, has been completed and remodelled into a four-bedroom home, which includes an annexe reconfigured from the garage with a kitchen, games area, bedroom and shower room. The total build cost was £425,000 for the 202sqm project, or £2,103 per sqm. To keep the price low, Rob Pollard, a director at RX Architects, decided to work with the existing
foundations and ground-floor external loadbearing walls. A new first-floor steel structure was added – it cantilevers over the ground-floor walls to create the bedrooms and two bathrooms. ‘The design increased and improved the interior space and layout, while maximising the light and views over the reserve to the sea,’ says Rob. Reusing the partially built structure, rather than demolishing it, also reduced waste and disruption to the habitat. (rxarchitects.com)
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PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE
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MATERIAL SELECTION
Architect Tal Ben-Amar of Pilbrow & Partners asked a joiner to create bespoke cupboards for the new kitchen and garden room he added to his family home in north London. The 8.3sqm extension and kitchen cost £110,000, and was part of a wider refurbishment including a new bathroom, at a total cost of £120,000. The joinery helped to offset the price of the room’s extensive glazing. ‘The original room was narrow, poorly insulated and almost always dark,’ says Tal. The new extension is a timber structure with an external brick wall liner – an economical solution that reduced the load on the foundations. ‘Another helping hand was a friendly agreement with the neighbours who were happy for a joint party wall rather than individual party walls,’ Tal adds. (pilbrowandpartners.com)
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HANDS-ON SOLUTION By project-managing
the build and doing much of the work themselves, Gareth Boyd of 2020 Architects and his wife Lindsey made savings on their eco-friendly home in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. ‘We even charred, brushed and sealed the cedar shingles covering the superinsulated timber frame,’ says Gareth. By focussing on an open-plan design and keeping circulation spaces to a minimum, they were able to incorporate four
bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living/ kitchen area with walk-in pantry, utility room and snug all within 160sqm, keeping the budget within their target of £160,000, or £1,000 per sqm. At just under an acre, their plot cost £40,000. ‘We’d wanted to build our own home for a while and when we sold our last house, it gave us the opportunity to start looking at sites,’ says Gareth. ‘Our budget was limited, so it didn’t present us with a lot of options, but we found one close to where we work and very rural, which is what we were looking for.’ (2020architects.co.uk)
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VAT-SAVING OPTION When the owners of a Victorian terrace in Balham, south London, had children, they were faced with a choice – sell up and buy somewhere bigger or extend. But Adams + Collingwood Architects suggested an alternative idea: staying put and rebuilding the house. They demolished the couple’s home and rebuilt it for less than £500,000, or £2,800 per sqm. The split-level plan includes four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, utility room, storage space and a kitchen/dining room that opens out onto the garden. The project combined high-end finishes with durable, family-friendly surfaces. Marble bathroom tiles are teamed with practical wall finishes including hardwearing and washable intelligent paint, and there are CNC-cut bubble-pattern ash plywood dividers on the feature staircase. According to Rob Adams, architectural director at Adams + Collingwood, taking advantage of the VAT savings available to new-build projects saved the family more than £100,000 in comparison to the cost of refurbishing and extending the house. (adamscollingwood.com)
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BUDGET MONITOR Television presenter Craig Rowe loved his two-bedroomed ex-local authority flat in Southwark, south London, despite its compact proportions. With a budget of £120,000, or £1,750 per sqm, Alexander Owen Architecture (aoarchitecture.co.uk) took on a complete renovation to make the most of the 68sqm home. The flat was replumbed and rewired, the kitchen reconfigured, and all the cabinets and appliances replaced, as was the bathroom. The
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open-plan living room, created by knocking down the wall between a separate kitchen and living room, was divided with a sliding screen made from slatted oak by Create Bespoke (createbespokebeauty.co.uk). The ground floor was set to be covered in microscreed concrete, but keeping an eye on the budget, Craig decided to go for less expensive rubber flooring instead. Tiles from Topps Tiles (toppstiles.co.uk) continued this budget-friendly approach.
PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE
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MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY Value engineering came to the fore to achieve the £500,000 build budget and energy-efficient design of this seven-bedroom Passivhaus home and annexe near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. James Burton, director at Swann Edwards Architecture, used simple forms and detailing to reflect the surrounding fen landscape. This allowed the owners, Christine Young and her late husband Frank, to manage and undertake a lot of work themselves, reducing their expenditure to £1,150 per sqm.
Built under Paragraph 55 (now Paragraph 79) planning rules, on a rural plot which cost £130,000, Far View Barn is a flexible, future-proofed home. It has superinsulation, high levels of airtightness, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) and twin-stud timber frame construction as well as high-mass concrete floors. ‘Our approach was to ensure internal environmental conditions and comfort with minimal energy use,’ explains James. Far View Barn costs virtually nothing to run and generates an income from rental and feed-in tariffs. (swannedwards.co.uk)
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PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE
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STRUCTURAL SIMPLICITY
Clad in KME Tecu Gold copper cladding (kme.com), this distinctive extension is part of the refurbishment of a three-bedroom Victorian terraced home in Tottenham, north London, that cost around £80,000, or £2,075 per sqm. It was designed by James Dale Architects (jamesdalearchitects.com) for Nigel Tyler and David Newton. ‘An existing extension added a room to the rear of the house, but as it hadn’t been integrated with the rest of the home it was underused,’ says James. The cost of its 11.5sqm blockwork replacement was kept low by minimising structural alterations. ‘I avoided extending into the side return or going full width across the rear of the property, as well as selecting cost-effective materials for the interior,’ says James. The floor is oak-engineered parquet, bought at a discount, the cabinets are Ikea with doors made by the contractor and the aluminium-framed windows came from a local supplier. Planning permission was required due to the cladding.
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SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Tony and Vanessa Hales (tonyandnesshales.com) built their own stunning Paragraph 55/79 family home in East Harling, Norfolk, for less than £1,000 per sqm. They worked with architect Ian Hunter (hunterarchitects.co.uk) to design a four-bedroom house with an open-plan living room, dining room and kitchen, plus a gym and home office. The house was built to meet Code 6 demands (an old government standard for zero-carbon homes) so it is highly energy-efficient.
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To show what was possible on a tight budget, the couple spent just under £300,000 on the project. They sold their former home, a bungalow, and used the equity to build their new house in the back garden. Using Polarwall ICF (insulated concrete form) cost the same as block and brick, but the concrete creates an airtight structure, allowing for the curved design. They also saved money by doing 95 per cent of the work themselves, thanks to a roofing course they took and Tony training in the use of microcement.
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WISE INVESTMENTS
Angus and Emily Grierson live in a three-bedroom Victorian terraced house in Finsbury Park, north London. The couple, who have two children, wanted a kitchen with access to the garden that would become a hub for their family. ‘We extended the galley kitchen by the width of the house, out into the garden and side return,’ says Angus. The result, measuring 19sqm, required planning permission.
