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GRAND DESIGNS GRANDDESIGNSMAGAZINE.COM

Transform Your Garden Ideas for creating a beautiful outdoor space

May 2021 £4.40

THE UK’S BEST-LOVED SELF-BUILD BRAND TV SERIES EXCLUSIVE Tour the Lincolnshire barn-style house How one couple built their family home for just £315,000

WIN! CROWN PAINT

PLANET-FRIENDLY PROJECT Eco guide to designing a new kitchen

Explore a beachside villa inspired by the coastal landscape PLANNING MADE SIMPLE Step by step to a brand new bathroom

GO WITH THE FLOW Buyer’s guide to every kind of water feature

FAR FROM ORDINARY 10 homes using unusual materials

A Perfectly Coordinated Contemporary Kitchen Get the look for less

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Contents

May 2021 Regulars 11 EDITOR’S LETTER 17 KEVIN McCLOUD

Our editor-at-large muses on why so many love a barbecue 146 MY GRAND IDEA Architect Martin Edwards on creating a timber-framed artist’s studio

13 News 13 ARCHITECTURE UPDATE

A spotlight on recent projects 107 KITCHEN UPGRADE The latest cabinets, surfaces and appliances 125 BATHROOM EDIT Stylish new additions for the smallest room

146

125 MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 5

CONTENTS

Homes 20 TV HOUSE LINCOLNSHIRE

This modern Dutch barnstyle home pays tribute to the area’s agricultural past 35 VICTORIAN RENOVATION

The owners of this east London house undertook a major overhaul from abroad 47 SCOTTISH SELF-BUILD An upside-down home nestled amid a Dundee woodland 59 MODERN BEACH VILLA

Bringing a touch of Californian style to the coast outside Copenhagen

20 Projects 75 RENOVATION DIARY As lockdown

eases, Reena and Matt get back to work on their bungalow conversion 79 GRAND GUIDE Ten homes that were built using unusual materials 89 PROJECT OUTDOOR UPGRADE

35

Create a beautiful garden with these ideas and expert advice

89 6 MAY 2021 /

99 BUYER’S GUIDE TO WATER FEATURES What you need to

consider before splashing out on a new fountain or pond 113 PROJECT KITCHENS Maximise your eco credentials in style 128 PROJECT BATHROOMS 15 steps to ensure the perfect scheme

128 MAGAZINE.COM

Turning your dreams into reality.

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M U LT I - F U E L

EDITORIAL

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

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EDITOR K AREN STYLIANIDES ART DIRECTOR TONY PETERS CHIEF SUB-EDITOR MATT GL ASBY ACTING ASSOCIATE EDITOR JO MESSENGER CONTENT PRODUCER PAISLEY-ROSE TEDDER CONTENT EDITOR CHRISTINA CHRYSOSTOMOU 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 (fremantle.com). © 2021. ISSN 1742-0695

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MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 9

Your home.

Your story.

A Baufritz home is of unique beauty and quality. It is tailored precisely to your wants and needs. As a fully managed project, it is built to the highest possible standards. Be inspired by the story of self-builder Astrid Woloszscuk and her family domicile in London at www.baufritz.co.uk/homestories

Baufritz (UK) Limited, Phone +44 (0) 1223 235632, Mail enquiries@baufritz.co.uk

EDITOR’S LETTER

A

s the weather improves and the days get longer, warmer and sunnier, many of us will be spending time enjoying our outdoor spaces.

Whether you have a big garden, a small courtyard or a walk-on balcony, there is a great deal of pleasure to be had from creating a green space. A successful garden will not only provide somewhere for trees, shrubs, flowering plants, vegetables, herbs and fruit to thrive, its layout, landscaping and structures can also enhance the look and feel of your home. If you’re after inspiration and advice on how to go about creating a beautiful, enjoyable and maybe even productive outdoor space that suits your home’s style and location, you’ll find plenty of ideas in the garden transformations feature on page 89.

There are many ways to incorporate a water feature into your scheme. Some

are easy to install and relatively inexpensive, but if you want to push the boat out on a unique focal point, you may need to splash a lot of cash on a bespoke design created by a water feature specialist. For buying advice across a wide range of options, turn to page 99. But do be aware of the extra safety measures needed when young children have access to water of any depth. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa) offers advice on its website. See rospa.com/leisure-safety/water/advice/ pond-garden-water.

Lastly, welcome back to Reena and Matt and their Renovation Diary on page 75.

They have been able to restart work on their bungalow-to-two-storey-house project following the easing of lockdown rules and their children going back to school. I hope they have no further hold-ups!

COVER PHOTO JACK HOBHOUSE

K AREN ST YLIANIDES , EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHY LUC BUTHKER

@StylianidesK

Villa Benthuizen in South Holland was designed by architect Arjen Reas to make novel use of thatch. Turn to page 79 for more

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 11

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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NEWS

Architecture update Original projects to inspire your own self-build or renovation

The right angles

This extension to a four-bedroom house in Wimbledon Park, south London, had to comply with height restrictions at the boundary with neighbouring homes. To solve the problem, architecture practice Proctor & Shaw (proctorandshaw.com) devised angled windows similar to the quarter-glass ones found on a car to fit the geometry of the building. Maxlight (maxlight.co.uk) supplied the double glazing with powdercoated aluminium frames, and the project cost £150,000.

A close relationship Three brothers each have a separate family home with its own entrance in this block in Toronto, Canada. Alva Roy Architects received permission for a major renovation of an old two-storey house, adding a recessed floor at the top. It comprises 335sqm of living space, with a three-bedroom apartment on the bottom two storeys, and a pair of two-bedroom flats above. The lowest main bedroom opens onto a courtyard below street level and the topmost onto a balcony.

Finishes include Eramosa stone, Shou Sugi Ban cedar, anodized aluminium laser-cut screens, porcelain floor tiles and engineered oak floors. The project cost £512,000. (alvaroy.ca)

Online directory Female Tradesperson offers a platform for qualified professional women in construction to shout out about their businesses, and a place for homeowners and developers to find candidates for their jobs. (femaletrades person.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 13

NEWS

Architecture update Green scene

Expect a serious case of garden envy when leafing through Tom Stuart-Smith: Drawn from the Land

by Tim Richardson (£50, Thames & Hudson, 26 April). Twenty-four acclaimed gardens by the leading landscape architect and designer are explored and documented with beautiful photos and drawings plus detailed descriptions. The methods and ideas for landscaping and planting throughout the book are sure to inspire your own plot. (thamesandhudson.com)

Between and below Developed alongside the conversion of a house in Wandsworth, south London, into flats, this new-build home is sited on a former car park and garden. Studio Varey Architects managed the tricky planning application, obtaining permission to dig below the entire footprint of the plot to create a sunken level for the house and a new basement flat for the existing property. The four-bedroom 160sqm house includes a basement living room which leads out to a courtyard. The project cost £1.6 million, of which the house was around £600,000. (studiovarey.co.uk)

Site specific This 258sqm four-bedroom house in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, was built on a long narrow plot that had been a tennis court. The house, which aims to maximise passive solar gain and reduce heat loss, has an air-source heat pump powered by solar photovoltaic panels and backed up by a small stove. It was faced with handmade bricks from Petersen Brick (en.petersen-tegl.dk) selected by architecture firm McGinlay Bell (mcginlaybell.com) for their robustness.

A pavilion with glazed sliding screens opens up to the courtyards. The project received a Glasgow Institute of Architects Design Award.

14 MAY 2021 /

MAGAZINE.COM

Judges for New London Architecture’s Don’t Move, Improve! competition have whittled down almost 200 entries to highlight the 22 best home-improvement projects across London, including this extension

by Alexander Owen Architecture (aoarchitecture.co.uk). Category winners will be announced from 6 May, and the overall winner on 27 May. Apply to discuss your own project in a virtual design surgery on 24 April.

Two further surgeries are planned for July and September. (nla.london)

WORDS CAROLINE RODRIGUES PHOTOGRAPHY STALE ERIKSEN, FRENCH + TYE, EMANUELIS STASAITIS, JACK HOBHOUSE, GREG VAN RIEL

Better living

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The tree house of your dreams.

Working with wood can bring a wonderful natural texture to your whole home. And with Maxlight glazing you’ll enjoy big beams of beautiful natural light too.

Leaving you to sit back and enjoy the view.

Platform 5 Architects Photography: Alan Williams

EXCLUSIVE COLUMN

Kevin

McCloud This month our editor-at-large muses on the primal urge that drives so many of us to gather round an outdoor grill s the weather warms up and we dare to venture out again and explore our gardens, another springtime thought dances its way to the surface of our minds: TIME FOR A BARBECUE. Of course, for the really hardy this thought will have occurred two or three times a week during the winter lockdown. I, however, sated my urges to go out and carbonise some meat by watching The American Barbecue Showdown over the darker months.

You have to see it, it is astonishing, well-made and surprisingly powerful television. Almost as compelling as Grand Designs.

For most of us the arrival of these thoughts marks the beginning of summer and an important point in the social calendar because barbecues are, well, an intrinsically social activity. One person couldn’t hope to eat everything that an average barbecue produces. You could argue that barbecues have done more for the social integrity of our modern world than many United Nations directives.

Alcohol may play a part. What is certain is that the tradition of overcooking food on an uncontrollable open fire is a venerable social glue.

Stephen Pyne, professor at Arizona State University and fire expert, even goes so far to describe fire as something dependent on life itself, not the other way around. Excluding comets, volcanoes and lightning, he points out that for a proper conflagration you need

A

organic materials to burn: wood, trees, grass and dry leaves, and their fossilised products such as coal and tar. These materials in turn need sunlight and water to grow, as trees and plants. So, in effect, fire and water and the oxygenrich air that plants produce are part of the same cycle. ‘Fire is a creation of life,’ he writes. ‘Terrestrial life provides the fuel, and life everywhere furnishes the oxygen required for combustion.’

Our relationship with fire has historically been a far more controlling one than you might imagine. Around

‘The tradition of overcooking food on an open fire is a venerable social glue’ 5,300 years ago a traveller died in the Tyrolean Alps 10,400 feet up and was preserved in the ice until 1991 when he was dug up, named Ötzi and given his own museum. Ötzi died having been chased and struck with an arrow, but among his possessions was a small box made of birch-bark within which, wrapped in fresh maple leaves, were lumps of charred wood. Ötzi was carrying smouldering charcoals, a source of warmth and a portable form of fire.

Mankind has, for a long time, tamed this element to the extent we have been able to make it, extinguish it and carry

it around. Humans have for tens of thousands of years cleared the landscape with controlled fires to develop their agricultures. Pyne makes the point that, ‘With or without people, the Earth will burn, though its human firebrands… use their firepower to reshape the planet, to render it more suitable to their needs.

In effect, humans… cook the earth.’

In using such a powerful tool to reshape the planet, humans have developed a psychological relationship with fire as well. ‘Nearly all fire origin myths identify the acquisition of fire as the means of passage from life among the beasts into special status as a human being… Anthropogenic fire is as much a cultural artefact as are skyscrapers.

And landscapes forged in those fires are as much a creation of human societies as are marble sculptures and parking lots.’

Benjamin Franklin was a man of fire among other things. And those other things were prodigious. He lived for almost the entire 18th century, from 1706 to 1790, and has been described as the ‘first American’. His written contributions to the Declaration of Independence assured him of that. But he was also a polymath, printer, inventor, scientist, statesman, soldier, diplomat, philosopher of the Enlightenment and

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 17

EXCLUSIVE COLUMN

Cooking over open fires puts us in touch with our ancient past

‘In the past you had direct contact with the fuel, its source and the human energy required to get it to the hearth’ might be amused to see how his invention, a metal container in which wood could be burnt more efficiently and controllably, would come to be seen as the first internal combustion machine. Its descendants power our cars and planes. Except that in his time

you had to chop down a tree, which would warm you once, stack the wood, warming you twice, then bring it indoors to burn. You had direct contact with the fuel, its source and the human energy required to get it to the hearth.

We now pay for fuel from pumps with credit cards and set up Direct Debits with energy companies.

So no wonder we enjoy the smell of the fuel, the unruly heat and smoke, the charred and sometimes inedible food. There’s no metal box to isolate us from the magic and power of the naked flame – one we can still, just, control. This is why I enjoy The American Barbecue Showdown so much.

When I watch it I’m making contact with my inner Ötzi and channelling Benjamin Franklin too.

ARE YOU PLANNING A ?

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

Georgie and Greg Whitaker’s barn conversion in Kent cost just £250,000

18 MAY 2021 /

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

PHOTOGRAPHY DIEGO BIRCHER, JEFFERSON SMITH

social activist. He lived in England, Europe and America. He founded the first volunteer fire brigade in Philadelphia and the first public lending library there too. He invented bifocals, swimming aids and a musical instrument. His work on electricity made him world famous. And he spent a lifetime perfecting a particular invention, the Franklin stove.

Perhaps this was because fire was in his blood – his grandfather had been a blacksmith in England. Perhaps, though, just as Ötzi knew fire to be essential to survival, Franklin knew that controlling energy was to become the most significant source of economic growth for any emerging country. Here was a man who depended on heat for his own scientific experiments, who was discovering the extraordinary potential power of electricity in nature, who saw his friends set up furnaces and foundries, and who saw the incipient application of science and the Enlightenment in industry and the growth of national prosperity.

He didn’t just enjoy what energy had to offer. He could see its value. And its extraordinary destructive force too.

