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M a k e yo u r d r e a m h o m e a r e a l i t y

Real 6 HOMES REALHOMES.COM

essential style updates for autumn

BEFORE AFTERS

60 pages of AMAZING home makeovers

Alexa! how smart is my home?

shopping hotlist Boiling water taps Kitchen appliances fires and stoves

WARM WELCOME

plan your perfect hallway

PHOTOGRAPH KATIE LEE

Beth Murton Editor @BethMurton

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The Hub section on our website, where it’s all about making home technology easy. You’ll ﬁnd everything from buying guides to expert advice features, plus all the latest deals on smart tech. Head to realhomes.com/technology today. As for me, I’m ﬁnally ready to embrace more smart tech and make the most of my handy home assistant. Alexa, I hope you’re ready!

#SOREALHOMES

from the editor

u fully embraced the t tech revolution in your yet? Are app-controlled ng systems, video doorbell smart speakers part and parcel of your daily life and you can’t imagine how you ever lived without them? Or are you still unsure when it comes to creating a smart home and are yet to jump on the hi-tech train? I hold my hands up and admit that I fall into the latter camp. Although we have welcomed a new addition to our household (hello Alexa), we’re yet to introduce smart tech on a bigger scale and I’ve been wondering why. It’s not that I don’t want to have the latest technology in my home, it’s more that I’m not entirely sure where to start, what I should spend my money on, and what technology will make a difference to my day-to-day life rather than being a gimmick I don’t need. Our recent Real Homes Smart Home survey revealed that a large number of you feel the same way. While you’re excited by the possibilities of smart tech and want to buy more, you’re lacking the confidence and knowledge to fully integrate it into your home. A high percentage of those surveyed already use a voice assistant, for example, but a significant number of those people admit that they don’t know how to make the best of them. So to help you (and me!), we’ve put together a special smart home issue. To start, our expert guide (page 100) cuts through the jargon for the lowdown on what’s available so you can decide what’s best for your home. There’s also a round-up of smart appliances (page 150) to help transform your kitchen; columnist Lisa Dawson reveals what tech she’s loving in her home (page 23); Real Homes readers sing the praises of the smart buys they can’t get enough of (page 125); and one homeowner reveals how technology has improved family life and saved them money on their energy bills in the process (page 92). If that whets your appetite for all things tech, make sure you visit

s t n e t n 15

Inside track 15

Why we love the strong and powerful eﬀect of black

news This month’s hottest new homeware and design ideas

21 23

Floor fillers Keep warm underfoot and uber stylish with a cosy modern rug

Task Masters

145

Would you extend your home In Winter? Our readers share their thoughts

READER Receive free Joseph Joseph Nest measuring cups and a cook book, worth £21.99 9, when you subscrib be – see page 10

new buys on the block Latest bedroom looks and where to get them on a budget

home-enhancing hallways Make a cracking ﬁrst impression with a heavenly entrance

creative ways with parquet Think outside the box with this timeless ﬂooring technique

Sleek table lamps you’ll be proud to show oﬀ

real home Step inside Ludivine and Phil’s expanded family house with a chic muted palette

cool jewels Turn up your decadence dial with rich, sumptuous tones

home truths Our monthly columnist, Lisa Dawson, on how tech impacts her family home

#nowtrending Let’s be friends on social media

Colour of the month

REALHOMES.COM

153

Style agenda

s t n e t n co 64

project advice

home life

My favourite corner

real home

100

A reader shares the part of her home she enjoys most

Discover how Amanda and Jess looked upwards to maximise their Victorian home’s potential

project news

Guide to two-storey extensions

The latest ideas and essential purchases for your renovation

Think bigger when adding on

129 extension of the month

real home

A brave design that caught our eye

See how Sayu integrated smart home tech into his period home

130 extension planner Guide to exterior finishes

100 smarter living

133 Extension diary

Our expert guide on creating a connected home

Interiors writer Linda Clayton on living through a major renovation

108 real home

135 the november report

Rebecca and Ewan extended their ground-floor flat to embrace open-plan living

135

Stylish buys and innovations for your kitchen and bathroom

112 Forever home or home for now?

145 fires and stoves

Cosy up your home with the newest models and designs

Do we search for the one or will a project always be on our wishlist?

150 Focus on smart appliances

114 Real Home

Find out how Lucy and David extended their home and filled it with the latest on-trend buys

Clever products to make life easy

153 The edit

The latest boiling water taps and freestanding vanity units

125 ‘how smart tech changed our home’

162 Sunday Project

Our readers share how tech has transformed their lives

Create a gorgeous drinks cabinet

138 Real Home

138

Catie and Nick created a light, bright kitchen with garden views

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Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR) www.futureplc.com

Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford !ǝǣƺǔ ˡȇƏȇƬǣƏǼ ȒǔˡƬƺȸ Penny Ladkin-Brand Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

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PRODUCTION Head of Production Mark Constance Production Project Manager Clare Scott Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Manager Vivienne Calvert

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CIRCULATION Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers

INSIDE

track

Get the scoop on new design ideas, must-have products and looks you’ll love… Penida black rattaneffect resin and metal chair, £108.50; white and black ceramic vase, £16.50; embossed black metal pendant, £110; burgundy rattan pendant, £66; bronze tone ribbed ceramic vase, £11, all Maisons Du Monde

setting the scene As trends go, we think the current blend of Japanese and Scandinavian looks is pretty, well, pretty! Pared back yet inviting, its philosophy has a peaceful way of life at its core – and who doesn’t want a slice of that? The new Azuki range from Maisons du Monde captures this restful feeling with natural materials and minimalist designs. Tranquility is served.

Basket with black stripe print and claret border, £55

round black metal and rattan mirror, £38.50

feature AnnA Morley

Hilda solid oak and woven paper cord chair, £215.50 ecru patterned red cotton cushion cover, £10

easy living

Keep the calming vibe going with furniture and accessories from Maisons Du Monde to capture this unique look

Cast-iron blue teapot, £32

Orange fringed blanket, £44

Helios solid mango wood and rattan two-door wardrobe, £1,570

Halo eight-arm chandelier, £395, with eight Buttercup velvet empire shades, £28 each, Pooky

Belle black pendant, £90, Habitat

halo you Ophelia tumbler, £5, Marks & Spencer

Bathe yourself and fellow diners in a warm glow with some angelically inspired lighting. The striking new Halo chandelier with interchangeable shades is part of the latest launch from Pooky, which also includes wall lights and velvet lampshades. The colourful collection is all about introducing pops of brightness to the home and increasing energy and playfulness.

Där Lighting Nuella table lamp in polished nickel etched glass, £79, Castlegatelights

Mini trend alert T

Kanso ribbed highball glass, £4, Sainsbury’s Home

Flutes you, sir Pettine carafe, £26, Oliver Bonas

The ripple effect – it’s not only real but it’s also trending! We’ve seen lots of fluted designs around of late, all with this elegant ribbed texture. Time to get in line for this look

Kanso ribbed grey carafe, £10, Sainsbury’s Home

Heathland Confetti cotton linen, £34 per m

life in full blooM Autumn isn’t usually the season to celebrate fresh bouquets but the latest fabric release from Blendworth Interiors does just that. Inspired by English nature but taking its name from the Greek Goddess of flowers, Antheia is a cornucopia of colour. Painterly renditions of wildflowers and countryside heaths feel ultra-fresh – it’s truly botanical brilliance.