Architects from Build Team helped manage the costs, advising the couple to spend more on the visible items and find cheaper alternatives to other products. They chose reasonably priced metal-framed sliding doors from Steel Window Service (steelwindows.co.uk) for £11,000 and found a cost-effective kitchen cabinet supplier, allowing them to invest in the doors, handles and worksurfaces. The project cost £90,000 in total including fixtures and fittings. (buildteam.co.uk)
PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD CHIVERS, PETER COOK, @THEHOUSEINTHEHOLLOW, JIM STEPHENSON, PETER LANDERS, KIFF PHOTOGRAPHY, JAMES WHITAKER/WHITAKER STUDIO, VANESSA HALES, ROBIN BELL, MEGAN REDDEN
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STREAMLINED APPROACH Built in just
six months for £205,000, Salmen House stands resplendent in pink at the end of a terrace in Plaistow, east London. It was designed by architect Office S&M (officesandm.com) in collaboration with property developer Isla Kennedy of My Property and Home (mypropertyandhome.co.uk) as a low-cost build-to-rent home, and is currently occupied by young professionals. Behind the striking green front door is a triple-height staircase which draws the eye upwards to a skylight. Hugh McEwen and Catrina Stewart, founding partners at Office S&M, worked closely with an engineer to keep structural elements to a minimum, instead emphasising the generous ceiling heights, which reach up to 4m in the three bedrooms, light and circulation space. Streamlined fixtures and fittings and a simple single-skin blockwork structure helped the build costs to come in at £2,356 per sqm. MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 85
ADVERTISING PROMOTION
LET IT FLOW Keep your home well ventilated and warm with a Blauberg MVHR system The latest building methods ensure that our homes are insulated to a high standard. This is great for retaining heat and making properties more energyefficient, but in doing so it traps stale air. In poorly ventilated buildings the air can become stuffy and even unhealthy for the occupants. Without a suitable filtration system, the only solution is to open the windows, wasting precious energy in the process. A mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system (MVHR) from Blauberg could be the answer. MVHR units work by drawing out polluted air from bathrooms and kitchens, and supplying fresh air to the rest of the home. As the old air is extracted, the heat is transferred to the incoming air. 86 JANUARY 2021 /
Although MVHR units come with an initial cost, they offer huge advantages over traditional gas central heating systems, including a typical 30 per cent reduction in energy usage. Within just a few years, this saving could cover the cost of the unit, while offering homeowners the opportunity to contribute to a greener, healthier environment. Having an MVHR unit also means that no radiators are required throughout the house, improving the layout. Blauberg’s expert technical advisors can create and design a bespoke system to suit your property, whether domestic or commercial, big or small. Please get in touch and let us provide you with the solution you’ve been looking for.
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TOP A Blauberg MVHR unit (1) uses a heat exchanger (2) to transfer the warmth from stale extracted air to fresh incoming air (3) ABOVE MVHR removes the need for separate ventilation systems, creating sleeker, more energy-efficient interiors ● For more information, visit blauberg.co.uk or call 0116 298 6861
PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE
FOCUS ON
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery Whether you’re self-building or renovating, there are important factors to consider when specifying MVHR, from installation to maintenance
ILLUSTRATION ENVIROVENT
WORDS REBECCA FOSTER
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 87
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PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE
WHAT IS IT AND HOW DOES IT WORK? Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) is an air-conditioning system that circulates warm, fresh, filtered air around the home. Filters in the main unit remove particles so that the circulating air is free from pollutants. Usually installed in a loft, basement or plant room, the air-handling unit is the hub of the system. It is connected to a series of ducts that are attached to extraction and supply points. Stale air is drawn out of each room at the extraction point, passed through a run of ducting to a heat exchanger and expelled outside. The extracted warmth is transferred via the heat exchanger to fresh air that flows through a separate run of ducting into the rooms.
INTAKE FRESH AIR EXHAUST STALE AIR
EXTRACT WARM STALE AIR
SUPPLY WARM FRESH AIR
IS IT RIGHT FOR MY PROJECT? MVHR should be installed in a well-insulated, airtight home where warmth isn’t going to leak out via the building fabric. Installation is more straightforward in a self-build, where it can be designed into the plans from the start, but it is possible to incorporate the system into a renovation. Homes with open fireplaces are not suitable as the air bricks that supply air to the fire make the spaces too draughty.
ILLUSTRATION TOTAL HOME ENVIRONMENT
MVHR should be installed in a wellinsulated, airtight home where warmth isn’t going to leak out
This modern new-build replaced a 1970s infill house. Designed to Passivhaus principles and highly insulated, it required an effective form of ventilation, so the architect specified an MVHR system from Service Vent (servicevent.co.uk). Project by Paul Archer Design (paularcherdesign.co.uk)
‘When you walk into a home with wellfunctioning MVHR, you feel the freshness and warmth in the air,’ says Patrick Chester, project manager and Passivhaus consultant at Enhabit (enhabit.uk.com). ‘The airflow is constant but low, so the system is nearsilent and ensures there’s no build-up of excess humidity, carbon dioxide or toxins from gas appliances.’ Filters also remove potentially harmful particles from the incoming air. ‘The filters remove pollution and airborne allergens, such as pollen, which can be beneficial for allergy sufferers,’ says Larry Soper, technical training manager at Envirovent (envirovent.com). MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 89
PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE
ABOUT INSTALLATION
The rigid, spiral-bound steel ducting has been left exposed in some areas of this Passivhaus. Project by Tectonics Architects (tectonics-architects.com)
SPECIFYING YOUR SYSTEM There are several things to bear in mind when choosing MHVR. ‘The highest quality units are able to recover 96 per cent of the heat, while the poorest recover 70 per cent or less,’ explains Patrick. Selecting a model that runs quietly is very important. This aspect of performance is measured in decibels (dBA), with lower numbers indicating a lower noise level. Most main units operate at about 40-45 dBA, similar to a fridge freezer, but this doesn’t matter so much as the unit is usually installed away from living spaces. Check the noise level of the air valves in each room too. They should be less than 25 dBA. Take a close look at the controls and what they provide. ‘Are they easy to use? Is wireless functionality available? Are humidity and temperature monitored automatically?’ says Patrick. Check that there is a F7 pollen filter for the fresh-air intake, especially if anyone in your home suffers from asthma or allergies. Some units only have a G4 sponge filter, which keeps insects, hairs, large pollen spores and dust out. The F7 blocks smaller pollen spores, dust, bacteria and some smoke/oil fumes. If you want to zap everything, though, an electrostatic filter is even better. The unit itself should be well insulated. ‘It’s no good having a model with a great heat
exchanger if the recycled warmth gets lost through the unit’s skin,’ says Clarissa Youden, associate director at Total Home Environment (totalhome.co.uk). ‘Check that there is about 30mm thermal and acoustic insulation to the inside of the unit on the specification sheet.’ You should also consider an automatic summer bypass – in warmer months the heat from the outgoing air will not be recycled, but you’ll still get a fresh incoming flow. ‘With the UK’s erratic weather, having a modular bypass that automatically opens in specific increments when the temperature changes is a must,’ says Clarissa. ‘But manual ones can be inconvenient.’ There are many variables that will affect the final cost of a system, from the size of your home to the type of ducts used. ‘A good-quality MVHR, including the ducting, insulation and the controller, costs anywhere between £2,500 and £7,000,’ says Clarissa. Installation is likely to cost upwards of £2,500, depending on the complexity of the project. Before placing an order, check the guarantee your manufacturer is offering in case anything goes wrong with the system. Guarantees for the whole set-up will typically cover you for between two and seven years, depending on the supplier and whether you have opted into a maintenance scheme.