Which is why he set up the Union Fire Company in 1736.

If Franklin were around now he would remark that setting fire to things in the 21st century has pretty well moved from the open fire to the closed one, a transition he foresaw. We set fire to things in metal boxes now, themselves short evolutionary hops from the Franklin stove. As Pyne says, humanity has metamorphosed ‘from the keeper of the flame to the custodian of the combustion chamber’. Franklin

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HOMES TV HOUSE

IN BRIEF –

LOCATION Near Spalding, Lincolnshire TYPE OF PROPERTY Detached self-build house BEDROOMS 5 plus 2-bed annexe PROJECT STARTED September 2019 PROJECT FINISHED November 2020 SIZE 418sqm plus 118sqm annexe LAND COST £100,000 BUILD COST £500,000

A local inf luence Modelled on a Dutch barn-style house, this steel-framed home has plenty of space for three generations of one family to get together WORDS ALICE WESTGATE PHOTOGR APHY ANDY HASL AM

Inspired by the traditional houses of the Lincolnshire area, Nathan and Amye’s new home is wrapped in blue-black fibre cement tiles MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 21

HOMES TV HOUSE

B

uilding houses is second nature for property developer, estate agent and entrepreneur Nathan Marshall. But although he is completely familiar with constructing housing estates, tackling a complex steel-framed home tailor-made for his own family was unknown territory.

Nathan, 40, and Amye, 30, who is a teacher, had originally been on the lookout for a barn conversion.

‘I had my heart set on a dark, sleek, simple building that would fit in with the rural Lincolnshire agricultural setting,’ says Nathan. Finding the right property became something of an obsession and, though they viewed lots of sites, nothing felt right. ‘There were always so many things we wanted to change,’ says Amye.

When a local building plot came up for sale, Nathan spotted the chance to create their perfect house from scratch. The only snag was that planning permission had previously been denied. ‘I’ve never been shy of

RIGHT The ground floor is open-plan except for the utility room, pantry, cloakroom and study, which are accessed via barn-style sliding doors.

Porcelain tiles have been laid throughout LEFT Using the vast double-height hallway as a dining area allows room for the extended family to eat together.

Colourful dining chairs were bought especially for the space

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 23

a challenge, so we bought the land anyway knowing exactly what the risks would be,’ he says.

The plot is next to one of the Dutch barn-style houses that are characteristic of this area of Lincolnshire. With distinctive mansard roofs, steeply sloping gables and dormer windows, they are a legacy of the Land Settlement Association, a government scheme set up during the Great Depression of the 1930s to give unemployed workers from industrialised areas the chance to relocate to rural smallholdings and work the land.

Chartered architectural technologist Kris Baxter of Studio 11 Architecture grew up in the area and knew the houses well, so when Nathan and Amye asked him to devise a scheme that might find favour with the planners, he knew exactly where to look for inspiration. ‘I pulled features from these houses into the design as they are intrinsic to the landscape,’ says Kris. ‘It was nice to celebrate them in a contemporary context.’

He proposed a multi-angled steel-framed structure to give the silhouette of a mansard, but with a glazed gable and a giant brick chimney at each end. To lessen the building’s impact in the flat Fenland countryside, the exterior – from the apex of the roof right down to ground level – would be clad in blue-black fibre cement tiles.

‘The dark colour brings down the scale of the building,’ says Kris, whose design also included a separate wing for Nathan’s children, Noah, 14, and Ava, 12, and a detached annexe for his mother Rosie and stepfather Albert.

The structure incorporated huge amounts of insulation, a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR),

RIGHT The kitchen works well for large family get-togethers because the space flows into the living and dining areas

ABOVE Amye and Nathan’s big kitchen island provides them with plenty of worksurface space for preparing food for their family and includes a seating area for relaxed meals

24 MAY 2021 /

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HOMES TV HOUSE

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26 MAY 2021 /

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HOMES TV HOUSE

‘The steel frame required much more engineering, but we really wanted the openness it would give to the interior’ system, and a solar photovoltaic (PV) array at the bottom of the garden, along with a ground-source heat pump.

These installations will ensure that the house generates more electricity than it could ever use.

All this impressed the planners, who approved the scheme in March 2019, and work began six months later with Nathan as project manager.

LEFT In the living room, a woodburning stove stands in the centre of one of the building’s huge, glazed gables and a wildlife painting by pop surrealist Robert Oxley hangs on the chimneybreast RIGHT The living room window frames a view of the Lincolnshire landscape and incorporates a sliding door leading on to a stone-flagged terrace

One of the earliest challenges they faced came when they realised that the marshy soil wouldn’t support the immense weight and point loads of the steel frame, so 35 piles had to be driven 13m down into the silt. ‘A timber-framed house would have required much simpler foundations,’ admits Nathan.

‘But we would have ended up with lots of visible supports inside the house. This steel frame required much more engineering, but we really wanted the openness it would give to the interior.’

The arrival of the couple’s baby daughter Niamh halfway through the project drove work forward as quickly as possible, but then Covid-19 struck. ‘Work did continue during lockdown, but it was hard to obtain materials so we were delayed by two months,’ Nathan explains. Amazingly, the couple managed to squeeze

HOMES TV HOUSE

An armadillo-like covering of dark tiles reduces the apparent scale of the house. One of the building’s two huge brick-faced chimney stacks rises up through the gable

28 MAY 2021 /

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F L O O R PL A N S

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WC STUDY

UTILITY

PANTRY

KITCHEN

LOUNGE SNUG

FAMILY ROOM

GROUND FLOOR

S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Studio 11 Architecture (studio11architecture.co.uk) Structural engineer Waldeck Consulting (waldeckconsulting.com) Project manager Nathan Marshall (07866 045778) STRUCTURE Foundations Mitchell Piling (mitchellpiling.co.uk) Steel frame Don Scaife Steel Erecting (07900 821618) Timber frame and carpentry Kestrel Timber Frame (kestreltimberframe.co.uk) Roof and leadwork Manor Roofing (manorroofing.co.uk)

Exterior tiles Cedral (cedral.world) Staircase S&L Engineering (sandlengineering.co.uk) Ground-source heat pump Alto Energy (altoenergy.co.uk) MVHR system and solar PV SNG Electrical (sngelectrical.co.uk) FIXTURES & FITTINGS Porcelain flooring Cut Price Tiles (cut-price-tiles.co.uk) Paint Dulux (dulux.co.uk) Kitchen and bathrooms The Quay Centre (quaycentre.co.uk) Woodburning stoves Clearview (clearviewstoves.com)

FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Bedroom curtain Hereward Curtain Company (herewardcurtaincompany.co.uk) Sofa and chair in sitting room House Goods 4U (housegoods4u.co.uk) Dining table RCC Furniture (rcc-furniture.com) Dining chairs Myfaktory (myfaktory.com) Painting in sitting room Robert Oxley at Castle Fine Art (castlefineart.com) Paintings in hallway Zinsky at Chelmer Fine Art (chelmerfineart.com)

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 29

in their long-planned wedding before finally moving in to the house during November 2020.

The vaulted interior is, they admit, an enormous space, but it’s room they need when all three generations of the family get together. ‘We have watched this house grow from the ground up,’ says Amye. ‘It’s huge and open, but we don’t see that on a day-to-day basis. What we see is our baby, our dog, our furniture and our photographs, and that just makes it feel like home.’

Many interior elements had to be sourced while the shops were closed, but this didn’t hold them back. ‘We were very clear about the look we wanted, which made picking things like the flooring and kitchen really easy,’ says Amye. The joyously multicoloured dining chairs were a risky choice, but are now the focus of the ground-floor living space. ‘They’re a bit of fun in a house that is so black on the outside and so white on the inside,’ says Amye.

‘They are completely mood-enhancing – the colours make us smile as soon as we walk through the front door.’

HOMES TV HOUSE

LEFT A bespoke wood and steel staircase leads up to the first-floor landing, which is lit by four large rooflights RIGHT The idea to tuck an en-suite bathroom behind a half-height wall that doubles as a headboard came from a villa that the couple stayed in on a trip to Thailand BELOW Nathan and Amye’s bedroom has a high ceiling open to the apex of the roof and a custom-made platform bed

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 31

HOMES TV HOUSE

‘I’m never shy of a challenge, so we bought the land anyway knowing exactly what the risks would be’

The gable is faced with aluminium cover strips, while the recessed areas are lined with vertical timber boarding

32 MAY 2021 /

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Whether your project is a new-build or a renovation, Studio 11 Architecture keeps your vision is at the very core of everything it does. As a multidisciplinary practice with an in-house team of architectural designers, engineers and energy consultants, it can create a solution for any concept you can think up.

As well as a track record of building beautiful bespoke houses, it has a reputation for customer-centric

service that is flexible and tailored to your requirements. The full-service approach enables it to give your project the time and dedication it deserves, ensuring it delivers above and beyond your initial vision.

A particular area of expertise is Paragraph 79, which covers new-builds in rural areas. This is where planning permission is granted for a new home that displays exceptional design qualities where it might otherwise have been refused.

Sustainability and ecological credentials can also be a factor in whether or not permission is given.

By collaborating with you on your project, Studio 11 Architecture can help tackle the challenges of any site, something that can be far from straightforward to face on your own.

For more information on how the practice can help you move forward with your project, simply visit the website.

TOP A Paragraph 79 home in south Lincolnshire by Studio 11 Architecture ABOVE Open-plan living in the house’s smart, spacious kitchen-diner

● For more details, visit studio11architecture.co.uk MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 33

Matki-ONE Pivot Contemporary style, technical innovation. Shower Doors beautifully engineered in the UK

F O R A B R O C H U R E A N D N E A R E S T B AT H R O O M S P E C I A L I S T C A L L 01 4 5 4 3 2 8 811 | W W W. M AT K I . C O. U K | M AT K I P L C , B R I S TO L B S 3 7 5 P L

HOMES LONDON

Long-distance calling The major renovation of a period house was directed by one couple while living thousands of miles away WORDS EMILY BROOKS PHOTOGR APHY ANNA BATCHELOR ST YLING ALEX DALLISON

The kitchen island has space for a dining table at one end. The architect created the design and the builders made the bespoke cabinet fronts and island.

The worksurfaces are solid quartz, teamed with a toughened-glass run nearer the garden

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 35

A

leap of faith is required to commission a major building project in London while living in New York, USA, but that is what Ben Fitch and Jess Philips did. The couple put their trust in an architect they hadn’t met, asking him to turn their Victorian house into a bigger and better living space. The project involved building a loft conversion that created two extra bedrooms, a side-return extension, devising an open-plan downstairs layout, and renovating everywhere else.

Ben, 37, who works in finance, and Jess, 36, a civil servant, had been based in the US for a few years, but when Jess was offered a new job, and Ben was able to transfer to London, they began planning a move back to the UK with their baby son Fred, two. They liked the area and the house, which Jess bought in 2011 and had rented out while they were abroad. ‘We thought about moving, but worked out that the cost of the alterations would be similar. It felt like renovating was the better idea,’ says Ben. Although the house had been extended at the rear, it didn’t have the spacious kitchen-diner the couple wanted, and there was an opportunity to create extra bedrooms by converting the attic. Ben and Jess took a practical approach to finding an architect by looking up previous planning applications on the same road. Impressed by the work of Artison Wangpraseurt of Studioort, who had updated a neighbour’s house, they commissioned him for the project.

‘We needed someone who could get to grips with the whole process and take on the project management,’ says Jess. ‘We wanted to add extra rooms and knock through downstairs, but we didn’t have fixed ideas about what it would look like.’ Widening the narrow Victorian hallway

The house had previously been extended outward, but the side return hadn’t been filled in. The recent addition was replaced with a full-width extension that didn’t encroach into the garden any further. The result is pared-back, with plain brickwork and an oak-framed glazed door

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HOMES LONDON

IN BRIEF –

LOCATION Brixton, south London TYPE OF PROPERTY Victorian terrace BEDROOMS 4 PROJECT STARTED June 2019 PROJECT COMPLETED February 2020 SIZE 126sqm (previously 92 sqm) BUILD COST £310,000

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 37

ABOVE The kitchen floor is limestoneeffect porcelain with underfloor heating beneath

38 MAY 2021 /

was another possibility. ‘There would have to be space for our bikes and a buggy, and we needed a storage solution,’ explains Jess. A place to keep everything was part of the couple’s wishlist. ‘We’re both quite messy but, at the same time, I find mess quite stressful, so I was keen that clutter wouldn’t accumulate,’ Ben adds.

Stepping through the front door, the hall wall has been moved by 300mm to widen the entrance with a hidden supporting post taking the load and the space borrowed from the living room. ‘It works really well,’ says Jess. ‘I have to say it’s brilliant.’ Further along, a sliding pocket door connects the second half of the hallway to the open-plan kitchen-diner beyond, which is in the new brick-built extension that takes up the full width of the house. The MAGAZINE.COM

door was a fire regulations requirement, but it is a useful addition because when it’s open it’s hidden and when it’s closed it creates a sense of cosy intimacy.

The house is defined by a pared-back palette of white walls and oak detailing, with the same timber used everywhere, from the door frames for the sliding doors in the extension to the wardrobes in the loft conversion.

There is also a simplicity to the pale blue kitchen units, which look perfectly at home in their streamlined setting.

Upstairs, the spacious mansard loft conversion is bright and airy, with high ceilings and skylights that supplement the garden-facing windows.