Cornucopia Inkwell cotton linen, £34 per m

reflection tutti frutti cotton satin, £34 per m

Small glass pot, £9.99

Large stoneware plate, £9.99

Cornucopia Island cotton linen, £34 per m

hooking up With the trend for metallics still high on our style radar we were excited to discover these handy little hooks from Command. Ideal for creating a display, or simply hanging up your keys, these new strip hooks come in a steel, copper or gold finish, so your wall vignettes can have some extra shine. They attach with no need for nails and can be cleanly removed when you’re ready to mix things up again.

Large glass vase, £24.99

collab alert

Delve in Get ready to mingle collaboration lovers, as Poppy Delevingne and trend-led fashion giant H&M Home have joined forces. Yes, the chic British actor, model and all-round style icon has teamed up with H&M to help launch its first ‘At Home With...’ campaign. Glamorous yet eclectic, the mood is fun, sophisticated and thoroughly modern.

Washed linen duvet cover set, £79.99

Metal and marble candelabra, £17.99

Wool-blend blanket, £34.99

Decorative Command metallic strip hooks in stainless steel, copper and gold, from £3.99 for a pack of four, Homebase

pendant penchant

Snug Style Dunelm’s autumn/winter collection is full of contemporary-meetstraditional pieces, perfect as the evenings start to close in. The range has a natural and relaxed feel to it with finishes that include charcoal-painted furniture, solid oak and antique brass together with modern lighting designs. Winter lounging awaits.

round textured clear glass pendant light, £95

Is new lighting at the top of your wish list? Here at Real Homes we’re rather taken with Cult Furniture’s latest and oh-so textured offerings. Characterful, decorative but not too showy, these glass pendants create a clean and simple statement, but with a tactile twist. We just can’t decide which finish to go for!

round glass brown pendant light, £75

retro palm leaf green glass pendant light, £85

Book worm Rockett St George Extraordinary Interiors In Colour Jane Rockett & Lucy St George. Photography, Catherine Gratwicke (Ryland Peters & Small, £19.99) Flamboyant interiors alert! This book contains images not for the faint-hearted – which is possibly why we like it so much. There’s inspiration overload in this, the second book from quirky, rock ‘n’ roll-esque homewares brand Rockett St George. You’ve been warned.

Compton wine cabinet, £199; Damien black arc floor lamp, £79; Grayson three-seater sofa, £599; fulton lift-up coffee table, £199; fulton long side table, £59; Chunky jute rug, from £35; arkin armchair, £229; Monochrome paper storage basket, £15

BL ACK FRIDAY Thinking about kitting your home out with smart tech? Just after a new TV? Black Friday is almost upon us, so head to The Hub at the end of November and make savings on all things tech. Hoover Vision smart oven, £1,187, John Lewis & Partners. Samsung ecobubble washing machine, from £359, Currys. realhomes.com/technology

g n i d n e r t w o n # .COM MMUNITY ON REALHOMES

JOIN THE CO FOR ALL YOUR HOMES get involved We always love to hear from you! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news, behind-the-scenes shoots and gorgeous pics. Share your home with us using #sorealhomes and you might just ﬁnd yourself featured on our feed…

Hanging faux plant, £6, Primark

INSPIRATION AND ADVIC

BARGAIN CORNER We’re on a mission to bring you the best deals out there in the smart home universe. Not keen on tech, but still want to shop well? We’re all over it. From cut-price sofas to supermarket sweeps, get more for less on our deals page. realhomes.com/deals

WATCH AND LEARN No idea where to begin when it comes to home tech? Sit back and watch the Real Homes Show, where our tech experts take things back to basics, testing out the latest products, from smart fridges to robot vacuums, so you can be in the know before you buy. realhomes.com/tv

Swoon Tivoli emerald sofa, £1,099, Very

Lisa Dawson

home truths

PhotograPh Katie Lee

Last month, it was my wedding anniversary. I’ve been married for 18 years

fitting that turned itself on when the children entered and off when they exited. This brilliant addition saves us money and me from spending at least 60 per cent of my day patrolling the house switching off lights in rooms and was keen to give Joe a present with no one in them. that reflected this momentous (or I recently visited a fully automated miraculous) event. A gift that signified Victorian terrace in York created our love, our commitment, the shared by Potes Smart Homes. One of my moments and tolerance…oops, sorry, favourite additions to the house was I meant tenderness. I asked him for a shower you could verbally instruct ideas. Romantic weekend away? to turn on and off, and control the Cinema membership? Nope. Joe’s temperature – no more hot/cold water reply was a video Wi-Fi doorbell. roulette while waiting to get in. Also Never let it be said that romance great was the central heating control – isn’t alive and kicking in our house. the moment you left the house and Joe has always had an obsession set the alarm, the heating would turn with security. He still keeps a baseball off. When you entered, it would turn bat under our bed in case of attack, back on again. As someone prone although to date the only close call to keeping the radiators at tropical for its use was the cat jumping on temperatures for at least eight months him unexpectedly at 4am. He also has of the year, this could an undying passion be a definite bonus. for technology – there ‘A shower you But my favourite is no man north of smart home feature Watford who owns as can verbally is without doubt the many Wi-Fi-based items as him. The turn on and off Sonos music system. Tech-savvy Joe advent of smart home bought our very first living – the concept means no more speaker over 10 years of making your home hot/cold water ago and we now have controllable and nearly every room efficient – is his roulette while base covered and dream come true. operable from our I have to admit, waiting to get in’ mobile phones. though, the doorbell Unfortunately, music has been a hit – for me taste in our house varies dramatically, in particular, whose heart sinks when from A Star Is Born (me) and the Stone I get the red card through the mailbox Roses (husband), to Bruno Mars to confirm I’ve missed a parcel delivery. (10-year-old), culminating in totally During our summer holiday in Greece, unsuitable hardcore grime that has Joe and I’s phones would alert us to the me shouting ‘turn it off NOW!’ (teen doorbell ringing, show us a ‘real time’ son). Poor Alexa never knows whether video of the porch, and let us speak she’s coming or going. directly to the delivery man/woman. So who knows what the next This wasn’t of quite such benefit to the anniversary will bring? Personally, poor person falling off the step in shock I’m hoping that the next smart home when a voice boomed instructions at move will deactivate the Wi-Fi until them from 2,000 miles away. the children have emptied the From alarms through to dishwasher. Or even better, sets automated blinds, the benefits of Joe’s laptop to go straight to Net-Aadvancements in smart home living Porter to buy me a Gucci handbag. are many. During our recent family Now, THAT’S an anniversary present. bathroom update, our electrician recommended a movement sensor light FOLLOW LISA @_lisa_dawson_

Renovated terrace

Growing up

S C e

The benefits of working with an architect on your extension or renovation project are endless. Not only can they help to bring your vision to life, they can lend an expert eye to suggest where you could be making better use of a small space, bringing more light into a room, or adding seemingly simple features that become invaluable to your daily routine. Ludivine and her husband Phil saw these benefits and more when they enlisted a local architect to help them realise their dream of a family home. Keen to create a flexible house in which their young family could grow up, the couple collaborated with a team of experts who helped them consider the way they use their home – and then shaped the project around that lifestyle. They even worked with an interior architect to design the chic, muted colour scheme that brings each room together. Over the page, Ludivine delves into the process as she takes us on a tour of her home.