Whatever kind of project you are undertaking, MVHR should be factored into the design at the start. ‘The ducting must be installed within the fabric of the building, so it needs to be considered as early as possible,’ says Lucy Holland, marketing executive at Airflow (airflow.com). ‘When the duct paths are already planned and prepared for, it saves time during installation.’ Long, straight runs of ducting provide a better channel for efficient airflow, so try and avoid bends where possible. MVHR can be installed once the house is wind- and watertight and the stud walls are up. Ideally, ducting should be fitted before first-fix plumbing and electrics. ‘The time it takes to install the system depends on the set-up,’ says Lucy. ‘For example, Airflex Pro semi-rigid radial ducting systems are up to 70 per cent quicker to install than a rigid branch set-up in a comparable four-bed house.’ Ducts are installed first, and any that run through unheated voids should be insulated. ‘The air-handling unit is installed at the finish, once the internal doors have been hung,’ says Lucy. ‘In line with regulations, internal doors must have a clear gap beneath to allow air to move around the house.’ MVHR should adhere to Parts F and L of Building Regulations, which cover ventilation and conservation of power. ‘You may also need to be mindful of Part E (resistance to sound), Part B (fire safety) and Part C (resistance to contaminants and moisture),’ explains Lucy.
For efficient air flow, this Paul Novus 300 MVHR features rigid steel ducting. Green Building Store (greenbuildingstore.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 91
PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE
As part of the renovation and extension of this house in north London, the thermal envelope was upgraded to establish a well-insulated, airtight shell. Project by Rise Design Studio (risedesignstudio.co.uk)
HOW TO RETROFIT MVHR Installation tips from Tom Heywood, MVHR design manager at Green Building Store (greenbuildingstore.co.uk), ● Sometimes finding space for
ducting runs in retrofits can be a challenge, but it’s usually possible to find a way. Where space is at a premium ducting may need to be hidden away in bulkheads or false ceiling voids if there are no other options. Alternatively, you might like the look of visible steel ductwork. ● Where possible, we always
prefer to use rigid, spiral-wound steel ducting, which offers a more robust, airtight and durable specification. Occasionally in tight, tricky retrofit projects, we use semi-rigid systems, which offer a bit more flexibility and are easier to fit in. ● The ideal location for an MVHR
OPERATING COSTS These can vary substantially depending on the size of the property and the number of rooms. ‘A well-installed system will recover more energy than it uses, with typical running costs of £40 to £80 per year,’ says Larry Soper. MVHR recovers as much as 80 per cent of the heat extracted from the house and will potentially reduce your annual heating costs as a result. Plus you won’t need to install separate extractor fans and hoods in your bathrooms and kitchen. Your home will still require a separate heating system, but MVHR will ensure it runs as efficiently as possible by recovering energy that would normally be lost via other means of ventilation.
MAINTENANCE ISSUES
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● Consider where the intake and
exhaust grilles will be positioned. A gable wall, if possible, will be cheaper, easier and more efficient than having to go through the roof using roof terminals. ● If the unit is in a cold loft, think
about insulating the ductwork. This element of the system must be installed below the insulation level and within the thermal envelope to prevent condensation problems. The heat exchanger from a Zehnder MVHR (zehnder.co.uk) transfers warmth from the outgoing air into the incoming air, keeping it in the house and improving energy efficiency. Green Building Store or that the system is experiencing a high level of resistance,’ explains Larry. Some products such as Envirovent’s Energisava 200 and 250 units come with an app so that you can monitor the status of the unit, adjust the airflow rates and get notifications when the filters need changing.
● For smaller homes, MVHR units
can be quite compact. Where space is limited, the unit can be mounted on the ceiling.
PHOTOGRAPHY NICK GUTTERIDGE, ANDY STAGG, EDMUND SUMNER
The vents where air comes in or out, particularly the extract valves, are prone to collecting dust and should be wiped down regularly. You’ll need to clean the external grilles periodically too. A professional service is recommended every six years so the system can be deep-cleaned. Filters should be cleaned or changed every three months to a year, depending on local environmental conditions. A home near a busy road will need its filters cleaned more regularly than one in the countryside where there’s less pollution. ‘Always isolate the unit when changing the filters – the best systems have a dead man’s switch inside to automatically turn off the fans while they’re being serviced,’ says Lucy. ‘As well as a safety precaution, this prevents the unit from sucking dirty air through the heat exchanger while the filters are out and clogging it up.’ Tell-tale signs that your MVHR is not working properly include evidence of condensation and mould growth. If the system is noisy, that may also indicate an issue. ‘It’s possible that the filters may be blocked and require changing,
unit would be in a utility/plant room on the north side of the building close to an external wall. But sometimes, especially for retrofit projects, the only space available to locate the unit is in the loft. I’m not a big fan of this solution, but if there are no other options, create a decent access route to the unit such as a hatch with a ladder and walkway or floorboards for when filter changes are required.
Outward transformation Inventive design can turn an uninspiring home exterior into an eye-catching façade WORDS CAROLINE RODRIGUES
Take a critical look at your home from the street. With any luck it just needs sprucing up, but at the other extreme a home that’s stuck in a time warp could be reinvented with a new façade. Some are easier to remodel than others. ‘Detached 1960s boxy houses have fantastic potential as they can go modern or traditional,’ says Alexandra Hull, managing director at Back to Front Exterior Design. 94 JANUARY 2021 /
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ABOVE A double-height extension clad in Siberian larch is linked to a 1930s house in Darley Abbey, Derby, by black fibre cement boards, which carry over to the bay window. Simon Foote Architects designed the £250,000 project for blogger/stylist Katy Wilson and family (placefortyeight.com). It includes a rear extension. (simonfootearchitects.co.uk)
PROJECTS EXTERIOR UPGRADES
Watch the budget Though an extreme makeover can be more cost-effective than knocking down and starting again, tread with care. ‘Change too much and there does come a tipping point,’ cautions Alexandra. ‘A good remodelling project uses the existing bones of the property and works with the shape.’ As a rough guide, she suggests costs of £800 to £1,000 plus VAT per sqm for refurbishing the existing building and £2,000 plus VAT for any extensions. ‘A quality new-build can range from £2,000 to £2,500 per sqm, so even after the VAT saving new-builds will often cost more,’ she says.
Seeking permission Check with your local council and at planningportal.co.uk to see whether you’ll need planning permission. Smaller works such as altering windows and doors can often be done under permitted development (PD), unless you’re in a conservation area or an area with other restrictions. ‘New cladding and rendering would require planning permission and can also, depending on the amount used, trigger Building Regulations, due to improving the thermal efficiency of the property,’ says Alexandra. Front-facing extensions and garages can be contentious. ‘To get a feel for the likelihood of planning approval see whether there is a distinct building line on your street and whether your property sits in front or behind it,’ she says.