Artison kept Ben and Jess updated on the progress of the work, telling them what decisions needed to be

HOMES LONDON

The house is defined by a pared-back palette of white walls and oak detailing, with the same timber used everywhere

ABOVE Over the cabinets, where the stud wall projects forward to hide structural steel and ducting for the extractor, an oak-lined niche provides display space

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 39

HOMES LONDON

‘We thought about moving, but worked out that the cost of the alterations would be pretty similar’

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LEFT AND BELOW A top-hung pocket door slides back into a storage unit to open up the hallway. The vertical hanging system for Ben’s bike frees up valuable floor space

F L O O R PL A N S

DINING AREA

BATHROOM KITCHEN

BEDROOM BEDROOM EN SUITE

ABOVE Oak flooring in a herringbone pattern in the hall and living room nods to the timber joinery used throughout the house

LIVING ROOM BEDROOM

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

BEDROOM

SECOND FLOOR

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 41

The loft extension is a mansard configuration.

Ben and Jess’s en-suite bathroom is revealed behind the sliding door

made when and shipping material samples to New York.

‘He did a good job at narrowing down the choices we had to make, suggesting suppliers he’d used before,’ says Ben. The couple visited briefly in May 2019, a month into the build, to find just a shell of a house, but promising signs of how spacious it would eventually be. They returned for good in November 2019, even though their home wasn’t completely ready, renting nearby then staying with friends until they could finally move in, in February 2020.

‘The house is easy to live in, and it works so well,’ says Jess. The couple are very keen to credit Artison for the way he handled the entire project. ‘When we first saw the cost breakdown we baulked at the architect’s fees,’ says Ben. ‘But in retrospect they were a bargain in relation to what Artison did for us.’

42 MAY 2021 /

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‘When we first saw the cost breakdown we baulked at the architect’s fees – but in retrospect they were a bargain’

HOMES LONDON

ABOVE The oak vanity unit was made by the builder and the porcelain faux-limestone tiles match those that are used in the kitchen

HOMES LONDON Ben and Jess’s bespoke wardrobes and built-in dressing table are also made from oak

S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Artison Wangpraseurt at Studioort (studioort.com) Structural engineer Blue Engineering (blueengineering.co.uk) Main contractor NYE Refurbishment (07776 134378) STRUCTURE Skylights Sunsquare (sunsquare.co.uk) Bricks Edenhall (edenhall.co.uk)

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Sliding doors Wood Lane Glazing (woodlaneglazing.co.uk) FIXTURES & FITTINGS Tiles Solus (solusceramics.com) Timber flooring The Solid Wood Flooring Company (thesolidwoodflooringcompany.com) Bathroom fittings and sanitaryware Duravit (duravit.co.uk), Grohe (grohe.com), Toto (toto.com), Kaldewei (kaldewei.co.uk) Kitchen sink Villeroy & Boch (villeroy-boch.co.uk)

Radiators Stelrad (stelrad.com), JIS (sussexrange.co.uk) Lighting The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk), Heal’s (heals.com), Astro (astrolighting.com) Kitchen and hallway paint Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com) FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Art Laura Jordan (laurajordan.com) Main bedroom bed Room & Board (roomandboard.com) Bedside tables Stoic (stoic.london)

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MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 45

HOMES SCOTLAND

IN BRIEF –

LOCATION Dundee, Scotland TYPE OF PROPERTY Detached self-build BEDROOMS 4 bedrooms PROJECT STARTED Summer 2018 PROJECT FINISHED May 2019 SIZE 190sqm BUILD COST £315,000 (including landscaping)

Pitched perfect Built with energy efficiency in mind, this Scottish woodland home’s distinctive roof shape defines the spaces inside WORDS CAROLINE EDNIE PHOTOGR APHY DAVID BARBOUR

At the planning stage, the walk-on balcony was upgraded to a larger design. As the zinc cladding absorbs heat during the day it’s possible to sit out late into the evening MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 47

T

ABOVE Scottish larch timber cladding on the second section of the house provides a contrast with the zinc. The wood has been heat-treated to ensure that it fades evenly over time

he multiple pitched roofs of the house built

by David and Jenny Arrenberg appear to be something of a daring design declaration, but the building is relatively modest in size and very much a family home. Surrounded by ancient woodland, it is barely discernable through the trees, with only the tips of the rooftops visible to the neighbours.

David was brought up in this part of Dundee, Scotland.

‘I’ve played in this woodland all my life,’ he says. ‘This area is part of an estate that was established in the 16th century.

My mother lives in a flat in the three-storey estate house, and my aunt lived in another one of the four apartments.

My aunt’s home came with seven acres of woodland, and she made all this possible by selling us part of her plot at an affordable price.’

After buying the land in 2014, the couple spent several years building up their funds and arranged the transfer of the somewhat archaic deeds. Meanwhile David, 37, who is a civil engineer and project manager, cleared and prepared the overgrown site. They also used the time to ponder exactly what kind of house they would build. ‘We wanted it built to Passivhaus standard,’ says David. With this in mind, he and Jenny, 33, who is a dentist, hired Kirsty Maguire, a local architect specialising in Passivhaus buildings, to work on the project.

HOMES SCOTLAND

This tall east-facing window brings morning light into the entrance hall LEFT The house was constructed from eight flat panels and two end panels built on site by specialist joiners and slotted into place by crane

/ MAY 2021 49

The roof determines the shape of the kitchen, dining and living areas – each has its own vaulted ceiling

ABOVE In the open-plan living area, engineered oak floorboards are offset by pale painted walls and mid-century modern-style furniture 50 MAY 2021 /

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HOMES SCOTLAND

A picture window looks out onto the woodland.

David and Jenny were keen to retain as many trees as possible, including the holly that stands directly outside

The brief was for a two-storey upside-down house, with the top-floor living space capturing the views over the River Tay. ‘The internal spaces and the way they relate to each other and the site was important,’ explains Kirsty. ‘The roof determines the shape of the kitchen, dining and living areas – each has its own vaulted ceiling. A flat roof and ceiling wouldn’t have created the three separate yet open-plan spaces as effectively.’ The concept is further enhanced by the positions of the big picture windows and rooflights, which bring in different qualities of light throughout the day.

Planning permission was granted without objection.

‘We had to move the house a bit further to the back of the site, but this worked out well as we now get

a great view of the river,’ says David, who took on some of the project-management work.

As the construction got underway, the couple and their daughter Ruby, two, lived nearby in a flat owned by David’s brother. ‘I went into every cost before the build, working from a massive spreadsheet,’ says David. ‘Kirsty advised that it’s best to know every cost from the outset, right down to the door handles. I’d say my biggest role was shopping around for materials and getting quotes.’

A prime example of the economies he was able to make was the estimated £45,000 saved on the cost of the zinc cladding. Kirsty had suggested that the house should be covered predominantly in zinc, citing its durability, that it is low maintenance and can also be recycled, which MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 51

HOMES SCOTLAND

ABOVE The couple made savings by choosing these end-of-line kitchen cabinet fronts in matt black laminate.

The white Starlight quartz worksurface is from Poland

F L O O R PL A N S

LIVING AREA

LEFT Despite the living space being open-plan, the glulam ceiling beams help to define the different areas

SHOWER

KITCHEN SNUG DINING AREA

FIRST FLOOR

DRESSING ROOM

PLANT ROOM EN SUITE

UTILITY

BEDROOM

BEDROOM

BEDROOM BATHROOM

BEDROOM

GROUND FLOOR

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 53

One of the benefits of the upside-down design is that in summer the bedrooms stay cool helped meet the couple’s eco aspirations. The material’s patina also reflects the natural setting.

‘I saved a lot of money by managing our spend, rather than by being hands-on with the build,’ David adds.

‘I suggest getting people in who can do things quickly – tradespeople do a better job, and labour isn’t as expensive as you think. The costs are in the materials.’

The build took a year and is comprised of a timber frame structure with ten panels that include eco-friendly wood-fibre based insulation, which were built on site by joiners. Sustainably sourced Scottish larch cladding was used on one section to contrast with the zinc.

54 MAY 2021 /

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An air-source heat pump, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system and photovoltaic panels provide all the heat and power needed to keep the family cosy. ‘Kirsty steered us towards the air-source heat pump, which gives us constant high-pressure hot water, and we have infra-red panel heaters,’ says David. ‘Having lived in my mother’s stone-built home with open fires, where the living room is roasting but the rest of the house is freezing, this is completely different.’

One of the benefits of the upside-down design is that in summer the bedrooms stay cool, which the couple say is ideal. They also love their home’s unique character.

‘The points of the roof are still a source of entertainment for me, and inside they are effective at dividing the spaces.

Even though the layout is open-plan, each area feels like a different room,’ David says. ‘Our home is a pleasure to live in and genuinely gives us joy, I still come down the driveway and look in amazement at what we’ve created.’

HOMES SCOTLAND LEFT Concealed blinds add privacy in David and Jenny’s bedroom, which has an en-suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe RIGHT The ground-floor family bathroom teams plain white wall tiles with colourful mosaics BELOW Ruby chose the colour for her bedroom.

The lower shelves are for books, the higher ones for more breakable objects

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 55

HOMES SCOTLAND

The house was modelled using Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) software to ensure energy efficiency

S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Architect Kirsty Maguire Architect (kirstymaguire.com) Contractor Craigs Eco Passive Homes (craigseco.com) Structural engineer Sandy Burnett of Burnett Consulting Engineers (b-ce.co.uk) STRUCTURE Insulated slab design Aft (advancedfoundationtechnologylimited.co.uk) Structural timber MGM Timber (mgmtimber.co.uk) Zinc supplier and installation HL Metals (hlmetals.co.uk)

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Timber cladding Russwood (russwood.co.uk) Windows Green Building Store (greenbuildingstore.co.uk) Photovoltaic panels JA Solar (jasolar.com.cn) Air-source heat pump Locogen (locogen.com) MVHR Paul Heat Recovery (paulheatrecovery.co.uk) FIXTURES AND FITTINGS Kitchen MGM Timber (mgmtimber.co.uk)

Plumber SGY Plumbing & Heating (sgyplumbingandheating.co.uk) Tiles CTD (ctdtiles.co.uk) Panel heaters Trotec (uk.trotec.com) Lighting Terkan (terkan.co.uk) Flooring West End (westendflooringspecialists.co.uk) FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES Sofas, beds and tables Sterling sterlingfurniture.co.uk, Forrest Furnishing (forrestfurnishing.co.uk)

steel reinforced natural hardwood doors entrance doors internal feature doors garage doors oversized doors passive house certified doors made and designed in UK

+44 (0)1494 778787 info@urbanfront.co.uk www.urbanfront.co.uk Secured by Design

For beautifully handcrafted contemporary handles visit pushpull.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

new builds

extensions

conversions

HOMES DENMARK

California dreaming A striking modern villa by the sea in Denmark was inspired by the beach houses of America’s west coast WORDS AND ST YLING LYKKE FOGED PHOTOGR APHY MORTEN HOLTUM

IN BRIEF –

LOCATION Dragør, Denmark TYPE OF PROPERTY Detached villa BEDROOMS 4 PROJECT STARTED April 2015 PROJECT FINISHED January 2017 SIZE 270sqm PROPERTY COST £815,000 approx BUILD COST £1.27 million approx

Floor-to-ceiling windows and glazed sliding doors provide panoramic sea views

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 59

60 MAY 2021 /

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HOMES DENMARK

K

asper and Heidi Egelund’s criteria for finding a new home was straightforward.

They wanted a convenient commute to their office in Copenhagen, to stay within easy reach of their children’s school and friends, and to live by the sea. ‘Our dream was to have a beach house in relaxing and scenic surroundings,’ says Kasper.

The couple have three children, Mie, eleven, Karla, nine, and Otte, five, and together the family occasionally cycled to the Søbad, or sea bath, in the village of Dragør near where they lived. A common sight along the Danish coast, these manmade pools are sheltered from the open water. Kasper came across a rundown summerhouse on

a half-acre plot nearby and negotiated with the owners to buy it. The plan was to knock the old house down and build a contemporary replacement.

With the sale in the pipeline, the couple contacted Mads Lund, an architect who had worked with them on previous projects, and their self-build journey began.

‘We told Mads that we wanted a Californian-style beach house,’ Kasper explains. ‘The most important thing for us was to work with an architect who would be passionate about a relatively small project like ours, who would manage our expectations and the construction team.

We were conscious that securing good builders and craftsmen needed to be considered early in the process.’

The decked terrace wraps around the entire house. Next to the kitchen is an outdoor dining area with a Vipp table and chairs and a glass balustrade that defines the space

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 61

‘Our dream was to have a beach house in relaxing and scenic surroundings’

62 MAY 2021 /

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HOMES DENMARK

A big freestanding island is the focal point in the kitchen area, with black metal cabinets, integrated sinks and built-in appliances keeping the dramatic space clutter-free. Dual-aspect glazing ensures it is flooded with light, while the drapes can be closed at night for privacy.

The George Nelson Bubble Lamps hanging above the dining table provide task lighting

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 63

THIS PAGE AND RIGHT Pocket doors slide back into a timber-clad wall to open up the space. Rich colours, tactile fabrics and elegant lines characterise the interior schemes throughout the house. The sofa and coffee table in the living area are from Vipp

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HOMES DENMARK

Kasper, 46, and Heidi, 46, both work for Vipp, a family-run design company founded by Kasper’s grandfather in 1939, as the CEO and HR manager respectively. So they were very specific when it came to making creative decisions and choosing materials.