WHY Ludivine’S HOME CAUGHT OUR EYE…

BEFORE

Words EllEn Finch PhotograPhs DarrEn chung styling MaxinE BraDy

Ludivine and Phil’s Victorian house has expanded along with their family – and the muted palette and architect-designed features make for a very chic space

Profile THE OWNERs ludivine, a university lecturer, lives here with her husband, Phil, a barrister, and their children, Elliott, four, Camille, one, and a baby on the way THE PROPERTY a five-bedroom Victorian terraced house in north london project COST ÂŁ200,500

The couple originally imagined a typical extension where they could open the doors out to the garden, but decided to move away from the standard model. Instead, they have a huge window on one side of the stove and French doors on the other. Glazing, Glazing Vision. Stove, Jotul. Sofa, John Lewis. Footstool, Swoon. Pendant lights, Made.com

Over to ludivine...

FInd More InSpIraTIon aT reaLhoMeS.coM/renoVaTIonS

left Wood flooring, The Solid Wood Flooring company. Eames rocking chair, John Lewis & partners

‘

We hesitated for a long time about paving the garden over. While it’s lovely to have greenery outside, if we had grass we’d need space for a lawnmower, too, and we physically couldn’t fit that in. We’re lucky to have a nature reserve behind our house, so we have trees all around us, as well as plenty of parks for when the kids want to run around. ‘It’s about compromise. What’s so wonderful about extending is that it’s about how to make it work for your li We don’t particularly enjoy gardening we designed the garden so we don’t h lots to do but can still enjoy the space Loft cementboard cladding, Marley. Paving, London Stone. Table and chairs, B&Q. Lounge chairs, Ikea

#sorealhomes

‘

We looked at the archives when we bought this house and discovered that its first owner was a book binder in the 19th century. It had always had four levels, but owners since had created a makeshift loft conversion. It’s a narrow house, but it’s also very long and very tall. The kitchen and dining room were on the ground floor and the living room on the first floor, and there was a bathroom and separate toilet. It was all in pretty good condition – it even had original floorboards. ‘We lived here for three years before we did any major work. We knew we wanted an extension and bought the house with the view of doing work when we could afford it. It’s actually coincided nicely with the major milestones in our lives – the children. I had elliott right before we completed the loft conversion, then camille when we did the bigger extension. ‘We knew we wanted an architect. We needed someone who could help me think outside the box, and working with Trevor Brown and his team, including his interior designer odeta, did exactly that. We were looking for someone who knew the are d his business was local. It’s gro d grown since we’ve know , which is amazing to see.

BEFORE

‘

panelling painted in cromarty, Farrow & Ball. Pendant lights, cox & cox. Dining table, Quirky Interiors. hay chairs, ebay. Bar stool, John Lewis & partners C

‘

We were pretty far-sighted at the beginning of the project. We knew we wanted kids – I’m currently expecting our third – and we didn’t want to have to move later on. Thinking about the space in that way, it was clear that the existing layout – the kitchen and dining room downstairs and the living room upstairs – would be a nightmare with children. When elliott was little, he was always up and down, so we couldn’t even leave him in the living room while we made a cup of tea. It wasn’t a child-friendly space; this open-plan downstairs layout is so much easier.

‘

a dark kitchen was on my list, but I was so unfamiliar with the idea of colour. Being French, we use a lot less colour in our clothes and our homes, so I was a bit hesitant to go ahead and paint something dark blue, but Trevor and odeta were totally on board with it. I learned so much from them. I wouldn’t love the house anywhere near as much if I hadn’t done it with this fantastic team on board. Flooring, Mandarin Stone. Metro tiles, Tons of Tiles. Worktop, Imperial Marble. Tap, Blanco. Pendant lights, Graham & Green. Wooden step stool, Ikea. Walls painted in ammonite and units in hague Blue, both Farrow & Ball

‘

I liked the idea of a partly green bathroom, and the plants help to offset the colour. having the laundry space in here was mostly a case of necessity – it couldn’t be anywhere else! I tried everything I could to create a separate room for it, but Trevor rightly pointed out that it would just mean creatin re of the small, bitty spaces that we w d to get rid of in the first place. It’s al handy having it near the bedrooms

top tip

no room for a ground floor utility? Creating a cupboard for your washing machine in a bathroom can be a great alternative

Flooring and splashback, Mandarin Stone. Tap, bath mixer and towel radiator, aston Matthews. Sink, WC and shower, Bathstore. christian Schad poster, neue Gallery

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The guest bedroom has such lovely high ceilings that it would have been a shame to keep this room solely for visitors. We have plenty of space to hang up clothes and we have a desk in here, too. our next project is to change this room in time for our third baby, creating more built-in storage with an integrated desk space. Curtains, Ikea. Bed, Warren evans. Bedding, The White company. Bench, John Lewis & partners. Cabinet, Ikea. Table lamp, Graham & Green

‘

Trevor drew up the plans for an open, airy loft conversion. We didn’t need a big room for our bedroom because we’re not in here often. It taught me a lot, especially that building projects, as well as motherhood, are hard! The work started when elliott was six weeks old and we were sleeping on a ess in the living room for weeks. oved out temporarily for our sub nt and main extension project Window blinds, John Lewis & partners

Contacts Architect trevor Brown architects, 020 8826 1486, trevorbrownarchitect.co.uk Build team Cr Building Contractors, 020 8358 4718, crbuildingcontractors.co.uk Glazing glazing Vision, 01379 658300, glazingvision.co.uk Loft cementboard cladding Marley, 01283 722588, marley.co.uk

Bed, John Lewis & partners. Octopus, BigStuffed. Wheelybug ladybird, after noah. Tiger head, Smallable. Rug, Ferm Living A

‘

I’ve always liked interiors. My mum curated our house carefully and thoughtfully, and it’s made me pay attention to the spaces I inhabit. I have a certain vision of the things I like, such as in the children’s rooms, but when I put it down into a moodboard, there’s lots of different things going on. Trevor and odeta got me to think about unifor The gorgeous joinery throug was custom built by the build , which adds to this continuit