ABOVE With a canopy at the front, silicone render, stone slips, cedar cladding, black aluminium cladding, and aluminium windows and doors, this house in Mirfield, Kirklees, West Yorkshire, has come a long way from its 1930s origins. Transform Architects took on the £275,000 project, which included two extensions and a bedroom. (transformarchitects.co.uk)
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Which cover up? Found on traditional homes, lime render is breathable and more flexible than cement. Modern renders include polymers, acrylic and silicone to enhance the performance, and come in a range of colours so they don’t need painting. They must be compatible with the surface and carefully applied to avoid moisture getting in. When applied onto battens with
a breathable membrane between or using a specialist fixing system, cladding can transform an exterior. Timber boards can be used vertically, horizontally or in the form of shingles or shakes. Weatherboarding alternatives include the modified timber Kebony (kebony.com) and easy-care fibre cement planks, which can be through-coloured or painted. Consider brick, stone and metal cladding too.
ABOVE As experienced self-builders, the owners of this 1940s four-bedroom detached house in Bedford, Bedfordshire, relished the challenge of an extreme makeover. Tony Holt Design replaced extensions either side of the house and rebuilt the front wall with a gable. Finishes include Weber Monocouche Chalk White render, Tier stone cladding and Tata Steel Colorcoat Urban cladding. The project, which added a bedroom, cost ÂŁ420,000. (tonyholt-design.co.uk)
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PROJECTS EXTERIOR UPGRADES
LEFT 2020 Architects proposed an impressive revamp to this sixbedroom 1970s house. It features board-marked, shuttered concrete, Tricoya dark-grey cladding, full-height glazing facing the garden and an overhang with sedum covering for shelter and to reduce solar gain. (2020architects.co.uk)
Front and centre It is possible to add a small porch to most homes without planning permission as long as it is more than 2m from the road, less than 3m in height and less than 3sqm in area. ‘Think very carefully about the design to ensure that it suits the house, rather than designing the porch in a way that avoids the need for planning permission,’ says Nigel Lewis, designer, Space & Style Home Design (spaceandstyle.co.uk). ‘A porch with a maximum height of 3m could result in a roof that looks squashed, and working within the 3sqm external area is likely to create a cramped feeling internally once the thickness of walls has been taken into account.’
It is possible to add a small porch to most homes without planning permission – with a few exceptions Make an entrance Having a front door that stands out from its neighbours will enhance your home. For a terraced street with a particular style of Victorian or Edwardian door, a replacement in a similar style or an upgrade with a lick of paint and new letter plate and knocker is the best bet. But for contemporary or individual properties, the trend is for doors without intricate mouldings that are extra-wide and flanked by glass panels, often within a new porch. Find examples at Urban Front (urbanfront.com).
ABOVE Living Space Architects retained the width of the pitched brick gable of a three-bedroom 1970s bungalow in Lympstone, Devon. It was replaced with a rectangular box gable and projecting terrace, with an outside porch and repositioned front door beneath. The project cost £246,000. (livingspacearchitects.com)
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A good outlook
Converting the garage
When replacing front windows, try to match the architecture and period of your home. With a complete revamp, changing window proportions is easy if the replacement is narrower and can sit beneath an existing lintel. Increasing the width of openings is more complicated. ‘A replacement lintel needs to be inserted into the wall, but if carried out well it will be a seamless alteration,’ says Nigel. Planning permission is generally not required for changing the window proportions.
Taking advantage of an integrated, attached or detached garage is a great way to increase living space and give your home a new look. You may have to up the insulation levels and adjust the floor level to match the rest of the ground floor. Check with the council planning department before proceeding whether change of use is permitted, and whether adding windows or altering the external appearance requires planning permission.
ABOVE The owners of this 1960s detached four-bedroom house in Rowland’s Castle, Hampshire, lived in it for a few years before remodelling it. Resized windows, fibre cement cladding and slate roofs lend it a smart, modern look. The project by Back to Front Exterior Design Consultancy cost £350,000. (backtofrontexteriordesign.com) 98 JANUARY 2021 /
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PROJECTS EXTERIOR UPGRADES
LEFT Transforming the front of a detached 1970s house in Collingtree Village, Northamptonshire, was challenging due to a visually dominant catslide roof. Leaf Architecture enveloped it into a two-storey front extension, also adding a large, glazed gable entrance and a two-storey rear extension. Dark concrete roof tiles, white render and cedar cladding were selected to suit the character of the street. The project cost £250,000-£300,000. (leaf-architecture.co.uk)
Parking permit Before turning the front garden into a parking area seek advice from the local council. A driveway won’t need planning permission if it is made from permeable material, allowing water to soak away, but there are some restrictions. You’ll also need permission to drop the kerb. Allow at least 3m width for a drive, and more for bigger cars. Steel carports, available as a kit which can be installed in a couple of days, come with various options for leg supports – try Nucrete (nucrete.co.uk). If money is no object and space allows, you could even include a car lift.
A driveway won’t need planning permission if it is made from permeable material, allowing water to soak away
RIGHT Roderick James Architects took on a 1920s four-bedroom detached house near Ottery St Mary, Devon, extending and renovating it. The original rendered building, now insulated and clad in untreated sawn larch, has a new pitched roof and links to a slate-hung extension. A wraparound oak-frame veranda ties it all together. The project cost £300,000. (roderick jamesarchitects.com) MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 99
PROJECTS EXTERIOR UPGRADES
Landscaping ideas Whether railings, a brick or stone wall, or a picket fence, the choice of material to mark the boundary between your home and the street should be guided by the local vernacular. If the front garden is big, it’s worth employing a landscaping expert to enhance it with ideas for hard surfacing and planting. Check they’re accredited with the Association of Professional Landscapers (landscaper.org.uk), the British Association of Landscape Industries (bali.org.uk), or the Society of Garden Designers (sgd.org.uk).
CHARGING AHEAD Advice on installing an electric car charger from James McKemey, head of insights at Pod Point (pod-point.com) ● There are two types of car
AC sockets, Type 1 and (more common) Type 2. The option is then a charger with a tethered cable or with a universal socket that any electric car can plug into with a separate cable. Tethered units are more convenient, but only work with one connector type while universal sockets are neater when not in use. ● Though most drivers choose
a 7kW charger for the faster charging speed, not having sufficient capacity to operate a 7kW home charger is quite common, in which case a 3.7kW charger may be installed. chargers with load balancing that monitor your home’s electrical consumption and ensure it never exceeds a safe level. This means 7kW units can be installed in most homes. ● A reputable provider should
offer a warranty on the chargepoint and installation. Take a look at your electricity tariff once you understand how your usage has changed to ensure you’re getting a good deal. You may need to notify your DNO (Distribution Network Operator), but your chargepoint provider should help with this. ● Installation is like having
minor building works. An installer must run a cable from the power supply (usually where your electricity meter is) to where the chargepoint is to be installed, and attach the chargepoint in that location. Between the two the cabling must be secured. ● The nearer the chargepoint to
the available supply, the easier and cheaper the installation. The orientation of your car and its socket position must be considered, as well as ensuring the cable does not foul a path or public right of way. ABOVE Space & Style Home Design extended a small pre-war bungalow in Fareham, Hampshire, up and outwards for £230,000 and it now has three bedrooms. Big gables, an open porch, a widened entrance, cladding and self-coloured render give the building a New England look. Window and door openings were adjusted to suit the new design.