Though every element was carefully considered beforehand, the build wasn’t without complications.

It took three attempts to get the colour of the poured concrete floors right, which involved taking them up each time without damaging the underfloor heating beneath. The tiled floor in the family bathroom also had to be re-laid, as it hadn’t been done properly the first time. ‘The decisions that had to be made on an ongoing basis throughout the build were staggering and incredibly demanding. Mistakes and last-minute changes were unavoidable,’ says Kasper.

A combination of high ceilings, big windows and glazed sliding doors creates a house that looks spacious and has a seamless transition between indoors and out. ‘Being able to brush my teeth while gazing over the sea every day adds significantly to my quality of life,’ says Kasper.

The project took six months longer than planned, going 25 per cent over budget, and the couple had to make a few compromises along the way, but the finished house is

ABOVE Kasper and Heidi Egelund beneath the open-tread steel staircase.

The poured concrete floor runs throughout the entire ground level

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 65

HOMES DENMARK

LEFT From the front door, the views go straight through the house and all the way out to the sea ABOVE Kasper and Heidi’s bedroom has an open-plan en-suite bathroom. An internal glass wall looks out over the kitchendining area below

‘Being able to brush my teeth while gazing over the sea every day adds significantly to my quality of life’ much more than they had hoped for. ‘If we hadn’t been tied into a budget, we would have liked to have had big panoramic windows installed throughout the whole house and not just on the sea-facing side,’ Kasper admits. But when asked if there is anything the couple would have done differently the answer is a very definite ‘no’.

66 MAY 2021 /

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‘Maybe further down the line we will install a downdraft extractor in the kitchen, but it wasn’t a priority during the build,’ says Kasper. ‘And you could argue that the entrance isn’t ideal for a family of five coming in and out with its lack of storage. This is something we could have considered a little better, but we do have the garage to keep our coats and shoes in.’

Despite the challenges, Kasper and Heidi would do it all over again. ‘The project was bigger and more intense than we imagined, but when it was over I think we had withdrawal symptoms,’ he says. ‘There is a real feeling of excitement surrounding a project like this.’

F L O O R PL A N S UTILITY

BEDROOM

GARAGE

BEDROOM

SHOWER BEDROOM

KITCHEN

BATHROOM

BEDROOM LIVING AREA

TERRACE

DINING AREA

TERRACE TERRACE

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 67

HOMES DENMARK

S U PPL I E R S – PROJECT TEAM Structural engineer Energihuset A/S (energihuset-as.dk) Contractor Eigil Frederiksen (eigilfrederiksen.dk) STRUCTURE Windows Panoramah! (panoramah.com) Doors Krone (kronevinduer.dk) Cedarwood cladding Petersen Tegl (en.petersen-tegl.dk) Stairs Schøller Stål (schollerstaal.dk) Acoustic wall and ceilings Mute (mute.it) FIXTURES AND FITTINGS Kitchen, kitchen sinks and taps Vipp (vipp.com) Bathroom flooring Mutina (mutina.it) Lighting Deltalight (deltalight.com) FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES: Kitchen, coffee tables, lamps, mirrors and sofa Vipp Carpets Massimo (massimo.dk) Bathroom tiles Mutina Bed Poliform (poliform.it)

At the opposite end of the room, the contemporary freestanding bathtub is positioned below a skylight

68 MAY 2021 /

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With a stunning sea view, the en-suite bathroom features a wall-mounted vanity unit with double basins and lamps

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This house just outside Melbourne, Australia, makes use of eco-conscious Timbercrete. Turn to page 79 for more offbeat materials

PHOTOGRAPHY TATJANA PLITT

PROJECTS

Renovation diary: part 18

Homes with unusual materials

Upgrade your outdoor space

Buyer’s guide to water features

75

79

89

99

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 73

PROJECTS RENOVATION DIARY

Temporary kitchen worksurfaces have been replaced by concrete-effect quartz in a pale neutral colour

Finishing touches get underway

WORDS NAME HERE PHOTOGRAPHY NAME HERE

As lockdown measures begin to relax, work starts up in the house once again Reena Simon, 37, interior stylist and blogger (hyggeforhome.com), lives in Cardiff, Wales, 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

Recently I looked back through my diary entries to see what stage of the build we were at this time last year.

It turns out we were ten months in, the scaffolding had come down and our efforts were concentrated on finishing the electrics and plumbing, plus Matt and I were the proud owners of a new front door.

Fast forward a year and, although we are living in the house, the build has been stopping and starting ever

since, and we’ve just come out of another significant pause. In January we were in lockdown and homeschooling our daughters once again while trying to juggle work. At that point we made the decision to pause construction because it was impossible to have work going on while dealing with online lessons, and the girls needing our full attention.

It was a frustrating time, but it was a relief at the very least to have MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 75

ABOVE Large glazed doors bring in plenty of light to contrast with the kitchen’s black cross-sawn timber cabinets RIGHT Beneath the floating stone shelf, a Fusion Round tap with Pro3 tank and Cube dispenses boiling, chilled and sparkling filtered water. From £2,300, Quooker (quooker. co.uk) TOP RIGHT Moroccan Zellige tiles and a wet room-style shower tray create a seamless, spa-like look in Reena and Matt’s bathroom

76 MAY 2021 /

some peace and quiet while we all just got on with it.

With the girls finally returned to school, the build has started up again. The first job to tick off the list was the en-suite bathroom. Having an en suite was one of our nonnegotiable requirements when planning the interior layout. In the first instance, we designed a bigger space with a bath, but after having to scale back the footprint of the house to obtain planning permission we had to rethink and turn it into a much smaller room. Although modest, it is bright thanks to the bespoke rooflight we included, which spans the length of the shower – I love the idea of starting my day with a view of the sky.

Back in November the floor and wall tiles were laid and then the unlacquered brass fittings and the basin and loo were put in. To keep continuity in the interior design and décor, we’ve used a similar colour palette in our en suite and the family bathroom, with off-white cement tiles on the floor, handcrafted glazed MAGAZINE.COM

‘We waited until the cabinets had been fitted before deciding on the kitchen worksurfaces, using temporary ones in the meantime’ Moroccan Zellige tiles on the shower walls and bare plaster on the others.

There has also been progress in the kitchen. We waited until the cabinets had been fitted before deciding on the worksurfaces – using temporary ones in the meantime – to get a better feel for the space and the light. In terms of materials, our initial choice was between timber, marble or concrete, as whatever we chose needed to be practical and low-maintenance. In the end, we

PROJECTS RENOVATION DIARY

RENOVATION PROJECT PLANNING GUIDE

1

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.

2

SEEK PLANNING PERMISSION It’s required before you start any work, apart from changes completed under permitteddevelopment rules.

3

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.

4

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.

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 834166) Flooring Waxed Floors (waxedfloors.co.uk) Glazed doors Maxlight (maxlight.co.uk) 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) Woodburner Topstak (topstak.co.uk) Worksurface Caesarstone (caesarstone.co.uk) settled on 20mm-deep concreteeffect quartz in a pale oat colour to complement the black cabinets and pick up on the pared-back Scandinavian theme running through the house. The surface finish is matt and mottled, and we also used it for the splashback that spans the length of the 4m-long kitchen – we felt tiles would look too busy.

You may notice that we haven’t installed a cooker hood. We opted for a wall-mounted extractor fan instead because we wanted a more

REENA’S RENOVATION TIP When designing a small space, treat your ceiling as a fifth wall and, if there is no floor above, add a skylight. It will make the room feel bigger.

streamlined finish to make the room look as large as possible, and a visible hood would have interrupted the open space.

There is still a hefty to-do list for us to get through: we have a utility room and laundry room to design and install, all of the internal glazing to be fitted, the upstairs snug has to be finished, we need storage throughout – including wardrobes – new beds and desks, plus the exposed ceiling joists have to be fireproofed.

5

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.

6

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: Time for Building Regulations sign-off

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 77

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10 Looking beyond bricks and mortar opens up a world of choice WORDS ANNA WINSTON

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Homes built with unusual materials With eco-consciousness in mind and tight budgets to manage, a new wave of self-builders is exploring alternative material solutions for the construction, insulation and finishing of their properties. From a restoration that uses hemp, to a house insulated with recycled newspaper and a building covered in reflective aluminium shingles, each of these projects demonstrates how unusual materials can contribute to the creation of a truly unique home.

FROM THE GROUND The walls of Kanuka Valley House were supposed to be made of concrete, but Wiredog Architecture realised that rammed earth was a better material for the location. It’s created by compressing layers of damp earth inside a framework, a technique used for millennia that has been made more efficient and stable by modern machinery.

Situated in a valley in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, it was created for a winemaker’s family. ‘A house that is of the earth was very fitting,’ says architect

Andrew Simpson. But following the Christchurch earthquake, regulations around rammed earth in New Zealand changed, meaning the design had to be altered and other structural materials introduced.

The resulting three-bedroom, 300sqm house features low-impact natural materials, with the rammed earth complemented by bamboo and cedar elements.

It is split across three sections, each with a sloped roof, referencing the rough angles of the surrounding schist rock formations. (wiredogarchitecture.co.nz)

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RENEWABLE BENEFIT

A Victorian house in Lewisham, south-east London, has been transformed with the addition of a cork-clad extension.

Having lived in the house since 2013, the owners, a graphic designer and a photography agent, and their two young children desperately needed more living space. The extension added 37sqm to their three-bedroom home and is covered in cork, both inside and out. Its eco credentials were particularly important to the couple.

Cork is a tree bark that regrows after harvesting, and it is both compostable and affordable. Sourced by Nimtim Architects, it provides enough protection to keep the house feeling cosy with no extra insulation and reduces the noise levels inside.

The exterior will weather naturally over time, and its use was supported by the council as being complementary to the existing brickwork. The construction cost, including the refurbishment of the house, was £144,000. (nimtim.co.uk)

3

TOUGH TOP LAYER

Built inside the ruins of a stone farmhouse in rural Dumfries, Scotland, this remote £400,000 home was designed by architect Lily Jencks and Nathanael Dorent Architecture (nathanaeldorent. com) for Lily’s own family.

The new exterior walls are layered behind the stone and coated with a black, waterproof EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber, creating a silhouette-like version of a standard pitched roof. The shape echoes the original outline of the house, but the architect didn’t want the new elements to compete with the ruins, so black rubber was chosen as a contrast.

The interior of the 180sqm, two-bedroom home is equally unexpected, with curving white walls dividing the space into tubes, widening for the kitchen, study and living room and narrowing to create cocoon-like passages.

Doors and windows are positioned in response to the layout of the ruins, and to maximise the views. (lilyjencksstudio.com)

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PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

TIMELESS QUALITY The extension to this five-bedroom house in Hampstead, northwest London, home to a family of four, is clad in handmade, folded bronze tiles. The metal is low-maintenance and, while alternatives such as copper will start to develop a distinctive patina over the years, bronze will remain unchanged

4

while continuing to complement the colour of the house’s brickwork in the future.

Dominic McKenzie Architects specified the shape of the tiles to echo the zigzagging roof, which rises up at one end of the extension to accommodate a new first-floor office. This helps retain a sense of location, as the pitched roofs were inspired by the surrounding houses. (dominicmckenzie.co.uk)

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5

USING WOOD WASTE Nestled

into a site in the Dandenong Ranges outside Melbourne, Australia, Olinda House was designed for a couple who are both vets. As well as being keen gardeners, they are also environmentally conscious.

The three-bedroom home, designed by Bent Architecture, is long and thin, with a split-level layout that hugs the sloping site. It is angled to use the sunlight and breezes to control the temperature naturally. The construction cost approximately £668,000.

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The house, which has 60 solar panels on the roof to generate energy, is built from carefully chosen materials, including a locally manufactured eco-concrete known as Timbercrete. This is made by combining sand, concrete, a binding agent and waste woodchips. It is more lightweight than standard concrete and performs better as an insulating material. As it was locally manufactured, the architects were able to specify dimensions and colours to suit the specific requirements of the house. (bentarchitecture.com.au)

PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

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TRADITION REINVENTED Thatch is an ancient roofing material familiar across Europe, but it has been given new life by Dutch architect Arjen Reas. He designed Villa Benthuizen for a young family of four with two children under ten, who approached his firm after seeing a previous project which had used thatch for the entire exterior.

Located in the village of Benthuizen, South Holland, on a green site hidden behind existing buildings, the new

four-bedroom, 210sqm house is covered in a blanket of the material which extends down the walls, insulating the house and giving it a unique, tactile appearance.

Dark wood was chosen for the underlying structure and surrounding veranda to contrast with the natural tones of the thatch. The form of the house is relatively simple, but adding the thatch was still challenging, requiring skilled craftsmen for the installation. Despite this, the construction came in at a relatively modest £386,000 approx. (arjenreas.nl)

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BRIGHT IDEA

Merri, designed by architect Takako Oji as her own home, is a place for reflection in more ways than one. The exterior of the secluded house is covered with a layer of aluminium shingles that gives it a unique appearance at the same time as helping it blend with the surrounding woodland in Princeton, Massachusetts. It also reflects the changing colours of the landscape through the seasons.

It is made from 90 per cent recycled aluminium, which is mixed with the virgin metal, creating a low-maintenance and cost-efficient cladding. The three-bedroom, 420sqm house is split over three levels, including a basement with a garage and workshop, and across two barn-like forms that nod to the agricultural buildings in the area. Either of the barns can be completely shut down to reduce energy needs in the event of a power failure.