‘

I love the picture window in the loft. It brings in so much light. The décor in here is predominantly white and clean – more minimalistic than the other spaces. When you open the window and feel the breeze, it’s such a refreshing space. I love waking up in here, and it’s cosy an luded – a relaxing spac can disconnect in a day around the kids Bed, Warren evans. Bedside table, Made.com. Table lamp, TK Maxx

THE PLANS BEFORE

BEFORE

grounD Floor

First Floor

living rooM

kitchEn Dining rooM

BathrooM

AFTER

living arEa

hoME oFFicE Dining arEa

BEDrooM

kitchEn

BathrooM

racing Green

Gentle Blue

Report THE projEcT

essenTial buys d n a s d en Tr s, ea id sT The laTe for your home impro vemenT projecT

Oxford Blue

Door in Sandtex Seclusion satin wood & metal paint, from £17.99 per 750ml

Modernist Frame, Stucco Putty, encaustic umber and encaustic Mineral with tempus echo stripping in Frame Small laying pattern. Prices from £70 per m2, amtico Signature Collection

Adorn your door

Cranberry Swirl

Winter is coming, and with it come Christmas guests. Autumn’s the last best chance you’ll get to create an entrance for friends and rellies to admire. Brush up your front door with a fresh coat of protective paint in readiness. Sandtex’s 10 Year exterior gloss and satin paints have tough waterproof finishes while being flexible enough to resist cracking – perfect to withstand bad weather and persistent carol singers. Sandtex paints cost from £17.99 per 750ml.

Feature Alison Jones

what lies beneath toast your toes on underfloor heating operated from your mobile. the Smatrix Pulse underfloor heating can be controlled via the Smartrix Pulse app, Google Home or alexa. the reactive system can alter the temperature if you open a window or throw a rug down. the full Smatrix Pulse Kit starts at £814.

Colour Crush Eyes down to explore the potential of using the floor to add drama to your décor. Play with beautiful shades and patterns with Amtico’s new Colour Edit collection. Mix fresh pastels and chalky textures in the Diffusion range; mottled watercolours and plaster in Stucco; darker tones and concretes in Modernist; saturated minerals and jewel tones in Encaustic. These tiles have the practicality of vinyl with the beauty of ceramic, and start from £70 per square metre.

Be open to roof windows

That’s rad! Want to bring a little bit of heat to a freshly converted loft or garage conversion? If your gas-fired central heating system doesn’t stretch to your new addition, explore the option of a pipeless plug-in radiator. RadiWarm looks like the typical radiator and is also water-filled, but plugs into the mains. Efficient and quick to heat, it will switch to eco-saving mode at ambient room temperature. Controllable by remote or smart phone, it is economic to run, saving on your heating bills. Prices start from £330 including VAT.

Grant Sneddon, Daylight Expert at Velux, looks at the well-being and warming benefits of roof windows what are the benefits of choosing roof windows for an extension? Our roof windows let in twice as much daylight as vertical windows of the same size, which has an uplifting effect. Our Healthy Homes Barometer survey showed when daylight levels change from unsatisfactory to satisfactory, the amount of people feeling less energised drops by 16 per cent. It also brings in fresh air. Not airing a room doubles the risk of people feeling apathetic compared to two to four airings per day.

the key to feeling seCure Put safety first in the home, literally at the door, with a Nuki Smart Lock 2.0 that turns your old-style lock keyless. the Nuki opener slots over traditional-style key holes and cylinders so the door can be opened digitally. You can assign a spare virtual key to relatives, and even open the door remotely if there’s an emergency. Nuki’s newly updated push notifications and app will tell you if someone’s tried to use the lock or entered the wrong digital code, alerts you to open doors, and logs entries – so you know if your mum’s dropped by to do a spot of ironing (bless her). the Nuki 2.0 Combo is £259. Find top smart home security ideas on page 100

a bed and beyond Sometimes a little smart tech at bedtime can be a good thing. tune into some soporific sounds on the Koble Snor Bed, which has Bluetooth speakers in the headboard, or have a sleepy chuckle at a podcast. the bed has uSB charging ports so you can connect your devices without cable spaghetti. and there is a motion sensor underbed light that’ll stop you bashing ankles or toes if you get up in the dark. It is £799.99 from Cuckooland.

for great applianCe and teCh buys, go to realhomes. Com/deals

but will warmth be lost through them in winter? Heat rises, so it’s natural to assume roof windows might result in loss of heat and an increase in energy bills when it’s cold. But the high performance materials used in our windows provide energy efficiency through enhanced insulation, so you can enjoy natural daylight without any detrimental impact on room temperature. If you already have roof windows and they’re old, consider replacing them. Even in good condition, they’re no match for a modern roof window for keeping heat in your home. how can a roof window trap heat like insulation? Different glazing options are all designed to capture the sun’s warmth to reduce heating costs. Velux’s standard laminated safety glazing 70 (with laminated inner pane with foils) is a great start. Blackout energy blinds, made from double-pleated blackout cloth with a honeycomb structure, improves insulation by up to 25 per cent. what if the window’s open and it rains while i’m out? Electric or solar-powered roof windows are fitted with rain sensors as standard to close the windows if the weather turns, meaning no rain can get in. velux.co.uk

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FeeT FirsT Slip into something more comfortable, and preferably suede, such as these cinnamon babouche slippers, £32, Yonder Living

Walk on parT Classic flooring never goes out of style, as these Kanna Nogel parquet tiles show, £18.15 per m2, tile Mountain. for more parquet flooring ideas, turn to p64

in , ug £519 r ra om use r ha o Sa dy, f neh o n t S rgu bu ker & r Ba

Top Table fancy a bit on the side? this Dasha marble side table oozes elegance, £50, Matalan

Bronte White Rose desk lamp, £29.99, Very

Metal pink pastel table lamp, £13, Argos Home

Hamm ond c lay lamp, £95, H table abitat

Bloomingville gold table lamp, £155, An Artful Life

Sienna table lamp, £49, Oliver Bonas

TASK MASTERS An essential light source and slick design all rolled into one – a table lamp is a must-have accessory for any home work space

French gold and white table lamp, £140, Barker & Stonehouse

FEATURE ANNA MORLEY

Complete your home office or study corner with some fun accessories that will complement your desk-top light

p, e lam tur sk urni F de od Cult trip 9, tal , £5 me rass le b Ha and ck

style it now

LIGHT IT Oversized and matt – the Aurora Opal LED lightbulb almost doesn’t need a shade, £29.99, Dowsing & Reynolds

House Doctor Little Fellow table lamp, £149, Arbol House

Där Lighting Frederick table lamp in Gustavian Grey, £68.75, Lights4living

bla

Anglepoise Edition three Paul Smith type 75 mini desk lamp, £165, Amara

Table mounted brass lamp, £195, Ella James

Benson brass domeshaped table lamp, £60, BHS

Oscar Iron table lamp in brass/black, £237.60, Broste Copenhagen

Doric table lamp, £89.99, My Furniture

ORGANISE IT Keep your paperclips and pens in order with the Vitra a O-Tidy office accessory in white, £29, Nest