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● The Olev Grant, specifically
the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS), provides up to £350 off the cost of buying and installing a home charging point.
PHOTOGRAPHY MATTHEW JONES, PAUL LEACH, BROWNHILL PHOTOGRAPHY, BACK TO FRONT EXTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTANCY, JO STEVENS, LEAF ARCHITECTURE, KILIAN HALL, LOVE AND LIFE STUDIO
● Some providers offer
Traditional & Contemporary Paving
01978 710685 | www.westminsterstone.com
KITCHENS &
BATHROOMS
Edition 90 IP44 mirror with heating and adjustable light colour, W1,200xH700xD56mm, £1,966.40, ceramic washbasin, £1,257, side unit with drawer, £2,150.28, side unit with double drawer, £2,273.40, single-lever basin mixer, £626.64, Keuco (keuco.com). For more bathroom lighting ideas turn to page 125
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SOURCING SUPPLIERS
MEMBER
FOR YOUR DREAM HOME? The National Custom & Self Build Association campaigns to remove the barriers to more people in the UK building their own home. Look out for the NaCSBA stamp and be assured that you’ll be working with a company you can trust.
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A FULL LIST OF MEMBERS CAN BE FOUND AT:
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KITCHEN UPGRADE
Sustainable living The latest quartz surfaces from Silestone contain at least 20 per cent recycled materials and a maximum of 50 per cent silica. The Loft Series has five designs including Poblenou, pictured, a warm grey with a sandy background. From £450 per sqm. (cosentino.com/silestone)
Along the right lines Inspired by the linear forms of 20th-century architecture, Bert & May’s Modernist Collection features grids and lines for a simple, graphic style. Measuring 20x20cm, the four tile designs can be used on their own or combined to create bespoke patterns, and are suitable for indoor or outdoor use. Available in monochrome, soft pink and pale blue, £180 per sqm. (bertandmay.com)
Character pieces Attingham is a new addition to Tedd Todd’s Crafted Textures engineered timber flooring collection. Designed to replicate time-worn reclaimed or antique floors, it is hand-made from 20mm European oak, with a 6mm wear layer, and available as extra-wide 220mm planks or L360xW90xD20mm blocks. The surface is planed and distressed for an aged appearance, and it’s compatible with underfloor heating. £110.34 per sqm. (tedtodd.co.uk)
Extraction point The 120cm Levante island extractor by Falmec is now available in a smart graphite satin-glass finish, as well as black or white glass. Features include a remotecontrolled lift system so the hood can be raised or lowered as needed. From £3,600. (falmec.uk)
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KITCHEN UPGR ADE
High achiever Designer Sebastian Herkner’s elegantly simple 118 chair for Thonet is now available as a comfortable bar stool. The new 118 H bar chair, in natural or stained beech, comes with a wickerwork, upholstered or moulded plywood seat and measures 65 or 75cm in height. From £485. (thonet.de)
Standalone style Online retailer Cox & Cox has launched two freestanding kitchen ranges, with a larder unit, island and wine cabinet in each. Lotte is made of pine with a washed-paint effect, while the solid wood Mette has dark blue-grey painted exteriors with dove-grey interiors. The pieces are delivered fully assembled. Mette six-drawer larder cabinet with three solid shelves, H220xW122xD54cm, £2,295. (coxandcox.co.uk)
Modern collectible Monoware is a new UK-based tableware brand offering a collection of ceramics for everyday use. Defined by simple forms and a natural colour palette, the high-quality, durable stoneware is made in Portugal. Prices start from £15. (monoware.com)
Designed by Martin Steininger, Fold is a unique kitchen concept crafted from tombac, a brass alloy. Inspired by origami, this sculptural island conceals plenty of functionality. The sink, drawers and moveable surfaces sit flush when not in use, and the hob cover becomes a table when extended. It’s also available in black, patinised stainless steel. £POA. (steininger-designers.com)
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WORDS PAULA WOODS
Bending the rules
25 - 27 MAY 2021
The UK’s leading independent design festival returns in 2021 for three days of unmissable events, inspiring content and leading brands in London’s creative heart.
Register for free at clerkenwelldesignweek.com @clerkenwelldesignweek Clerkenwell.Design.Week @CDWFestival #CDW2021
PROJECTS KITCHENS
Added benefits Extending can provide a better layout, space for a dining area and a connection with the outdoors WORDS PAUL A WOODS
A question of size Unless your home is in a conservation area or is listed, extending may be achievable under permitted development (PD). A detached house can be extended by up to 8m and a terraced or semi-detached property by 6m, but check with your local authority if you have any concerns before drawing up plans. A new 12.8sqm addition to the back of this family home provided room for a more spacious kitchen and better outdoor access. Approx ÂŁ222,000, MW Architects (mwarchitects.co.uk)
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Ensure compliance
Lateral thinking
Create definition
Extending into a side return makes use of the awkward space between the house and the boundary. It’s usually enough room to reconfigure the layout and add a dining area, but a party wall agreement may be required. A side return extension into a redundant alley brings light into this reconfigured terrace. £300,000, Rise Design Studio (risedesignstudio.co.uk)
Using claddings such as natural or modified timber, stone, metal sheet or tiles, or composites is a great way to define a new addition to your home. This side and rear timber extension has been clad in red cedar, which has been left untreated to allow for natural silvering. Approx £93,500, Francesco Pierazzi Architects (fparchitects.london)
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PHOTOGRAPHY ALEXANDER JAMES
When planning permission is required, appoint an architect or planning consultant who is aware of what is acceptable to your local authority and is best placed to present your case. ‘Looking at what work has been done close by gives an indication whether similar plans will be approved,’ says Matt Baker, designer at Harvey Jones (harveyjones.com). Permission was required for this addition that involved extending into a side passage, moving the back wall of the house into the garden, and dropping the floor level to create a 9.6x5.6m room. £120,000, MWAI (mwai.co.uk)
PROJECTS KITCHENS
Great proportions A wraparound extension combines a rear and side addition to create an L-shaped space that encircles the home. This format always requires planning permission, but gives a generously proportioned layout. Southwark Council granted planning permission for this timber-framed flat and pitched roof design, ÂŁ68,600, Plus Rooms (plusrooms.co.uk)
A workable space Establish dedicated areas for cooking, dining and seating. Keep the busy food preparation spaces away from high-traffic walkways. Bespoke Fascination kitchen in Farrow & Ball Down Pipe with Belgian black limestone worktop, from ÂŁ30,000, Mowlem & Co (mowlemandco.com)
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Overhead glazing Enjoy a greater sense of space as well as bringing plenty of light into key areas of the room by incorporating one or more rooflights into your plan. Eye-catching glass lanterns are a traditional option for a period home. Bespoke New Classic kitchen in Ink and Grey Linen, from ÂŁ35,000, Martin Moore (martinmoore.com) 114 JANUARY 2021 /
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PHOTOGRAPHY ANNA STATHAKI INTERIOR DESIGN PORTMAN STUDIO
PROJECTS KITCHENS
Making connections
Indoors out