The construction cost around £540,000, with the architect saving money by acting as the contractor and project manager as well as recruiting friends and contacts to help. (bryanoji.com)

8

A NATURAL FORMULA

This 400-year-old building in a valley in Martley, Worcestershire, has been turned into a contemporary, five-bedroom family home through a painstaking restoration. It involved casting Hempcrete – made from a mix of hemp, lime, sand and water – around the timber frame to create new walls.

The house was bought by its owner, who has a background in finance, as part of an organic farm. Empty for more than 30 years, it is Grade I listed and has several important native species on the site, so the building was subject to strict protections.

Harrison Brooks Architects (harrisonbrookes.co.uk) led the project, alongside contractor Speller Metcalfe (spellermetcalfe. com). Hempcrete was chosen due to the irregular wall shapes created by the timber frame, and poured into the gaps while wet to reach all the nooks and crannies. Though formed with entirely natural materials, Hempcrete meets modern insulation standards.

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PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

9

PAPER INSULATION Sitting on a clifftop in Cornwall with spectacular coastal views over Polurrian bay, this five-bedroom home hides one of its most unusual features inside its walls. It was built to replace a house that was damp and difficult to keep warm. Architecture practice Arco2, which specialises in creating eco-friendly buildings, took a fabric-first approach to the construction, focusing on structural materials to make the

house as energy-efficient as possible. This included a timber frame, as well as an innovative insulation material called Warmcel, which is made from recycled newspaper.

It is divided into two parts, with the first floor sunk into the site and the second sitting above it at an angle. This design feature and the natural slate and dark-coloured timber walls are intended to prevent it from overwhelming the setting, which is in an area of both scientific value and outstanding natural beauty. (arco2.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 85

10

EARTH BLOCKS Occupying an isolated

site in the Dhauladar mountains, just outside Dharamshala, India, The Flying House is a four-bedroom, 550sqm holiday home for a family of four. Designed by Martand Khosla of Romi Khosla Design Studios, it responds to the countryside with a distinctively modern design created using traditional and natural materials and techniques, and reusing as much of the excavated earth from the site as possible.

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One of the main construction materials is stabilised earth brick, also known as CSEB, which is made by pressing together subsoil, clay and binding agents to make bricks that can be used in the same way as standard masonry. The architect trained local masons to create the blocks, drastically reducing the project’s carbon footprint and encouraging the wider adoption of the material in the region.

The V-shaped roof structure helps to make the most of the amazing views out over the landscape, with large sections of windows protected by pine shutters. (rk-ds.com)

PHOTOGRAPHY MICKEY ROSS, WILL PRYCE, SERGIO PIRRONE, LUC BUTHKER, CHRIS HEWITT, EDMUND SUMNER/VIEW, TATJANA PLITT, MEGAN TAYLOR

PROJECTS GRAND GUIDE

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MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 87

PROJECTS OUTDOOR UPGRADES

Designer Alexandra Froggatt used cantilevered aluminium beams to create a dining terrace beneath the trees in this garden in Bradford-upon-Avon, Wiltshire. (alexandra froggatt.com)

How to transform your garden Whether reworking an uninspiring corner or designing a spacious plot from scratch, you’ll need a strategy, a budget and some expert help WORDS AR ABELL A ST JOHN PARKER

Creating a new garden scheme can be enjoyable and rewarding, but it will require advance planning and careful thought. Start off by identifying exactly what you want to achieve. Do you need somewhere to eat and entertain a crowd, or a place where the children can play while you sit and read? Perhaps lockdown has inspired you to grow your own fruit and veg, but where? Or is the front of your house devoted to cars, bikes and bins instead of being the good-looking entrance you long for?

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 89

Get the right help Garden or landscape designers can provide ideas during a single consultation or by creating a planting scheme. A step up would be for them to devise a master plan, so you can do the build yourself or hand it over to a contractor. They also offer full design-and-build services, aftercare advice and maintenance.

Whether you ultimately decide to work with a garden or landscape designer, a building contractor or with individual companies for specific tasks, make sure they understand your requirements and style, and meet everyone more than once before you sign any contracts.

Choose a member of the Association of Professional Landscapers (landscaper.org.uk), Society of Garden Designers (sgd.org.uk), or British Association of Landscape Industries (bali.org.uk), so you can be assured of their professional workmanship. Some, such as Bowles & Wyer (bowleswyer.co.uk), are members of more than one association and so combine creative ideas and practical expertise in engineering and construction.

ABOVE In order to create a tactile and ever-moving screen around this seating area, designer Helen Elks-Smith (elks-smith. co.uk) repeat-planted clumps of Japanese forest grass. The armillary sphere is

by David Harber (davidharber.co.uk)

90 MAY 2021 /

ABOVE Creating a roof garden requires considerations regarding weight, drainage, irrigation, lighting and planting suited to harsh conditions.

Specialist design-and-build firm Bowles & Wyer created this penthouse roof garden in Clerkenwell, central London. (bowleswyer.co.uk)

Establish the cost Set your budget early on and be open and honest about how much money you wish to spend from the outset. It’s a good idea to seek quotes from several designers and contractors, if needed. If you can take on some or all of the construction work yourself, this will lower the cost.

‘A professional will provide a clear fee proposal in advance, showing how much they’ll charge for each stage of the design. Just like architects, some will charge an hourly rate and others a fixed fee,’ says Andrew Duff, vice chairman of the Society of Garden Designers. ‘If the MAGAZINE.COM

designer requests a percentage deposit before starting, this is quite normal, as is invoicing after each stage.’

Each garden specialist has their own work process, and as each project is entirely bespoke, costs will vary, making it difficult to generalise as to a starting price.

‘Design fees are an open and transparent reflection of the cost of the expertise, and that allows you to find the best designer, and the right person to undertake the construction,’ says Helen Elks-Smith of Elks-Smith Garden Design (elks-smith.co.uk).

PROJECTS OUTDOOR UPGRADES

Assess the site Before any actual design work begins, the site must be surveyed. The results will include measurements, details of boundaries, the soil type, the elevation and aspect, an assessment of the trees and planting, structures and hard landscaping. Are you in a conservation area or are any of your trees protected by a preservation order? Check with your local authority first, as if either applies there will be restrictions on what you can and can’t do.

If you want to carry out the survey yourself, try the Oxford College of Garden Design (gardendesign-courses.co.uk) to learn how. For details of your property’s boundary, visit the government’s property information search page to request a copy of the Title Plan (gov.uk/search-propertyinformation-land-registry).

A professional surveyor can also survey the site for you, and if you use a garden or landscape designer, they will almost certainly do their own.

ABOVE As this garden encircles the house, Helen Elks-Smith installed drainage and created an inner circle of seating, dining and planted areas that track the sun around the building. (elks- smith.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 91

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PROJECTS OUTDOOR UPGRADES

Design-and-build firm The Garden Company created a flight of stone steps flanked by banks of naturalistic planting to turn a steep slope into an eye-catching feature. A smaller project involving hard landscaping and planting would cost upwards of £20,000. (thegardenco.co.uk)

Working with tricky conditions A sloping site or the lack of a view or destination can be overcome with structural work and planting.

‘A slope can be an opportunity to create visual interest in the level changes,’ says James Scott, MD of The Garden Company (thegardenco.co.uk). ‘A flight of steps can meander and lead to a feature on the upper level rather than just running straight up and down, while vertical spaces between the levels can be used for a water feature or a piece of art as well as planting.’

A waterlogged site can prove costly to drain, so consider working with the conditions rather than against them. ‘A bog garden using plants that thrive in damp conditions is more budget-friendly,’ says James. ‘Add raised stone borders or a boardwalk as a journey through the space.’

LEFT Designer Ann-Marie Powell opted for a varied green plant palette including textural yew hedging and low-growing ferns at Sopwell House’s Cottonmill Spa. The idea was to settle the slate-clad spa pools and mixed-materials decking into a scene inspired by forest bathing. (ann-marie powell.co.uk) covers 15sqm plus, Building Regulations do not apply. For more detail, visit the government’s Planning Portal (planningportal.gov.uk) and your local authority’s website.

Rules for garden buildings A freestanding outdoor structure is classed as permitted development, but there are exceptions.

‘The building’s eaves must not exceed 2.5m and the height, to the top of the roof, no more than 4m,’ explains garden designer Alexandra Froggatt of Alexandra Froggatt Design (alexandrafroggatt.com).

‘It shouldn’t top 2.5m if the structure is within 2m of a boundary or a house.’

Gardens on designated land or a conservation area will require permission if the structure is adjacent to the side of your home, and all structures will require permission if your house is listed. Unless the structure

Create a planting scheme Know your site and assess the value of any existing planting. Plan where you want things to grow, what you want them to do – such as create privacy, draw or distract the eye, add height, structure and ambiance – and work out how much you need, and who will ultimately care for it.

Choosing the right planting requires knowledge, and a garden designer can take the pain out of the process. ‘Plants are the lifeblood, soul and atmosphere of the garden,’ says Ann-Marie Powell of Ann-Marie Powell Gardens (ann-mariepowell.com).

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 93

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PROJECTS OUTDOOR UPGRADES

Swathes of grasses, heleniums and Verbena bonariensis soften and offset the steel sculptures, which stand at either end of this stone and gravel garden near Chester, designed by Alexandra Froggatt.

Expect to pay upwards of £140 per sqm for materials and installation of paving. (alexandrafroggatt.com)

BRIGHT IDEAS Outdoor lighting advice from Sally Storey, creative director of John Cullen Lighting (johncullenlighting.com) ● Plan your garden lighting as early as possible in the design process. You can’t run wiring across hard landscapes after they’ve been installed. ● Allow for two or three

different lighting circuits, one for wall lights outside doors, one for key features such as sculptures, paths and water features, which remain a focus all the time, and another one for key trees. ● All electrical work

should follow BS7671 safety standards (see bsigroup.com) and garden lighting schemes must be certified by an NEC-certified electrician (see planningportal.co.uk). ● Use cool-coloured LED

lights with a Kelvin measure of 2,700. Bulbs with 3,000 Kelvins or above will make a garden look ghostly at night. ● Using security floodlights

as garden lighting will make the outside space disappear into a black hole. Instead, illuminate focal points and leave the rest in darkness.

A little darkness goes a long way at night. ● Don’t use passive infrared

(PIR) sensors for external task lights – there’s nothing more irritating than having to wave to turn the fitting on.

PHOTOGRAPHY MANDY BUCKLAND, PAUL UPWARD

Paths, patios and walls Practicality and budget will dictate the materials chosen for hard landscaping. Invest in places you use most often, or are most visible, and if your budget is tight, spend it on good quality, simple designs using locally sourced materials, rather than a limited quantity of expensive materials.

‘Paths and paving are your garden’s bones, so give them careful consideration,’ says Alexandra.

Most hard materials are linear and making them curved can be costly. Likewise, building on slopes or waterlogged, soft or compacted soils will require more work, so know your site and allow enough budget to cover this.

RIGHT Rosemary Coldstream used a combination of granite, hardwood timber and pebble features combined with sweeps of perennial planting, grasses and autumn-colouring trees and shrubs to create a child-friendly garden. A similar scheme would cost upwards of £70,000. (rosemarycoldstream.com)

● Minimise light pollution by

using fittings with glare cowls, and direct them at what you want to illuminate. ● Choose spike fittings

with a long cable so you can reposition as your planting changes and to make the lighting effective throughout the seasons. ● Make sure that concealed

lighting control equipment is accessible for maintenance. ● For a softer light glow,

add vintage-style LEDs to decorative exterior lights such as lanterns.

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 95

PROJECTS CASE STUDY

Into the trees

P R O J EC T PROFILE –

LOCATION Hampshire STYLE OF PROPERTY New-build prefabricated house DURATION OF PROJECT 6 months SIZE 5,000sqm

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Oak steps manage the incline of this sloping garden, which was designed to maintain views of the surrounding woodland WORDS AR ABELL A ST JOHN PARKER PHOTOGR APHY JACK HOBHOUSE

The owner of this home wanted a garden to complement her new-build house, which sits on a diagonally sloping site. It needed to be planted so that she could see the beautiful nearby woodland from inside, and for the space to have somewhere she could sit and relax, socialise with friends and play croquet.

The new scheme incorporated an impressive old magnolia tree and a wooden shed.

MAGAZINE.COM

‘I removed a lot of rhododendrons to open up the lawn and views to the woodland and countryside beyond, and put in a series of terraces around the house,’ explains garden designer Karen Rogers (krgardendesign.com). ‘The new lawn, with paths future-proofed for the owner’s retirement, was a perfect way to link the terraces, the driveway, the new plant

PROJECTS CASE STUDY

LEFT Some of the original rhododendrons and mature trees, including a copper beech, were retained, as was the old shed over which Karen trained a clematis RIGHT Paved seating and dining patios anchor the building firmly within the sloping site. Soft and structural planting is kept low in the beds beside the house so as not to obstruct the views of the woods beyond the garden BOTTOM A series of timber sleepers set into the rising lawn draw the eye towards one of the garden’s main features, the old magnolia, in a raised bed at the edge of the dining terrace

Karen used planted slopes to make a feature of the newly levelled croquet lawn and to line the well-lit curved paths that flow from behind the house down to the front of the property

beds and the refurbished and enlarged croquet lawn. It also complements the curves of the shrubs and tree canopies.