LEAF IT Go green with this artiﬁcial fern in pot with stan nd, £17.50, Marks & Spen ncer

REALHOMES.COM

Red desk lamp, £19.99, TK Maxx

E T A B E D G I B E TH YES ‘Life’s too short. If you want to do something, don’t let

WORDS ALISON JONES

anything stop you’ Vicky Burdon (@house_on_the_crescent) lives with husband Tim and their two boys in a 1950s detached house in Derby ‘We moved in 2015 but didn’t start our twostorey extension until 2018. We’d been umming and aahing for so long, we decided “This is silly, we want to enjoy this house. Let’s just do it”. ‘It got pushed back to October but my husband and I didn’t say “this isn’t good timing”. We instantly bonded with our builder so wanted him to do the work regardless of the time of year. ‘Life’s too short. If you want to do something, don’t let anything stop you. We didn’t consider weather factors. If anyone did tell us extending in winter wasn’t a good idea, we probably ignored them as we didn’t want to put it off anymore! And starting then meant it would be ready for summer, so we could appreciate our new bi-fold doors. ‘We worried about the weather when we took all the roof tiles off, but we didn’t have snow and hardly any rain. I think spring was actually worse. ‘The house was exposed so the builder boarded up the walls and put in some insulation, and we had this old curtain blocking off the stairs to stop the cold going up at night. It was freezing but we never resorted to sleeping in coats. The children were okay; it was quite exciting for them. ‘The project ended up bigger than intended but we love it now. We don’t regret starting in winter, and it wouldn’t put us off doing it again.’

freezing cold and rain. I didn’t want to go through that again’ Emily Neish (@newmeadowview) is renovating a 2003 country-style detached house with Simon Clark in Suffolk ‘We have been planning this for a year and will break ground in spring. We asked the builder’s advice on the best time to start and he said spring, which was our thinking as well. When I was young, my parents transformed a bungalow into a house and they did it over winter. I remember the freezing cold and rain and just didn’t want to go through that again. ‘The project is the classic big kitchen-diner with a study as well, knocking the wall down between the kitchen into the dining room, and the mouldy conservatory, and pushing out into the garden. With the big decisions, we are planners, the smaller decisions I can make very quickly. I’m a project manager by trade so planning is kind of in my blood. But both of us find it difficult to visualise the finishes which can make or break a room, so the planning stage needed to be slightly longer for us. If we’d forged ahead, we’d have ended up picking the first thing we saw in the showroom, which wasn’t what we wanted. ‘We have moodboards and I even have a 3D model of what we want to do so we can see the amount of cupboards we will get. We’ve actually changed our mind about things. We were going all open-plan but now we’re also having a study. We’ve changed our colour schemes as well. ‘We wanted our finances in place and everything done right. If the house was completely uite possibly we would accelerate the ut though things are very grubby and fit for our purpose, we can make do at nt – we have a working kitchen.’

We didn’t consider the weather. If anyone did tell us extending in winter wasn’t a good idea, we probably ignored them

NEXT MONTH: DINING ROOM OR KITCHEN-DINER, WHICH IS BEST FOR ENTERTAINING?

It’s said that spring’s the best time to start a big build. But could you wait? Two renovators say why they held on or just jumped right in

‘I remember the

#SOREALHOMES

WOULD YOU DO A MAJOR RENO IN WINTER?

c lour of the month Chevron stacking mug, £9.95, White Stuff

Columbus Houndstooth carpet in mono, £32.99 per m2, Carpetright

THE COLOUR LOWDOWN i Sum up black Black is an absence of colour. so doesn’t sit on a traditional colour wheel, but we still love decorating with it.

Där Lighting Diego six-light pendant, £210, Castlegate Lights

i Three words to describe the feeling black creates Mysterious, sophisticated and dramatic. i What colours does it work well with? Most colours. Using it in accessories as an anchor adds deﬁnition to neutral or pastel schemes, giving them a slightly tougher edge. If you’re feeling bolder, pair with strong primary colours for a nod to the 1980s or Bauhaus.

BOLD BL ACK Bijou black matt hexagon mosaic tiles, £3.45 per sheet, Walls & Floors

Style editor Anna Morley reveals the best ways to introduce this classic hue into your home Kanso round wooden shelf, £25, Sainsbury’s Home

i Which rooms can you use it in? Any, but it gives small rooms, such as a downstairs loo, some elegance and drama. i Dip your toe into this shade with… Black picture frames. They deﬁne an area and artwork, and look great when grouped together for a gallery wall. If you’re feeling a little braver, black wall and ﬂoor tiles are both practical and striking. i Dive in headfirst by… Opting for on-trend black bathroom brassware and Crittall-look shower screens.

Gold and black cutlery set, £29.99 for a 16-piece set, JD Williams Home

FOR MORE EXPERT ADVICE, WATCH THE COLOUR WHEEL ON EVERY EPISODE OF THE REAL HOMES SHOW AT REALHOMES.COM/TV

REALHOMES.COM

Hush A2 framed wall art print, from £45, Made.com

cool jewels Turn up your decadence dial and feel like a VIP in your own home by embracing this season’s latest trend for using alluringly rich tones on your furniture, walls and accessories

feature anna morley

realhomes.com

Softly Sultry Surround yourself in sumptuous comfort with a scheme that embodies warmth and elegance. Velvets carry deep bold hues perfectly. temptingly tactile, it can be used on upholstered furniture, window dressings and accessories to create a super-plush, contemporary vibe. Cozy Living Sander upholstered velvet armchair in royal Blue, £399 each, Cuckooland. for similar curtains, try Montreal velour-lined pencil pleat curtains in Wine, from £39, and for a rug, try the rabisco Berber-style rug in Navy Blue, from £99, both La redoute. for a similar wall colour, try Manor House Grey, £46.50 for 2.5ltrs estate emulsion, farrow & Ball

luxe retreat enhance your bedroom using the eye-catching tones of emerald green, offset with deep garnet-like purply reds. Displaying a strong colour behind a headboard as a feature wall sets a striking tone. Balance the look by painting the remaining walls in pared-back off-white. rimini king-size bed, £1,075; Von bench, from £1,060, both ercol. for a similar wall colour, try eva Durable matt emulsion, £38 for 2.5ltrs, Little Greene. for a similar cover, try the Violet Plum bedspread, £65, Dunelm. for similar steel windows and door frame, try fabco Sanctuary

Big night in Settle in for a glamorous evening enriched with mood-enhancing lighting and sumptuous accessories. Introduce interest with punchy pops of solid colour or unique patterns in the form of cushions and throws. they’ll embellish your sofa and ensure movie nights become an altogether more elegant affair.

realhomes.com

Matte velvet Burnt Orange cushion, £12; Loop tassel cushion, £16; floral birds cushion, £18; ribbed iridescent table lamp, £40; elegant twist lustre vase, £12, and Cable knit Sherpa throw, £40, all fox & Ivy at tescos. for a similar wall colour, try Khaki twist Breatheasy coloured emulsion, £18 for 2.5ltrs, Crown. for a similar sofa, try the Sloan two-seater in Vintage Gold velvet, £849, Made.com