A new addition needs to work with existing rooms, so where necessary reconfigure layouts to establish links between old and new. Co-ordinated architectural details, floor levels and materials all help to create a harmonious scheme. SystemKA kitchen in Mocha Oak with stone worksurfaces, from £35,000, Kitchen Architecture (kitchenarchitecture.co.uk)
Structural glazing can be used to form a wall of glass between the house and garden. Sliding doors with slim frames ensure minimal interruption of the view, while bi-folding designs stack back against the wall to provide open access to a terrace. Glass wall extension with Bulthaup b1 furniture in Alpine white laminate and grey structured oak, from £50,000, Kitchen Architecture (kitchenarchitecture.co.uk)
Seeing double
Land grab
If budget and local planning allow, consider a two-storey design. Twice the height does not mean twice the price, as foundations and roof are already factored in to the overall project cost. A second-storey floating timber pod supported by structural beams forms a dramatic centrepiece within this ground-floor kitchen extension. Project by Proctor & Shaw, around £1,300 per sqm (proctorandshaw.com)
Pushing out into the garden may be the easiest route, but take care not to over-develop the outdoor space. The result must not exceed 50 per cent of the garden size under PD. In-frame Shaker cabinets in Blakeney Channel, from £21,000, Naked Kitchens (nakedkitchens.com). Project by George Evennett (georgeevennett.co.uk) and Gatti Construction (gatticonstruction.co.uk), approx £2,500 per sqm MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 115
Consolidate storage
Structural gains
A glazed wall reduces the number of places cabinets can go. Compensate with tall cupboards and larder units that exploit the vertical space, or plan for a separate pantry. Plywood and laminate cabinets in Coldharbour Grey with recessed handles in London Plane, from £15,000, Pluck (pluck.kitchen). Refurbishment and extension project by Ewan Graham Design, £172,200 (ewangrahamdesign.co.uk)
All extension projects, including those carried out under PD, must adhere to Building Regulations. An open-plan layout creates a workable space and tends to be more budget-friendly, as the more complex the structure and shape, the greater the cost. This open-plan, two-storey rear extension includes the Linear Edge kitchen, from £20,000, Harvey Jones (harveyjones.com)
Joinery skills Built-in seating is a space-saving option for the dining area, or opt for a bench or two to slide under the table when not in use. Extensive refurbishment of a Victorian townhouse including rear extension with bespoke banquet, dining table and bench, £1,917 per sqm, De Rosee Sa (deroseesa.com) 116 JANUARY 2021 /
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PROJECTS KITCHENS
Divide and rule An island or peninsula shields the cooking zone from social areas. It can also serve to establish a working triangle – sink, cooker and fridge – in open-plan layouts. Allow at least a metre of empty floorspace all around the unit for ease of movement. Bespoke kitchen, from £45,000, Blakes London (blakeslondon.com)
PLAN FOR SUCCESS Advice on getting things right from James and Robbie Bernard, directors of design-and-build company Plus Rooms (plusrooms.co.uk) ● There are two main routes
to building a kitchen extension. Employing a design-and-build company to prepare plans and undertake all the works, or hiring an architect to draw up plans from which you can then obtain construction quotes. Beware of quotes that lack detail as this leaves scope for unexpected costs and future disagreements. ● A design-and-build company
should provide full project costings. An architect will provide a cost for the design work – so make sure you
have a clear understanding of the likely build costs upfront. ● Before signing off plans for
submission to the local authority, pay attention to internal heights and structural elements, which are not always clear on plan, but have a significant impact on the final space. ● Works completed under PD may
not need approval, but a Certificate of Lawfulness will give peace of mind and avoid costly mistakes. ● It takes eight weeks to determine
a planning or PD application, so use
this time to deal with things like party wall agreements, soil, tree and drainage surveys. ● This is also the time to start
thinking about interiors, as making plans early on can avoid rushed decisions on site. Many kitchens also come with lead times, so planning ahead helps ensure essential services are in the right place. ● Construction times depend on the
size and complexity of a project, but you should allow a minimum of eight weeks, plus six weeks for decoration, and floors and kitchen installation. If
you intend to stay on site, it’s worth setting up a temporary kitchen. ● If there is no side access to the property, make sure that any landscaping is carried out once the building work is finished, but before any internal finishes. ● Kitchen installation will be
the last thing to take place and should be followed by a snagging inspection. This is a walk-through of the extension with the contractor to identify any minor faults or errors, so that they can be resolved as quickly as possible. MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 117
High hopes Thoughtful design has resulted in a spacious kitchen with a light and open aspect WORDS PAUL A WOODS PHOTOGR APHY PETE L ANDERS
P R O J EC T PROFILE –
LOCATION North London STYLE OF PROPERTY Victorian terrace DURATION OF BUILD 6 months SIZE 27sqm COST £175,000, fit-out £20,000
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PROJECTS CASE STUDY
LEFT Exposed structural elements and robust materials are an integral part of the design. Poured concrete surfaces, £5,000, The Plaster Collective (theplaster collective.com) RIGHT The island incorporates areas for eating, storage and food prep. Painted kitchen cabinets, £11,000, The Shaker Workshop (theshaker workshop.com) David and Rebecca Taylor bought their home intending to extend the ground and second floors. The work was underway when their contractor left the project, so they asked architectural and design practice Russian For Fish (russianforfish.com) for help. ‘Friends recommended it to us, so we spent time with architect Pereen d’Avoine and asked her to take it on. She managed the project, planning and contractors,’ says Rebecca. Pereen secured revised planning permission for a wraparound extension, and the additional work needed to rebuild an outrigger. It was deemed structurally unsound for a dormer extension that was to be completed under permitted development. The plan was to increase the number of bedrooms from two to four, and for the extended ground floor to include a new kitchen and dining area. David, 37, and Rebecca, 38, are tall, so the height of the space was both an aesthetic and practical consideration. Logistically this proved Pereen’s biggest
challenge. ‘Building an offset-pitch roof at such scale, without compromising on size and openness, is structurally complicated,’ she explains. Russian For Fish was able to engineer the structure so that the principal support comes from a single column, ensuring the room is spacious and open. This is emphasised by the glazed timber roof and full-height metal-frame glazing panels and doors. From ample storage to a multipurpose island, the couple had a clear idea what they required. ‘We wanted a pared-back scheme incorporating natural materials,’ says Rebecca. Dark blue painted in-frame Shaker cabinets are teamed with concrete worksurfaces and floors, timber furniture and shelves. The blue and neutral palette has been given a subtle twist thanks to Pereen. ‘Without her encouragement we wouldn’t have thought of the pale pink painted wall that defines the dining area,’ says Rebecca. ‘It adds a subtle finishing touch to our beautiful kitchen.’