The vertical oak sleepers, which were chosen to tie in with the woodland and the timber-clad house, create a raised, curved lawn area that leads from below the rear terrace, into the garden.’

Karen used planted slopes to make a feature of the newly levelled croquet lawn and to line the well-lit curved paths that flow from behind the house down to the front of the property. ‘I also made use of deadwood and branches pruned from the trees to create a wild area for insects, birds and other animals, and large compost bins were built for garden waste,’ she says.

Working closely with the owner, architect Alma-Nac (alma-nac.com), landscaper Waratah Gardens (waratahgardens.co.uk), and the builders was essential to limit any problems during the creation of the garden.

‘Heavy machinery and vehicles on site during the construction of the house can lead to soil compaction, which will limit the plants you can put into a garden,’ says Karen. ‘Making everyone aware of this from the outset means it can be addressed during the build rather than once landscaping starts.’

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 97

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PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE

FOCUS ON

Water features Adding water to your garden can soothe and restore, whether it’s a splashing fountain, babbling rill or calming pond WORDS AR ABELL A ST JOHN PARKER

The Pledge Pathway to Progress show garden for Cancer Research UK at RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival 2019 by Tom Simpson Design (tomsimpson design.com)

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 99

FOLLOW THE RULES Planning permission is unnecessary for most water features, particularly if they are self-contained and don’t require a mains water supply, you simply fill them with tap water and keep topped up with a hose. But if you are in any doubt, always check with your installer or your local planning office.

You must apply for permission if your property is listed or if it, or the surrounding area, has any of the following classifications: designated land, national park, green belt land or conservation area. Visit planningportal.co.uk for more details.

Under Building Regulations, water pumps and any exterior power source should be fitted with a residual current device (RCD) and electrical equipment must be maintained in a safe condition, with cables and connectors protected against the weather and accidental damage. Ask a qualified electrician to do portable appliance testing (PAT) once the water feature has been installed.

Also, if you intend to pump harvested rainwater via pipework to the feature, you must ensure that the pipework is entirely separate from the mains drinking water supply.

ABOVE A bespoke rill, designed and installed

by Water Gems (water gems.co.uk) in a garden

by Ruth Gebbie (ruth gebbiegardens.co.uk)

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ABOVE This stainless steel water wall by David Harber is made to measure and sold with reservoir, pump and LED lights. Fitted with a suitable water filtration and softening package, it needs to be drained a few times a year and refilled with fresh water. Use a lint-free soft cloth to carefully clean the steel. From £17,544, including installation and UK mainland delivery. (davidharber.co.uk)

WHICH DESIGN WHERE? Choosing a design depends on how complex a project you want to take on, how much space you have and what level and type of water sound you want to hear, if any. When possible, try to listen to a similar example before you buy and consider how you want to feel as you sit beside it.

MAGAZINE.COM

Also, do you want it to be the focal point or one of several features in the garden, and what should it be made of? Co-ordinating with existing materials will make it fit in more effectively and should prove more appealing if you decide to sell your home.

PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE

ABOVE The Zinc Water Surface fountain by Domani has a powder-coated inner casing within a zinc outer shell and comes with stainless steel reservoir and pump. £8,795, The Chelsea Gardener (chelseagardener.com)

STILL WATER SOLUTIONS For simplicity and cost-effectiveness, choose a freestanding container such as a Corten steel dish, zinc butt, salvaged stone planter or trough. Placed at the corner of a terrace or at a junction, it can become somewhere to stop and linger. Site the feature away from falling leaves as they will turn the water to sludge, and empty it occasionally to scrub away any algae that forms.

Alternatively, use the feature as both the focus and the structure of the garden, such as the design pictured on page 99.

‘The shallow, black-painted steel pond in the centre draws you in while the top step, in Jura green limestone, wraps around the space to form a bench,’ explains Tom Simpson. The mirror pond is self-contained and a design of a similar size, excluding planting, would cost around £7,000-£10,000.

For a naturalistic garden, a planted pond will require more maintenance, but can be installed in ten days if you choose an off-the-shelf kit. Try UK Water Features (ukwaterfeatures.com).

To keep fish, incorporate an electric or solar-powered filtration system and pump. Adding a pump-powered fountain or water blade to recycle the pond water is better still, while oxygenating plants and barley straw will help keep the water clean.

For a more substantial design, along the lines of the Silent Pool Gin Garden by David Neale (davidnealelandscapes.co.uk) at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019, commission an expert via the Society of Garden Designers (sgd.org.uk). They can design and project manage the construction, including any necessary planning applications and tender processes, along with sourcing and buying the materials and planting.

ABOVE Corten steel water bowls develop rust patina over time, and the weathering process may cause staining. From £85, Harrod Horticultural (harrodhorticultural.com) BELOW The Silent Pool Gin Garden designed by David Neale for the Silent Pool Distillery at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 (davidnealelandscapes.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 101

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PROJECTS BUYER’S GUIDE

HAVEN FOR NATURE Some tips for attracting insects, birds and animals from Abi Paine of The Wildlife Trusts (wildlifetrusts.org) ● Adding a water feature, large

or small, to your garden is one of the best things you can do to support wildlife. A pond is the ultimate solution, with one side that is shallow and stepped stones are ideal. Animals such as hedgehogs can drink without falling in and froglets can move out during the summer months.

Choose a site that is sunny, but not too hot. ● Allow grass to grow long

near the pond so animals can approach without being exposed, and use aquatic and native plants to oxygenate the water and provide shelter and food. Try marsh-marigold, a lovely edging plant with early nectar for insects, and frogbit, which has waterlily-like leaves that frogs can perch on. Water violets will attract dragonfly nymphs, water beetles and tadpoles, and the water itself will draw in birds to drink and bathe. ● Winter is a good time to

PHOTOGRAPHY TOM SIMPSON, DAVID HARBOUR, RUTH GEBBIE (RUTHGEBBIEGARDENS.CO.UK), ARABELLA ST JOHN PARKER/GREEN QUILL PRODUCTIONS

GO WITH THE FLOW Easy to install and maintain, plug-and-play water features, which can be bought off-the-shelf or custom-made, are self-circulating and can be easily moved around the garden so long as a waterproof power supply is nearby. ‘Deionised water will control limescale on concrete and standard stainless steel or brass cleansers will maintain the metal spout,’ says Lisa Greenway of Solus Décor UK (solusdecor.co.uk).

‘The sight and sound of water walls are captivating – perfect for quiet contemplation and relaxation,’ says sculptor David Harber (davidharber.co.uk), whose mirror-polished stainless steel feature relies on water pumped from a subterranean reservoir.

Reservoirs or water storage and catchment containers are used for many off-the-shelf options, as well as DIY or bespoke designs. The reservoir needs to have enough capacity to fully and consistently submerge the pump, and if your water feature shoots up into the air, the storage diameter should match the water height. Try Water Gardening Direct for a range of different types (watergardeningdirect.com).

ABOVE This combined planter/water feature uses water from the pool pumped up inside the structure and out through the blade that sits between the row of plants. The flow is powered by a small submersible pump concealed beneath a stone slab at one end of the pool. £5,000 for similar, My Landscapes (mylandscapes.com) BELOW Grow herbs, flowers and vegetables in the pockets of Solaray’s Perth solar 4-tier herb planter cascading water feature. Connect the pump to a solar panel and place in direct sunlight. £124.99, Primrose (primrose.co.uk)

create a pond as it will settle and establish without disturbing the wildlife too much, but any features with a solid lining are best drained during the cold months to prevent the water from freezing and cracking the structure. Refill it after the frosts have passed. ● Bees need to drink water

too, so create a bee watering station by lining a shallow tray with pebbles then almost covering them with water. ● Try to use collected rainwater

rather than tap water to fill your pond or feature. Tap water has chemicals in it that amphibians such as frogs might absorb through their skin.

For The Wildlife Trusts’ guide to building a pond, visit wildlifetrusts.org/gardening.

For maintenance advice, see rhs.org.uk

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 103

BATHROOMS

KITCHENS &

Bespoke kitchen with oak drawers, from £35,000, Sustainable Kitchens (sustainable kitchens.co.uk). For more eco-friendly ideas, turn to page 113

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 105

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KITCHEN UPGRADE

All lined up Kitchen specialist Rotpunkt has updated its Zerox high-pressure laminate furniture range with the Daylight Grey colour, which has black horizontal and vertical line details. The matt door and drawer surfaces are resistant to fading and finger marks, and there is also a customisable wall panel with storage accessories for creating a neat display. From £15,000. (rotpunktuk.com)

Hot stuff Appliance manufacturer Smeg has launched its first cookware collection. Created by Milanbased Deep Design, it is made from cold-forged aluminium with a steel base for good heat distribution. Compatible with all hob types, the two frying pans, two casserole dishes and wok all have a non-stick coating and come in cream, red or black.

The range is dishwasher-safe and oven-safe up to 250°C. From £99.95 for a 24cm frying pan. (smeguk.com)

Light cycle The Chalford light by Harris & Harris is handcrafted to order from slip-cast terracotta with an ombre-effect white glaze. Its dome-shaped matt opal glass shade conceals a low-energy Tala LED bulb. Available as a wall, pendant or table lamp, it can be recycled at the end of its life. The H160xW120xD145mm wall light costs £960, and each sale contributes to the practice’s charity foundation. (harrisharrislondon.co.uk)

Rustic touch Textured Lives is a new online store that offers unique homewares, fabrics and textiles in soft colours. The handmade ceramics include the Nzari dinner service and Edo terracotta mugs, both of which are dishwasher safe, and the Bwari marble and mango wood board.

Prices start at £16.95. (texturedlives.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 107

KITCHEN UPGR ADE

Join the jet set Icon is a contemporary pull-out double jet shower tap from Franke that makes cleaning big pots and pans easy. Standing 355mm tall with a reach of 237mm, the adjustable spray with hose switches between single or double jet at the push of a button, while the water aerator reduces splashing. The matt black and decor steel versions are both £519, the chrome finish is £499. (franke.co.uk)

Smooth over Avoid sharp corners and edges with the All Round porcelain tile range from CTD Architectural Tiles. The curved corners and angles are also ideal for creating an integrated sink. Available in gloss white, dark grey, mink or black, and six shapes, the tiles can be ordered through a kitchen designer or architect. £POA. (ctdarchitecturaltiles.co.uk)

Material mix Bring some colour and texture to the dining area with the Yutapi Sienna Choco chair designed by Bleu Nature for Tikamoon. With a brushed copper frame, chocolate leather seat and terracottacoloured velvet backrest, its rich mix of hues can be complemented by any one of the other colour options in the Yutapi chair collection.

Measuring H89x W46xD60cm, it costs £329. (tikamoon.co.uk)

Introduced to complement Caple’s collection of gunmetal grey appliances, sinks and taps, its new C864iGM induction hob can be flush-mounted and features sleek slider touch controls. Each of the four cooking zones comes with a booster to speed up cooking times, plus a handy pause function, and there is a nine-level digital power display. The hob measures L780x W520mm and costs £646. (caple.co.uk) 108 MAY 2021 /

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WORDS PAULA WOODS

Stop and go

ROOMS | WALLS | CABINETS | CELLARS

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BEAUTY SPOT Together with Wren, Andy and Jess have created a gorgeous kitchen for their home in the heart of the Welsh countryside

110 MAY 2021 /

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The large windows may open out onto the gently rolling hills of South Wales, but there is much to admire whichever way you turn in Andy and Jess Fox’s kitchen.

It all started when the couple spotted a ‘barracks-style’ bungalow for sale, originally built for land girls in 1943. They knew it would need a complete rebuild, and they wanted to create something modern and hi-tech that would harmonise with the surrounding countryside.

ABOVE The solid oak breakfast bar is the perfect spot for the family to gather and take in the views ABOVE RIGHT The clean lines of the Milano Elements kitchen, with floor-to-ceiling units in sleek Italian concrete, harmonise with the Pebble Gloss island LEFT Grey stone, solid timber and glass make Andy and Jess’s modern house in perfect harmony with the Welsh landscape

Andy and Jess’s kitchen works with the character of their new house and its breathtaking setting The house itself is a mixture of grey stone, familiar in the Welsh countryside, and modern glass. There is a similar juxtaposition of styles going on in the kitchen, where the Italian concrete floor-to-ceiling tower units are softened by the white and grey gloss, oak and warm copper accessories.

‘We knew exactly what we wanted: clean, modern lines,’ says Jess. The couple loved the way the kitchens were arranged at the Wren showroom, as it made it so much easier to imagine the end result. They spotted a Milano Elements design in Italian concrete and decided it was a good

starting point. After speaking to a Wren designer, their final plan was a combination of a few of the kitchens they saw in the showroom.

Impressed, the couple requested Wren also work with them on two other spaces, extending the kitchen style across the utility room and boot room. Andy installed everything himself. ‘I’m really hands-on, and Wren’s plans make it all very clear,’ he says. ‘The quality of the cabinets is fantastic.’

The couple are especially delighted with the appliances. Andy particularly loves the Bosch built-in fully automatic coffee machine, which is neatly integrated into the main wall. The quartz island is another favourite feature, with its built-in breakfast bar in oak.

The grey profile around the island complements the Italian concrete finish. This colour flows out onto the terrace, making the outdoor space an extension of the kitchen. It’s where family and friends naturally gather when the couple entertain.