SophiSticated Sanctuary textures play an essential part in creating a feeling of decadence. So get moody with your blues and don’t be afraid to clash them with more dramatic hues, such as burnt orange, amber and even dusky pinks. Layering these up creates visual impact for a sleek scheme. Scarlett medium sofa in Lila Dark teal, £1,199; Morgan armchair in Savio Peacock, £249; Dixie footstool in Bellevue Velvet terracotta, £599; farley marble round nest of tables, £199; farley marble square coffee table, £229; Beatrix rug in Duck egg, from £169; Zebra plant, £45; amelie design cushion, £35; freya jacquard cushion, £17.50; Gigi cushion, £19.50; artisan jug, £25; artisan serving bowl, £25; Large fish bowl vase, £12.50; Gauge knit throw, £49.50, all Marks & Spencer

playful decadence Strong colour and bold pattern form the background to a fun and inviting scheme. Deep blues and mustards combine regally while gold accents provide a polished finish. Statement lighting and distinctive ornaments ensure this grand look works harmoniously.

realhomes.com

Kalmar three-seater sofa in Granite plush velvet, £1,599; ritz chair in Honey velvet, £549; algol floor lamp in plated brass, £139; Ginanni coffee table in white marble, £349; Grove side table in mango wood & matte black, £129; Hasse rug in grey multi, £299; Leeu large rug in navy & cream, £249; Victoria cushions in Midnight and Honey, £32 each; Purcell cushion in cream, mustard & navy, £35; Sara blanket in navy & cream, £69; Mira smooth & clear glass pendant, £99, all Swoon. Cole & Son Geometric II Luxor wallpaper in Charcoal, £90 per roll, Designer Wallpapers

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@_house_77

Claret Orb abstract rug, from £75, Next

Shelley smoked glass table lamp, £70, Habitat

Cotton velvet cushion in Ivy, £25, John Lewis & Partners

Large amber troll vase, £60, Opumo

F O T HIN

SPLEND

OUR Nappa tassel pendant, £45, Oliver Bonas

Baltimore low stool in velvet upholstered mustard, £79, Cult Furniture

Glacier oval platter in teal, £65, Heal’s @_ohhellojo_

Grace scatter cushion in Harry Rust, £65, Neptune

Karlsson lush velvet alarm clock in blue, £29, Red Candy

@savageinteriors

Arpen six-seater dining table in teal and brass, £549, Made.com

String pocket shelf in burgundy, £122, String

Nicholas two-seater sofa in Mallard Blue, from £1,000, Perch & Parrow

New buys on the MoDeRN SCANDI

BLOCK Take your pick from the latest bedroom trends and shop the look at your favourite high street stores

hotel luxe

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Skanda five-tier bamboo shelving unit, £109.99, argos

BotANICAl DelIGhtS

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faux spider plant in green ceramic pot, £17.99, TK Maxx

Vivi ceramic table lamp, £35, Matalan

Chenille cushion in blue, £5, Wilko

Murmur Cozy throw, £95, Homebase

agathe palm leaf cushion, £12, B&Q

Jasper Conran typo print cushion, £30, Debenhams

Luxe revival pink velvet stool, £49.99, HomeSense

Original rustic solid oak double bed, £499.99, Oak furniture Land

fEaTurE AmeliA Smith

realhomes.com

Enid chrome and crystal wall light, £90, Laura ashley

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Björksnäs bedside table, £70, Ikea

round mirror, £34.99, H&M

Etta bedding set, from £17.50; Mila bed, from £299 for a small double, Marks & Spencer

Show-wood upholstered Topaz Pink bedframe, £699; Boutique Hotel teal silk bedspread, £280; Helix chandelier, £350, John Lewis & Partners

Jungle Monkeys easycare duvet set, £12 for a double; orange velvet cushion, £5; grey ombre faux fur mini cushion, £5, George Home

Home-enhancing

HALLWAYS (you’ll be proud to show off)

Make a cracking first impression with our guide to creating a heavenly hallway. Be warned: you may never want to leave home again…

harnessed all available storage space that isn’t in the main thoroughfare but have you made the most of it? Built-in drawers and/or shelving will maximise every inch of that awkward alcove under the stairs. And don’t forget to look up. A shelf above your coat hooks could hold lightweight baskets that are perfect for stashing scarves and gloves. When it comes to decorating, hallways offer scope to be far more adventurous than usual. As transient spaces that you don’t linger in for long, they can handle much stronger colour and pattern than other living areas. But before you let loose with the jazziest wallpaper you can find, it’s worth assessing wall heights. Decorating up the stairs usually involves a wall that is two storeys high, which can prove seriously hard work, possibly even involving scaffolding towers. Far better to paint up high (using rollers on a pole) and get your wallpaper hit on the ground floor. If all else fails and you think your hallway really is beyond redemption on the space front, it could be worth considering a porch or small lean-to extension. At around £3,500 for a three square metre brick and tile porch, the entrance to your home could be radically transformed. Well, at least until that shoe mountain returns…

othing says ‘welcome to our home’ like a beautifully decorated hallway. In our dreams (and Pinterest pin-boards), the ideal entrance is bright and airy, complete with perfectly positioned coat hooks and an artfully curated gallery wall. The reality is often more along the lines of a dark, narrow passage, with too many doorways and a shoe mountain to rival Ben Nevis. Navigating guests into your inner sanctum may require carabiners and crampons. If this is your current situ, fear not. With a little jiggery-pokery (okay, Kondo-grade clear out) and some smart decorating tricks, the dingiest of hallways can be morphed into a welcoming space that makes you feel happy to be home. While the general rule that there’s no such thing as too much storage holds true, in a spatially challenged hallway there’s a fine line between storage needs and smooth navigation. Any console, shoe rack or umbrella stand that requires you to ‘make like a crab’ to get past must go. Don’t forget that guests will need to walk past you to enter; you don’t want any accidental body-brushing going on (#awkward). If two people can’t easily pass, then that coat stand/magazine rack/planter should be relocated, to the nearest Oxfam if necessary. You’ve probably already

Come on in

Pomegranate and chilli reed diffuser, £35, Brownstone London

Bench with rattan seat, £119.99, H&M

Caitlin ceiling light, £59, JD Williams

striped recycled leather rug, £110, Nordic House S

Cooper hall stand, £329, Atkin & Thyme

WorDs Linda CLayton

Guarantee a warm welcome with well-chosen accessories and savvy storage

romana large oak sideboard, £2,648, Ercol

Nobody wants to be greeted by the smell of cheesy socks and the dog’s bed when they come through the door, so add aroma control to your decorating hit list. Try a two-pronged approach – firstly eliminating bad odours, and secondly introducing more welcome ones. A simple plastic storage container with a sealed lid is an effective way to keep trainer pong under control – pop in a couple of deodorising balls for good measure. Keeping the space ventilated will help, as will ensuring outerwear is dry before hanging up. Oil diffusers and vaporisers are safer than candles for adding scent.