ABOVE The zinc-clad wraparound extension features bespoke steel windows and doors, £12,000, Fabco (fabcosanctuary.com)
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Trusted by the best bathroom brands
ukbathrooms.com
BESPOKE ARCHITECTURAL GLAZING
01842 766807 www.ppsug.ltd
B AT H R O O M E D I T
Free form Roca’s Modo is a collection of baths and basins crafted from Surfex, a new solid surface material made of minerals and resins that can be seamlessly formed into customisable shapes. Durable and easy to clean, this soft matt surface is anti-slip and comes in a pure white finish. Priced from £5,234.90 for a L1,800xW800mm tub. (uk.roca.com)
Brilliant ideas Houseof is an online store founded by Helen White and Michael Jones, who have a passion for design-led lighting. Its contemporary fittings include the striking IP44-rated corner ball wall light, which can be used to illuminate a mirror but works equally well as a standalone piece. Measuring W55xH70xD12cm, it is available in brass or charcoal and costs £120. (houseof.com)
A perfect partnership
Trough love Kiruna from Aston Matthews is a W600xD470xH140mm basin reminiscent of industrial trough-style designs. The ceramic glaze is fired for up to 26 hours for stain and scratch resistance and durability. It comes with the option of one or three tap holes, and costs £304. (astonmatthews.co.uk)
Luxury bathroom retailer Fired Earth and tile specialist Bert & May have joined forces to produce a decorative collection of reimagined designs from Bert & May’s archive of reclaimed tiles. Bolonia tiles in navy or blush, 20x20cm, £175 per sqm, available from Bert & May (bertandmay.com) and Fired Earth (firedearth.com).
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B AT H R O OM E D I T
Keep it simple The distinctive Tara brassware and accessories range from Dornbracht has four new finishes – matte white, matte black and two subtle shades of grey. Tara single-hole basin mixer with raised base without pop-up waste, £1,085.64. (dornbracht.com)
Straight and narrow The Grate collection, designed by Norm Architects for Spanish brand Inbani, uses a repeating linear relief pattern to define a range of modular cabinets. You can also choose from co-ordinating integrated or countertop basins, and baths. Two units with drawer in Bronzed Wild oak, four-legged frame in Brushed Graphite aluminium, top and Arc washbasin in Pietra Grey marble, £POA, West One Bathrooms (westonebathrooms.com).
Outside chance Bathroom manufacturer BC Designs has introduced Omnia, its first solid surface bath that can be handpainted to order. Stain and scratch resistant, the bath measures L1,615xW760xD510mm and can be painted in any exterior eggshell paint. A colour-matching service is also available. Priced from £2,940. (bcdesigns.co.uk)
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PROJECTS BATHROOMS
Lit to perfection Well-planned lighting will enhance your bathroom, making it beautiful to look at and easy to use WORDS PAUL A WOODS
Just an illusion Concealed accent lighting adds atmosphere by casting a glow across walls, floors, countertops and basins. Fit discreet LED strips under wall-mounted cabinets or a vanity unit to create the impression that the fixtures are floating. Back-lit mirrors give a similarly luxurious look. John Pawson by Cocoon basin mixer, from £459, freestanding bath spout, from £1,473, CP Hart (cphart.co.uk). For similar LED strips, Lumo IP66 Flexible Strip lighting, from £29.66 per m, Sensio (sensio.co.uk)
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Working in harmony Incorporate layers of light from different sources working together. Task lighting is required for specific functions, ambient lighting provides background illumination, and accent fittings highlight particular features. Hiring a lighting designer can help ensure a perfectly balanced scheme. Zirconia IP44 pendant, £137.28, Aria IP44 round diffused LED mirror, Dia500xD30mm, with infrared sensor and demister pad, £246.18, Acorn IP55 round glass shower lights, £43.75, Nimbus IP67 LED plinth light, £54.90 for six, Erin IP44 single LED tube wall light, £64.70, Sensio
Adjust to suit
Get a clear view
Use separate circuits and controls for task, accent and ambient fittings. ‘This lets you fill the room with light or draw attention to certain areas,’ says interior designer Catherine Wilman (catherinewilman.com). Dimmer switches allow for adjustments. Narrow Box IP44 dimmable wall light, in Weathered Brass, W130xH360mm, £525, Davey Lighting (originalbtc.com)
Good task lighting is essential when using a mirror for shaving or applying make-up. Wall lamps on either side give shadow-free illumination, or install an elongated fitting above. Cabus IP44 bathroom light, available in three sizes, with fluorescent lamp and solid metal front plate or optional cut-out, from £365, Christopher Wray (christopherwray.com)
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PROJECTS BATHROOMS
In the right place Wall lamps beside a mirror should be at eye level to ensure a uniform illumination across the face. Fittings rated less than IP44 will need to be at least 60cm away from a water source to conform to safety regulations. Nuura Liila IP20 mouth-blown opal or optic glass sphere on a minimal metal base, in Light Silver or Nordic Gold, available in two sizes, Dia16.5xD17cm and Dia24.5xD23cm, ÂŁ239, Viaduct (viaduct.co.uk)
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PROJECTS BATHROOMS
Statement piece Bring a decorative element to the room with a ceiling pendant or chandelier. Check the IP rating to see if a fitting is suitable, and make sure it’s made of moisture-resistant materials. Roll & Hill Agnes dimmable 10-light chandelier, L107xW91x H94cm, £18,804, SCP (scp.co.uk). Flote bath, £640, Vox basin, £249, Composed 1,400mm hinged shower door, £1,414, 760mm side panel ,£560, monobloc single-lever tap, £318, and bath filler with hand shower, £855, 1,400x760mm shower tray £341, Kohler (kohler.co.uk)
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Go low Strategically placed mood fittings are the secret to a striking scheme. Linear LEDs and plinth lights can draw the eye into the room, denote level changes or define specific areas or fixtures. House flexible strips in recessed profiles with a frosted cover to help diffuse any spotting or glare. Suite by Canny Design, with floor-level recessed LED strip lighting and Cabrits bath, £3,800, Victoria + Albert Baths (vandabaths.com)
Built-in benefits
Integrated options
Mirrors with integrated LEDs and touch controls are sleek and practical, giving an even light that eliminates shadows. Edition 90 IP44 mirror with heating and adjustable light colour, W1,200xD56xH700mm, £1,966.40, ceramic washbasin, £1,257, side unit with single drawer, £1,260.96, and glass cover plate, £297.96, single-lever basin mixer, £626.84, Keuco (keuco.com)
LEDs are low voltage and cool to the touch, making them ideal for use in cabinets and drawers. Many bathroom furniture ranges include the option of integrated fittings. For a retrofit solution, look for wired or rechargeable battery-operated options. Luna wall cabinets from £258 for a H80xW35cm model, optional built-in LED vertical interior lighting, £201, Dansani (dansani.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 129
Night vision A motion-activated sensor linked to a low-level lighting circuit or integrated within mirrors and sanitaryware comes on as you approach to provide a convenient nightlight for nocturnal visits. ‘It’s a practical solution if your kids can’t reach the switch or leave the lights on,’ says Ana Rezende, senior designer at Ripples (ripplesbathrooms.com). Geberit One wall-hung WC, £883.36, Duofresh flush plate with odour extraction, integrated LED orientation light and motion sensor, £384.30, W130xH100xD16cm mirror cabinet with touch-control lighting, £2,675.40, W120xD40xH13cm floating washbasin, £967.01, Geberit (geberit.co.uk)