This bright and airy kitchen is now the heart of their home. Andy and Jess have certainly achieved their aim of designing a space that works with the character of their new house and its breathtaking setting. Together with Wren, they’ve created a modern kitchen that’s beautiful both inside and out. ● Book your free design appointment today at wrenkitchens.com MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 111

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CERTIFIED COMPONENT

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PROJECTS KITCHENS

Eco-friendly design ideas Limit the environmental impact of your new kitchen with these simple measures WORDS PAUL A WOODS

Select better materials Make sure timber cabinets are made with wood or plywood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Bamboo is eco-friendly when sustainably sourced.

Melamine-Faced Chipboard (MFC) and Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) can also be made using recycled timber or chipboard waste, but Ecoboard, which is formed from compressed agricultural by-products, is an even better choice.

Bamboo cabinet fronts, panels, plinths and worksurfaces, from £2,862, Custom Fronts (customfronts.co.uk)

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 113

Shop local Ideally, buy from a kitchen supplier close to home that uses local and sustainably sourced materials. Many eco-aware companies have a statement covering their ethical and eco practices on their websites.

If not, ask for details Remodelled and extended house by Chris Dyson Architects (chrisdyson.co.uk) with Ladbroke kitchen, from £12,000, Naked Kitchens (nakedkitchens.com)

Buy secondhand

Waste not

Ex-showroom and used high-end kitchens are available from companies sourcing quality secondhand furniture and fittings.

Where possible, go and see the kitchen before buying, and opt for a dismantling service and professional fitting.

Ex-display Schuller kitchen with breakfast bar, worksurfaces and appliances, £10,000, the Used Kitchen Company (theusedkitchencompany.com)

Using reclaimed materials and furniture prevents them going to waste. Source from specialist dealers, salvage yards or kitchen companies that give old items a new purpose.

Bespoke kitchen with museum cabinet island unit, removed drawer fronts used for cupboard fronts, and wall unit made from the remaining frame and salvaged mirror.

Museum cabinets, from £1,500 excluding adaptations, Retrouvius (retrouvius.com)

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PROJECTS KITCHENS

Economise on energy

Extend the life cycle

Instead of wasting energy boiling full kettles, hot water taps heat only what’s required. Four-in-one models negate the need for plastic bottles by offering filtered, still and sparkling water.

Classic Fusion Round boiling water tap for hot, cold and 100°C filtered water, from £1,350. Optional Cube accessory for chilled and sparkling water, £1,150, Quooker (quooker.co.uk)

Look for composite worksurfaces and cabinet fronts formulated with recycled content, but also check that the materials are recyclable at the end of their lives.

Kitchen in Richlite, a Greenguard Gold-certified solid surface material made from recycled and FSC-certified paper, from £70 per sqm, Surface Matter (surfacematter.co.uk)

Pass it on Before ripping out old cabinets, consider how to prevent your kitchen from ending up in landfill.

If it is in good condition, companies such as Used Kitchen Exchange will sell it on, for a fee.

Alternatively, list it locally, donate it to a charity or give it away on Freecycle (freecycle.org).

Stoneham Knole Shaker kitchen with Dekton worksurfaces, £29,000, Used Kitchen Exchange (uke.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 115

Pick the tough stuff

Choose reused

Many stainless steel sinks are made from recycled materials and are fully recyclable. Bronze or copper are durable and recyclable. The latest quartz composite from Schock (schock.de) uses 99 per cent natural, renewable and recycled materials.

Recyclable Cronos matt finish stainless steel farmhouse-style sink, W795xD468xH190mm, £1677.60, Blanco (blanco.com)

As with worksurfaces, look for splashbacks that include recycled content. Recycled glass and aluminium panels can offer a sleeker, hygienic finish, and Ecostone by Lochanna is made from 93 per cent quarry stone waste (lochannakitchens.co.uk).

Sequel tiles handmade from 98 per cent recycled materials, including porcelain and glass waste, by Alusid (alusid.co.uk). From £99 per sqm, Parkside (parkside.co.uk)

Get good coverage

Check the rating

There are several quality eco paint formulas, and all should be plastic-free. For example, Little Greene’s water-based paints are virtually free of volatile organic compounds (VOC), and its oil-based formulas include sustainable vegetable oils.

From top, Light Bronze Green, Nether Red, Slaked Lime, Elysian Ground, from £24.50 per litre, Little Greene (littlegreene.com)

Choose appliances with at least a two-year guarantee and look for the new E-label that rates energy efficiency and performance, running from G up to A. Hobs without an integrated extractor aren’t rated, so opt for induction.

CI604DTB4 instant response, four-zone, black glass induction hob, W60xD53cm, with five-year warranty, £900, Fisher & Paykel (fisherpaykel.com)

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PROJECTS KITCHENS

Limit off-gassing To ensure good indoor air quality, specify low-VOC water-based paints or varnishes.

Avoid products incorporating formaldehyde, and look for composite materials such as MDF or plywood graded E1 to ensure low emissions.

Greenguard-certified products also have low chemical and particle emissions.

Bespoke kitchens made using local FSC-certified timber, E1 birch plywood, and water-based paints and varnishes, from £35,000, Sustainable Kitchens (sustainablekitchens.co.uk)

BANISH PLASTICS Reduce plastic reliance with these recommendations from Caroline Jacobs-Graf, founder of eco-conscious retailer A Little Find (alittlefind.com) ● Using refillable products

such as washing-up liquid considerably reduces packaging waste. Brands such as Colt & Willow (coltandwillow.com) and Ashley & Co (ashleyandco.co) also offer 100 per cent plantbased formulas. ● Spruce’s multipurpose

cleaner powder refills save on space as well as plastics, and minimise the product’s carbon footprint by reducing the need to ship bulky liquids. A single powder refill makes a full bottle of multipurpose cleaner (wearespruce.co). ● Pop the active charcoal filter

from Black+Blum in a jug of tap water for instant naturally filtered water. It lasts up to six months and releases minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium (black-blum.com). ● For a versatile alternative

to cling film that will save you money over time, try Food Huggers’ reusable food covers to seal fruit, veg, open tins and bowls (foodhuggers.com), or Bee’s Wrap washable, organic cotton beeswax and plantbased vegan food wraps (beeswrap.com). Silicone pouches by Stasher can be used to store fresh and cooked food in a fridge or freezer (stasherbag.com). ● Swapping liquid soaps in

plastic containers for soap bars is an easy and effective way to reduce waste. The Bamford pebble soap is milled with natural and organic ingredients (bamford.com). If you prefer a dispenser, Nursem handwash comes in reusable, recyclable bottles and every purchase supports NHS nurses and midwives (nursem.co.uk).

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 117

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PROJECTS KITCHENS

Use less water

See the light

Taps with in-built flow limiters, aerators or condensed sprays will automatically reduce the amount of water you use each time the tap is turned on, while designs with cold-start functions prevent hot water being wasted.

Zedra tap with pull-out hose, adjustable flow rate limiter and Blade Spray that reduces water consumption by up to 70 per cent. From £413.35, Grohe (grohe.co.uk)

Fit low-voltage, energy-efficient and long-lasting LEDs to save money in the long run and reduce waste. Team with fittings crafted from natural or recycled materials.

Handcrafted Brooklyn Dome pendant made from raw and recycled metals following sustainable practices, £79, Vintage Edison LED bulbs, £15, Industville (industville.co.uk)

Focus on flooring

Make it last

Responsibly sourced timber, stone or fast-growing bamboo will have minimal environmental impact. Cork is worth considering, as is biodegradable linoleum, and sustainable resins can be used to replicate concrete.

Homesphere environmentally sustainable poured resin floor made from natural biopolymers, from £120 per sqm, Sphere8 (sphere8.com)

Durable FSC-certified timber and sustainable bamboo are naturally eco-friendly worksurface choices, while glass, terrazzo, plus many sintered stone and mineral-based quartz options score highly in the recycled content stakes.

Responsibly sourced hardwood worksurfaces, from £580 per 2m length, handmade units, from £535, British Standard by Plain English (britishstandardcupboards.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 119

Ikea’s Kungsbacka matt anthracite units, from £750 for an eight-cabinet layout, and Ekestad timber veneer units, from £900 for the same, are both eco- and wallet-friendly (ikea.co.uk)

Clean lines A modified off the-peg kitchen offers a sustainable and cost-effective solution with a premium finish WORDS PAUL A WOODS PHOTOGR APHY Z AC AND Z AC

P R O J EC T PROFILE –

LOCATION Edinburgh, Scotland STYLE OF PROPERTY Georgian apartment conversion DURATION OF BUILD 5 weeks SIZE 30sqm kitchen-diner COST £9,500

120 MAY 2021 /

MAGAZINE.COM

Moving into an apartment spanning a floor of two adjacent Georgian townhouses certainly gave architects Joanne and Luke McClelland the scale and period detail they were after. But its grand proportions also came with some problems. ‘The northfacing living area had hardly any natural light and the kitchen felt isolated from the other rooms,’ explains Luke.

The solution was to reconfigure the layout and knock down a wall so that the kitchen could be extended to include a dining area.

It was a challenge perfectly suited to both Joanne, 38, and Luke, 38, who recently set up his own studio, Luke McClelland Design (mcclelland-design.com).

Though the pair often work on high-end projects, they couldn’t afford expensive fittings. ‘Our aim was to use affordable, off-the-shelf products to replicate the best qualities of premium suppliers: symmetry, simplicity and clean lines,’ says Luke.

Having settled on a linear run of units and an island to separate the cooking and

PROJECTS CASE STUDY

ABOVE The timber tones are offset with All White emulsion, £49.50 per 2.5 litres, Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com), and a Lusso Flow matte black single lever tap, £145, Lusso (lussostone.com) LEFT Metro Flat ceramic tiles, from £19.95 per sqm, Walls and Floors (wallsandfloors. co.uk), sit above full-stave oak worksurfaces, from £120 per 1.2m, Woodworktops (woodworktops.com)

‘The matt black fronts are made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles and reclaimed wood, the base units are sustainably sourced oak’ eating areas, the couple took inspiration from their love of Scandinavian style. ‘I like to use natural materials and crisp lines in functional spaces,’ says Luke.

Chosen primarily for their minimalist styling, the cabinets are from Ikea, but they also have impressive eco credentials.

‘The matt black fronts are made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles and reclaimed wood, while the base units are sustainably sourced oak,’ explains Luke.

The units have been set into a stud bulkhead to give the illusion they are recessed into the wall and to hide the ducting from a concealed extractor.

‘The oak trim surround used to frame the cabinets is made from worksurface offcuts and was added to give the impression of a more expensive handcrafted kitchen and enhance the sense of integration,’ says Luke. The worksurfaces are sustainable full-stave oak, which Luke feels gives a more natural finish than the thin-strip option.

Classic subway tiles, installed vertically, serve as a cost-effective splashback.

The minimalist aesthetic continues in the dining area, where the oak table and Hans Wegner Wishbone chairs are set against white walls and an oak herringbone floor.

‘The repetition of simple details and careful choice of materials has given us a kitchen we love at a reasonable price,’ says Luke. ‘It looks more like a single piece of joinery than a collection of freestanding elements.’

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 121

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B AT H R O O M E D I T Classic lines Among the six new baths recently launched by Swiss manufacturer Laufen is this elegant Elgin tub.

Made from solid surface Sentec, a non-porous cast mineral material, it has a smooth matt finish, fluted rim and distinctive ribbed details on the edge and base.

The freestanding, curving oval design measures W1,500xD800mm and costs £2,640. (laufen.co.uk)

Cupboard love British practice Bee9 Design produces handmade birch plywood furniture that can be customised to suit your space. Ideal for use in wet areas, the Oulu wall-mounted vanity unit with circular cutout handles is available in the material and colour of your choice and features an easy-mount system for stressfree installation. Measuring H670xW600xD450mm, it costs £639. (bee9.co.uk)

Special effects Made from porcelain with realistic stonelike flecks and a soft matt finish, Terrazzo Hexagon is a new tile from online retailer Walls and Floors. Measuring 32x37cm and suitable for use on both walls and floors, the tiles are available in Mottled Grey, Nevada Pink and Mineral Green priced at £38.95 per sqm. (wallsandfloors.co.uk)

Make it quick Reducing time spent in the shower by just one minute could save your household the equivalent of more than 60,000 500ml bottles of water a year. For further energy and water-saving advice, visit shower manufacturer Triton’s new online calculator and answer a few short questions to reveal personalised tips and advice that will help reduce water consumption and save you money.

Eden dual-control mixer with diverter and rainfall-effect showerhead, from £239.99, Triton. (tritonshowers.co.uk/ calculator/savings)

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 125

B AT H R O OM E D I T

A matching set Created in collaboration with designer Kenneth Waaben, Unidrain’s Reframe collection of accessories is intended to complement and colour co-ordinate with the company’s wet-room floor drains. Comprising a soap shelf and shower wiper, towel bar, hooks, corner shelf, loo paper holder and brush, the range is available in copper, brass, brushed stainless steel, polished stainless steel and black, with prices from £166.50. (unidrain.com)

Less is more

High drama

All white now

Taking its influence from gothic architecture, Astro’s wall-mounted Tacoma light combines statuesque metal stems with glass globes.

Available in single, twin and single grande formats, each dimmable light is IP44 rated, and can be finished in antique brass, matt black or polished chrome, and teamed with a choice of plain or ribbed shades.