Popping an outsized mirror on one wall is a great way to bounce light around and help make the space feel larger – plus you can check there’s no lippy on your teeth as you go out the door. Go big (or go, erm, home?) for maximum impact but make sure the glass has a protective film on the back to prevent dangerous shattering in the case of an accident. Try to position the mirror opposite a source of natural light, like the entrance to a south-facing room, but don’t put two mirrors opposite each other. The infinity effect can be disconcerting.

Left The Nova range by schüller, £2,866 as shown, from InHouse Inspired room Design

Sure, you can sit on the stairs to do up your shoes, but a seat is far comfier and easier for the elderly or less abled, too. A bench built under the stairs is perfect, provided there’s sufficient headroom, of course. There are also some really lovely slimline benches available on the high street in on-trend rattan and cane that will bring texture and shape to the mix. Multitasking benches with shoe storage beneath are a total win, while a couple of strategically placed cushions can provide comfort and colour.

Storage always helps keep your hallway under control, particularly when it comes to footwear and coats. Go for shoe drawers rather than shelves if you hate clutter or don’t trust your family to line their shoes up neatly. Don’t try to accommodate everything; a seasonal switch (pop those bulky winter coats into vacuum-pack bags under the spare bed if you have to) will take the pressure off coat hooks. Hooks for keys and a shelf for the post will help you get out of the door on time.

Left Monkey hooks, £9 for two; Hello ochre hook, £8; coat stand, £30; Nova easy fit pendant light, £45; Fulton storage bench, £149; mechanism clock, £20, all Dunelm

You may not have room for statement furniture but a narrow console, ledge or even just a shelf above a radiator is all it takes to add shape and interest. Perfect for honing your shelfie skills, add a couple of framed pictures and a dish for keys and loose change. Don’t forget the decorative power of houseplants. Look for narrow plants, like snake plants and aloe vera, which will grow upwards rather than outwards while boosting the air quality in the process. Hang them from the ceiling if a shelf really is out of the question.

TWO

The life-changing joy of being able to find your car keys, house keys, office keys – all the keys. Never again will you delve your hands down the back of the sofa, steeling yourself to recoil in horror at what you discover (it was never the keys).

THREE

You are the proud owner of a carrier bag stash worth approximately £452.05. Unfortunately, it’s the size of an African elephant and needs to be deposited at the nearest recycling centre, stat, before you get arrested by Greenpeace.

FOUR

You’ll become unfeasibly chatty with everyone who comes to the door, be it the Yodel delivery person or the meter reader, just to give them longer to appreciate all your hard work. only a polite comment about your upcycled sideboard will secure release.

FIVE

How shabby the rest of your home looks by comparison. Now your front door seriously needs a fresh lick of paint, maybe some shiny new hardware, and that view into the downstairs loo will never do. sigh! S

ONE

You have enough coats to keep the population of Alaska warm through winter, and enough ‘must-have’ summer macs to fill the pages of Grazia for a decade. Who knew there was so many rammed on those coat hooks, and how did they stay on the wall?

Five things...

you’ll know if you’ve revamped your hallway

Hadley Bright rose 70cm-wide runner, from around £129 per linear metre, roger oates

Interiors and lifestyle blogger

Pandora Maxton

Never underestimate the skills of a stair runner when it comes to providing colour, pattern and va va voom in your hallway. We still love the look of monochrome stripes but there’s a trend towards bolder colours and blowsy ‘70s inspired pattern. Add a border to your stair runner to create a sharp, tailored look. Allow a minimum margin of 5cm either side of your runner to prevent it looking like a fitted carpet that’s shrunk, and consider painting the stairs a contrasting colour for impact. Stair rods aren’t strictly necessary and will add to the cost, but they do look fabulous, especially in period properties.

Right spacia royal oak luxury vinyl tiles, from £39.99 per m2, Amtico

‘The front door leads into our hallway but we rarely use that entrance, even for guests, as all our parking is to the side of the house. A few years ago we went open plan, blocking up redundant doorways from the hallway in the process and leaving a big bare wall. I collected lots of mostly black and white photos of family, past and present, and then used black frames to create a gallery wall. It shows the interesting lives and characters in my family: military uniforms, fashion shows, weddings, my late mother through the decades, and photos of our children. I believe that your house should tell your story, not look fresh from a catalogue. Inspired by a Lisa Giles painting, I painted the wall bright green. The other wall has amazing wallpaper by Osborne & Little, called Azari. Together they make this pokey space sing! If you’re decorating a small, dark hallway, make it interesting and be adventurous.’ @pandora.maxton; pandoralifestyling. wordpress.com

Hallway flooring needs to be durable to cope with outdoor footwear and heavy traffic flow. Porcelain tiles are a great option – easy to mop, virtually bulletproof and available in all manner of patterns and colours, including stone- and wood-look designs. Luxury vinyl is another great choice – look for decent thickness, at least 2.5cm, and products with protective treatments that are stain resistant and make cleaning easier. Encaustics are pretty but require maintenance to stay waterproof. Carpets should be made for high-traffic use; a dense polypropylene twist that’s bleachable or stain resistant is hard to beat.

World of Fabrics Washed shibori wallpaper in Indigo, £150 for three rolls, Mind the Gap

If you’re pushed for space, a new porch might be the answer. Under permitted development, you can add a three-square-metre porch without planning permission, but check with your local authority as exclusions apply. Choose a design that enhances and impresses – oak-framed porches look fab on country homes, while modern larch-clad or rendered designs pep up a new-build. Don’t restrict the light coming into your home, but avoid taking glass down to the ground or there’ll be nowhere for shoe and coat storage.

If you don’t have a garden shed or garage to stash muddy footwear – we’re looking at you, wellies, hiking boots and football/rugby boots – it’s worth providing designated waterproof storage in your hallway, ideally not far from the door. A wellie stand that stores boots upside down to protect floors is a good investment. Use plastic trays or storage containers for other wet footwear. A dirt-trapping doormat will also help. Washable versions – try Turtle Mat – will go in the washing machine at 40 degrees and come out looking good as new.