Colour therapy
In the spotlight
Coloured light can be effective as long as it’s not overdone. Customised solutions allow for changes in intensity and hue at the touch of a button. For a multisensory experience, try showers that team hydrotherapy with colour-changing LEDs. Private Wellness Afilo 300x300mm built-in shower system with rainfall function, chromotherapy effect and remote control, £3,709.20, Gessi (gessi.com)
Accent fittings bring an extra dimension to a scheme and should work alongside ambient lighting. Recessed spot, strip and tape options make it easy to define specific features and create eye-catching effects within shelves or niches. Terra Round 28 IP65 integrated LED dimmable, brushed stainless steel lights, Dia28xD57mm, £47, Astro Lighting (astrolighting.com)
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For the details Adjustable task lights offer flexible and focused illumination for a variety of daily grooming routines. Extendable, jointed wall lamps may be all that is needed, but a supplementary wall-mounted magnifying mirror with integrated LED adds extra versatility. Mascali Round IP44 wall-mounted, adjustable LED magnifying mirror light, in polished chrome or matt nickel, Dia215mm, maximum projection 278mm, ÂŁ236, Astro Lighting
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Bright centrepiece Integrated LEDs under the rim or base of a bath give a theatrical look. Co-ordinated ranges may include matching basins, along with colour-changing and remote-control options. Knief & Co Shine freestanding bath in solid surface Kstone, L180xW80xH50cm, illuminated with built-in LEDs, £5,658, West One Bathrooms (westonebathrooms.com)
Super savers
Creating a scene
Versatile, energy-efficient LEDs have opened up bathroom design options. ‘They can last up to 15 years, so shouldn’t require changing very often,’ says Charlie Bowles, director at Original BTC (originalbtc.com). Bespoke guest bathroom with concealed, under-counter LED strip lighting, Catherine Wilman Interiors (catherinewilman.com)
Using light to focus on a particular area of the room will give a sense of depth to the scheme. Smart controls with pre-programmed settings are ideal for creating different scenarios that can be selected easily. Bespoke bathroom with recessed feature lighting on a separate circuit for independent in-shower illumination, from £8,000, Day True (daytrue.com)
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SAFETY FIRST Lighting tips from Paul Collins, technical services manager at the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (niceic.com) ● The installation of bathroom
lighting is covered by national wiring regulations BS 7671, and adherence is dependent on using the correct IP-rated lights within each of three specified bathroom lighting zones. ● An Ingress Protection or IP
Architectural ideas Fitted in the ceiling or floor, continuous linear LEDs and architectural wall washers illuminate vertical surfaces, providing ambient lighting with a soft, diffused glow that can be used to balance proportion, highlight structural features and add atmosphere. Bespoke Tadelekt bathroom with architectural LED lighting strips, Rise Design Studio (risedesignstudio.co.uk)
rating relates to how resistant the light fitting is to moisture – the higher the rating, the more watertight the fitting. ● Zone 0 covers the area inside a bath or shower tray. Lights must meet stringent requirements and only certain IPX7 fittings can be used. These may be listed as IP67. ● Zone 1 includes the area
directly above a bath or shower, up to 2.25m from the floor. Lights must be fixed, permanently connected, and require a minimum rating of IPX4, and IPX5 if exposed to water jets. These may be listed as IP44 or IP65. ● Zone 2 covers the area around
the basin or bath within 60cm. Again, lights require a minimum rating of IPX4 and may be listed as IP44 or IP65. ● Lights outside these areas do
not require any specific IP rating – although they should still be suitable for use in the bathroom. ● Wattage (W) specifies how
much power a lamp will consume. A higher wattage used to indicate a brighter lamp, but this is not the case with LEDs. You will still need to check fittings for maximum wattage capability as using a higher wattage bulb than recommended can cause damage and be a potential fire risk. ● Lumens (lm) measure a lamp’s
brightness. The higher the lumens, the brighter the lamp – always choose your LED lamps according to their lumens, not their watts. ● Kelvin (K) is a unit that
measures the temperature and hue of a bulb – the hotter the bulb, the higher the Kelvin and the brighter the light. Look to lower Kelvin bulbs if you want a yellow light, and higher Kelvin bulbs for a bluer light.
MAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2021 133
C A B E R
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PROFILE
MY GRAND IDEA –
Lizzie Fraher, design director of Fraher & Findlay, on extending a 1970s Walter Segal home and staying true to his principles
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a simplification of design and construction, and using readily available materials. By designing to a grid, as Segal intended, it was easier to reshuffle the spaces when relocating the front entrance. Only affordable, off-the-shelf materials were used, which minimised the need for specialist trades and made it easier for Taran and Celine to project manage the build. Segal’s ideas are still valuable and can be viewed as a guiding force for all self-builders – they have the power to make constructing a home more accessible.
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— Tell us more about the new addition It is a slim side extension that runs the depth of the house and provides a link with the garden via a new internal staircase. Though narrow – at some points it’s just 1.2m wide – it includes a double-height space, which helps the single-storey home feel bigger. It’s clad in black metal panels teamed with electric-blue aluminium-framed composite windows – the inverse colour combination of the house – and it has a green wildflower roof. — Were there any challenges to the build? The scheme was originally refused planning permission as the extension was not parallel to the building, but this was successfully appealed four months later. Fraher & Findlay (fraherandfindlay.com)
ABOVE Taran and Celine spent £150,000 on the extension, adding an extra 40sqm to their home LEFT A new internal staircase links the house and the extension, which includes an office as well as a den FAR LEFT The plywood-lined extension is next to the dining area. The kitchen and living room were also refurbished as part of the project WORDS HUGH METCALF PHOTOGRAPHY TARAN WILKHU
What was the aim of the renovation? Taran and Celine Wilkhu, who have two children aged six and nine, wanted to extend to add a home office, a den for the children, and to create space for a bigger kitchen. Because of the gradient of the plot their garden is at a lower level than the house, so the extension needed to bridge this difference. — What’s so special about this house? It was built in the 1970s as part of a small community of self-builds in Lewisham, London, based on a system designed by the late architect Walter Segal. Taran and Celine bought their home several years ago after researching the houses. They were drawn to Segal’s approach, and Taran has even been involved in publishing a book about the properties he designed. — How did this influence the extension? It informed everything. The couple really wanted to fully embrace the Segal method, which involves
build every room, every space, every corner…
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