Tacoma Single light, H270wW70xD135mm, from £110, ribbed Dia135mm smoke shade, from £40. (astrolighting.com)

Lusso’s Luxe Silk Matte White brassware collection is both paredback and contemporary. Use it to blend with pale surfaces or stand out against darker hues. The range includes WRAS-approved taps and showers, suitable for both high- and low-pressure systems. Three-way thermostatic shower with handheld shower and bath spout, £595. (lussostone.com)

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WORDS PAULA WOODS

If you’re struggling to find room for everything in a small space, Britton’s new Trim sanitaryware range could provide the solution. Fittings include wall-hung, semi-pedestal and pedestal basins with ultra-thin edges, plus slimline back-to-wall or close-coupled loos. Trim basin with semi pedestal, W600xD400xH840mm, £248, back-to-wall loo with soft-close seat, W366xD500xH420mm, £299. (brittonbathrooms.com)

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Traditional | Classic | Contemporary Westminster Stone’s curated collection of paving and flooring offers the finest British and International ranges.

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1 Decide on your priorities Get underway by working out exactly how the space will be used and by whom, then make a list of the features to be included.

Practical surfaces and easy-to-use fittings are a priority in a family bathroom, whereas luxury designs might be better suited to an en-suite scheme.

Essence titanium steel bath, L1,800xW800mm, from £7,213.36, Vessel basin, W600xD400xH103mm, £695.23, Grandera single-lever floor-mounted bath mixer, £2,029.46, XL basin mixer, £567.26, 210 head shower, £534.42, single-lever mixer valve with two-way diverter, £399.86, Grohe (grohe.co.uk)

15

step bathroom planning guide

Ideas to create a scheme that looks great and is a pleasure to use WORDS PAUL A WOODS

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PROJECTS BATHROOMS

2 Set a budget Work out what you can spend and cost up the entire project.

There’s no point ordering high-end fixtures and fittings if you can’t afford to have them installed, but it is worth investing in the best-quality sanitaryware and brassware you can.

300mm Square shower head and ceiling arm, £395, wall-mounted handset, £92, Windon Square temperature control valve, £191, diverter valve, £100, and stop-tap valve, £90, 1,400mm screen and ceiling posts, £535, Nuie (nuiebathrooms.com)

3 Know the rules Various works such as removing structural walls, adding windows, relocating or adding a new bathroom and alterations to existing drainage systems will need Building Regulations approval. Speak to your local authority or use a company registered to self-certify through the Competent Persons Scheme.

Axbridge lever-handle wall-mounted basin mixer in bright nickel, £460, floor-standing bath shower mixer, £1,195, and towel rail, £110, Vado (vado.com) MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 129

PROUD TO SUPPLY ALL ASPECTS OF ARCHITECTURAL METALWORK

Recently featured on the grand designs show, S&L Engineering prides itself as a company that can provide all aspects of architectural metalwork, including contemporary staircases, glass balustrades, balconies, gates and railings.

We have manufactured and installed fully bespoke high-quality staircases and balustrades into some of the most prestigious properties all over the UK.

S&L Engineering is based in March, Cambridgeshire but we install nationwide.

We create totally bespoke to the customers needs, which means all staircases and wrought iron work are designed to fit perfectly into or around your home and suit the lifestyle that you lead, as well as budget.

www.sandlengineering.co.uk enquiries@sandlengineering.co.uk | 01354 279978 | 07818 555923

PROJECTS BATHROOMS

4 Follow water guidance

5 Minimise changes

New-builds will need to comply with Part G of the Building Regulations, which covers water efficiency.

Find out more at planningportal.co.uk.

Lineare single-lever floor-mounted bath mixer in brushed hard graphite with temperature limiter and SilkMove for precise water flow and temperature control.

Suitable for 1-5 bar water pressure systems, £2,907, Grohe (grohe.co.uk)

If your current layout works, stick with it to avoid disruption and reduce costs. Modest tweaks, such as re-hanging the door or fitting a bi-fold will free up floorspace, as will investing in bespoke, compact and reduced-depth fittings.

Nouveau console with Livingtec basin and vanity, H615xW820xD370mm, £2,181 approx, and round mirror, Dia900mm, £388 approx, Ex.t (ex-t.com)

6 Make a blueprint If you want to change the layout or are starting from scratch, measure an existing space or use an architect’s plans. You need the room dimensions, the position of the windows, doors, pipework and features, such as sloping ceilings, to work out the best place for fittings – you’ll need their sizes too.

Cielo Plinio washbasin, from £2,689, Cielo Shui Comfort Livingtec bath, L1,800xW930mm, £POA, wall-mounted loo, W375xD550xH370mm, from £543.60, bidet, W375xD420xH370mm, from £429.60, CP Hart (cphart.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 131

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST Receive a free digital issue each month and be the first to get news and exclusive offers from Grand Designs magazine and Grand Designs Live Get ideas and expert advice to inspire your self-build, renovation or home-improvement project along with Grand Designs Live ticket information and access to exclusive competitions.

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PROJECTS BATHROOMS

7 Use design tech Online augmented-reality apps and bathroom retailer design services such as Kaldewei’s 3D planner are another way to work out the most suitable layout. The latest 4D virtual-reality theatres allow you to experience a scheme prior to fitting – Virtual Worlds (virtualworlds.co.uk) lists participating showrooms. Alternatively, consult a specialist bathroom company, designer or architect.

Meisterstück Emerso bath, L1,800xW800mm, from £7,676.20, Emerso countertop basin, W600xD500xH40mm, from £734.40, Nexsys shower tray, L900xW900xH46mm, from £849.60, Kaldewei (kaldewei.co.uk) MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 133

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PROJECTS BATHROOMS

8 Gather a team Ask family and friends for recommendations of competent plumbers, builders and electricians they have worked with, and choose firms accredited to associations such as the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (ciphe.org.uk) and the Federation of Master Builders (fmb.org.uk).

Boutique walk-in shower with return and side panel, integrated tray and chrome fittings, L1,700xW900mm, £1,880, optional installation, £690, Matki (matki.co.uk)

9 Protect your investment Whether opting for a turnkey solution or hiring independent trades, establish the level of service you expect from the start.

Keep paperwork from all parties, which should detail written estimates of the cost of work, along with any guarantees.

Interior architecture and design company Day True will design, supply and arrange the installation of your bathroom. Bespoke bathroom from £10,000. (daytrue.com) MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 135

10 Check the water pressure Seek advice from your plumber during the design stage to ensure your mains supply has adequate pressure for the new fittings you want.

Integra Aquacare wall-hung loo with soft-close seat, W355xD500xH345mm, £494, wall-hung bidet, W355xD540xH350mm, £187, round basin with half pedestal, W550xD450xH850mm, £207, Minimax S bidet mixer, £160, Vitra (vitra.co.uk) 136 MAY 2021 /

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PROJECTS BATHROOMS

ORDER OF WORKS Timeline tips from Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders (fmb.org.uk) ● The first crucial step is to develop your brief and plan your budget. ● Obtain a minimum of three

quotes before hiring anyone.

Try FMB’s Find a Builder tool. ● Choose your builder, sign

a contract, book your work, and finalise the schedule.

Most good contractors will be unable to start immediately. ● Confirm your final brief

11 Focus on lighting Take time to get the lighting scheme right before any work gets underway to avoid disruptive changes after the wall and floor surfaces are in place. Make sure suitable IP44or IP65-rated fittings are used.

Bespoke recessed lighting with dimmable warm white linear LEDs brighten this family bathroom with custom-made Carrara marble basin, joinery and shower screen, £25,000, TR Studio (trstudio.co.uk)

and select sanitaryware, materials, fittings and fixtures in collaboration with your builder. Establish delivery dates to avoid costly delays. ● After ripping out and

removing the existing bathroom, attention should turn to first fix plumbing and electrics, putting new services in place and dealing with any defunct pipes and wiring in the old bathroom. ● The builder will now

begin levelling walls, fitting plasterboard or tile backing board and plastering.

Repairing and plastering the ceiling comes next, prior to levelling, reinforcing where necessary, screeding and waterproofing the floor. ● All second fix plumbing

should be completed by a qualified plumber including the installation of sanitaryware, baths, brassware, radiators and heated towel rails. ● Second fix wiring should

be completed by a qualified electrician and includes fitting an extractor fan, shaver points, electric underfloor heating and lighting. ● Wall and floor tiling is

12 Maximise the floor area Look for wet room-style showers, and compact or wall-mounted sanitaryware and furniture to create more open floorspace, which will help to make the room seem bigger.

Bespoke bathroom by Gunter & Co (gunterandco.com) with Catino Rettangolare vanity, £POA, Cielo (ceramicacielo.it), brassware, from £140, Lusso (lussostone.com), and Carnaby tiles, £46.80 per sqm, Mandarin Stone (mandarinstone.com)

completed before the final decoration is added, and the necessary certificates handed over for peace of mind. ● Take a look at the FMB’s

online primer Planning a Bathroom: the Ultimate Guide to Renovation and Installation.

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PROJECTS BATHROOMS

13 Create a focal point

14 Factor in storage

15 Make it future-proof

Ensure you have sufficient storage – too much is better than too little. Bespoke designs make use of every available inch, while modular units can be adapted to fit the space.

XVui C-bonded two-drawer vanity with basin, H502xW600xD480mm, £2,316, tall cabinet with smoked-glass door, H2,010xW400xD360mm, £1,395.60, LED mirror, W450xH800xD40mm, £1,576.80, D.1 Electronic tap, £2,148, Duravit (duravit.co.uk)

Factor in your changing needs over time. Keep surfaces level and slip-free, especially in shower areas. Choose brassware with easy-use levers and scald-free thermostatic showers, or pick digital smart and sensor fittings for hands-free operation.

Bathroom with bespoke walk-in enclosure, additional steam shower and bench, £POA, XUL Architecture (xularchitecture.co.uk)

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PHOTOGRAPHY PETER HELME

Use a freestanding bath, vanity unit, luxurious shower or bold tiling as a highlight of the scheme.

A split-level setting can serve the same purpose, and pipework can be concealed beneath a raised floor.

Bespoke bathroom with raised bathing area, engineered timber floor and custom-built timber and Caesarstone vanity, £13,000, Berkeley Place (berkeleyplace.co.uk)

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RESOURCES

Our screens can be easily mounted vertically or horizontally onto any fixture, frame, wall, fence, gazebo or any other support.

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We have a wide range of designs available and can supply mountings to fit a variety of situations, so the use of our screens is only limited by your imagination.

See our web site or call to discuss your project and see how we can bring your ideas to life.

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

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Art Limited

kevin@gardendesignart.co.uk www.gardendesignart.co.uk T:01992423935 M:07790978159

MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 143

RESOURCES

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Beautiful products, great prices 0161 277 6853 stonesuperstore.co.uk sales@stonesuperstore.co.uk stonesuperstore.co.uk Online: stonesuperstore.co.uk

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RESOURCES

Tiewire, the alternative roof Tie Bar The TIEWIRE is the component of choice and has solutions for new conservatory roofs, refurbishments, solid roof replacements and traditional construction.

Contemporary design allows the TIEWIRE, with its 6mm diameter stainless steel cable to blend into the background. A variety of adjustable brackets are available to suit most situations.

The TIEWIRE is CE Marked. Certification and structural data available upon request.

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

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MAGAZINE.COM / MAY 2021 145

PROFILE

MY GRAND IDEA –

Architect Martin Edwards reinstated the top floor of a 19th-century pub to create a new timber-framed studio

146 MAY 2021 /

rooflight, and this defines the geometry of the studio. Studies of construction methods and materials were carried out at the same time as surveys and other site investigations.

— What made you decide to use timber?

A timber-framed construction had the benefit of being relatively lightweight and minimising additional loads on the walls and foundations beneath. A steel frame might have been an alternative solution, but I was very keen to minimise the use of steel to reduce the embodied energy in the new construction – the exception being the exposed roof beam that supports a chain hoist to lift artist’s materials from ground level though new trapdoors. The timber frame also allowed for very good thermal performance within a similar overall wall thickness to the existing masonry, as the new walls sit directly above the lower storeys. When

MAGAZINE.COM

combined with wood-fibre insulation, the frame provided a solution with low embodied carbon. The exposed timber of the roof structure is also important to the feel of the studio, it lends a rhythm and scale to the room.

— And what about the charred ash board cladding?

The charring alludes to the previous partial destruction of the building, and becomes a reminder of a very particular event in its life. Ash was chosen because it retained strong grain characteristics once it had been charred and could be locally sourced from UK-grown trees. The project was completed shortly before the first Covid-19 lockdown, and I’ve had very positive feedback from the client over the past few months of use.

Martin Edwards Architects martinedwardsarchitects.com

ABOVE The charred ash boards used to clad the exterior were heat-treated to improve their durability LEFT Timber boards found below layers of old roof finishes were relaid as the new studio floor

WORDS MATT GLASBY PHOTOGRAPHY MAX CREASY

Tell us about the building It was originally an east London pub built in the early 19th century that had been converted into a home in the 1990s. The local area was extensively damaged during WWII, and the upper floor of the pub had been lost, but the lower two storeys were repaired below a new roof. We were asked by the owner, who is an artist, to remodel the building and add a new studio where the original top floor had been.

— How did you approach the design?

The quality of light was important, as was the character of the space and choice of materials. The roof structure was the main challenge.

At an early stage of the project I explored the form and layout with the client, using cardboard models to look at different designs and how they affected the light. The resulting double pitch roof is aligned east-west with a large central north-facing

Vibrant Cedar year after year No maintenance, UV stable Composite Slatted Cladding

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