} } spike grey doormat, £49.95, Turtlemat

Don’t forget TO WIPE YOUR FEET

CONTENT CREATOR

Kate MorGan

‘We live in a new-build and when we moved in, it was like having a blank canvas to play with. As it’s the first thing you see when entering the house, I knew I wanted the hallway to be a bright and happy space that shows off our personalities. I decided to paint the walls white to keep the area bright and then add a gallery wall to provide pops of colour. I’m a big fan of the Dalmatian trend at the moment, which is why I decided to add spots to the stairs. It was so easy to do – I painted the stairs white, bought some Dalmatian print wall decals (from Bairn Designs on Etsy) and stuck them to the vertical risers. The space is eclectic and cheerful but not too cluttered. We have an under-stairs cupboard to keep shoes and coats out of sight. Adding a gallery wall and decals means that I can easily change things when I’m ready for a new look. Now our hallway is the most eye-catching part of the house.’ Instagram: @kate_rose_morgan

Below Bespoke wall panelling, oak bench seating and shelving, around £5,500, Woodstock Furniture

creative ways with

parquet Parquet has been an elegant and sophisticated design choice for centuries. We’re bringing it bang up to date with the latest layouts, materials, colours and ideas to inject pattern into your space

hile using wood in your home is a great way to bring warmth and a feeling of tranquillity, there’s a certain charm and elegance that only comes with parquet. Whether it’s ornate patterns, geometric designs or a multicoloured palette, parquet is a solid base from which any style scheme can work. While it’s been around for hundreds of years, we’re now giving parquet a fresh twist. From bold colours to Aztec patterns and modern materials, we’ve gathered the best contemporary ways to use parquet in your home, and it’s not just on the floors...

1 striking shapes

Real wood flooring is a more costly option, but with regular maintenance, it can last much longer than cheaper alternatives. If if gets damaged or scratched, you can sand the wood to make it good again, meaning you won’t need to replace the entire floor. This striking square pattern is modernised by the jet black colourway and creates a dark base from which vibrant furniture and wallpaper can pop. Carbonised Jet panel flooring, £283.14 per m2, Woodworks by Ted Todd

2 PHoTogRaPH DiY instAgrAm @pAtirobns

colour pop

Parquet flooring is an age-old technique, but you can give it a contemporary twist by ditching traditional browns for fun splashes of colour. Here, deep blue is embedded into the grey and white pattern, creating a bold look, while the wood-effect design maintains a cosy feel. Wriggle Petrol laminate flooring from the Camden collection, £21.99 per m2, Lifestyle floors

3 hands on approach

If you’re a lover of DIY, get crafty and make your own parquet table. This design by DIY queen Pati Robins (@patirobins) is made from pallet wood. Simply cut the wooden pieces to the size of your table, and create the pattern by cutting half way through the wood, giving the impression of several wooden tiles, without the hassle of attaching them all separately. Then paint the wood in colours of your choice. Here the aztec-inspired design creates a boho feel. for a full step-by-step guide, head to style-squeeze.com

Top Tip Match the colour of your walls and floors to draw your scheme together

DiD you knoW? know? ‘The complexity of installation meant that parquet flooring was traditionally a sign of wealth,’ says Roger Hemmings at Havwoods

feaTuRe AmeliA smith

Statement Island

Think creatively with your parquet and consider where you’ll see it most. Displaying an eye-catching chevron pattern vertically up your kitchen island transforms a blank space into a feature. This also minimises dividing lines, which can make your room seem bigger. Clerkenwell super matt navy kitchen and chevron grey laminate flooring, price on application, Howdens

KEEP IN MIND

What to know before you use parquet

decorative furniture

repAir or replAce? If you’re lucky enough to discover parquet flooring hidden beneath your carpet but there’s a few missing or broken tiles, don’t despair. Companies like The Floor Restoration Company can replace, fix and sand damaged parquet tiles, restoring them to their former glory. Which pAttern While advances in flooring materials mean parquet flooring is no longer reserved for wood, the patterns and colours on offer are becoming bolder and more varied. the choice is vast, so do your research before you decide. When using real wood, ‘a ladder pattern is the most efficient and has a modern geometry,’ says nick hughes at retrouvious. straight lines will match up to your edges, for less wastage. if you want a timeless design though, herringbone and chevron make sophisticated bases for any scheme. shoUlD YoU go reclAimeD? Recycling old wooden floors is a great way to incorporate real wood into your home, while causing less damage to both the planet and your wallet. Companies like Retrouvious, reclaimedflooring.co.uk and parquet-parquet.co.uk source parquet from public buildings or properties waiting for demolition. The wood is often of a higher quality and with a larger depth of colour than those that you could buy brand new.

Not quite ready to upgrade your floors? We’re seeing parquet patterns being used on furniture, and it’s a great way to add interest to your room through texture. This stylish mid-century inspired statement sideboard will sit well in any room scheme. Leif sideboard, £705; tall matte black table lamp with mustard shade, £140; Maxiemus brass wall clock, £199, Barker & Stonehouse

Top Tip

6 soft underfoot

The decision between carpet and hard wood in the bedroom can be a tricky one, but with the latest materials, you can have the look of real wood parquet with the warmth, comfort and lower cost of soft vinyl tiles. This classic herringbone pattern adds a natural feel and would enhance any scheme. form Rural oak luxury vinyl tile in parquet laying pattern, from £55 per m2, amtico

Pick parquet furniture to introduce this eye-catching pattern in a subtle, costeffective way

8 extended headboard

Think wood, think rustic log cabin, and what better place to create a warm and calming space than in the bedroom. These parqueteffect porcelain tiles can be used on both floors and walls, so you can extend your parquet upwards and create a statement headboard. Woven Sand porcelain tiles, £39.95 per m2, Walls & floors

7 high shine

Bring luxury to your parquet by choosing a polished finish for your floor. This high-shine design transforms the feel of the herringbone layout. The reflective nature of the tiles will bounce light around the room, making it feel brighter, while the large-format tiles will give the illusion of a larger space. Nayara polished porcelain tile, £59.95 per m2, Topps Tiles

Top Tip

reclaim and revive

If you’re looking for real wood parquet, think sustainably and choose a company that uses recycled materials, such as Retrouvious. The company salvages, revives and supplies parquet tiles, which can be used on floors, walls and even kitchen cabinets. an eco-friendly alternative to buying brand new parquet, and it comes with a hidden charm, too. Reclaimed parquet from approx £50-£100 per m2, Retrouvious

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PHoTogRaPH Jo briDges

Choose tiles that can be used on walls and floors to continue the look up another surface

my favourite corner

Words Karen Darlow PhotograPh MalcolM Menzies styling PiPPa BlenKinsoP

e a space th

rococo, an interior designer (rococolondoninteriors.com), lives in a four-bedroom Victorian terrace in Battersea, london, with husband Gavin, their daughter, Mimi, and cocker spaniel edie ‘We were sold on the house from our first viewing. It was in an area we loved – in fact, we were living just up the road – and we could see that it had lots of potential, even though the layout wasn’t particularly practical. The main living areas were full of unexpected changes of levels and dark pockets of unused space. We tackled one room at a time to create a brighter, more spacious feel, starting with the living room before moving on to this kitchen. We added about two metres and reconfigured the space to make it work better for us. The previous owners had completed a side-return extension but the only way into the room was through the old dining room and down some steps, so we removed a cupboard to allow for a new door through from the hall. It didn’t take much, but our small alterations have made a huge difference. I love decorating, so it’s not unusual for me to paint a room more than once a year. I’m always picking up treasures to add into the mix – nothing is too “matchy-matchy”. I use a mood board a lot for my clients, but this was much more fluid. The house just evolved naturally and continues to do so. Above all, this kitchen needed to be family friendly. I like to think everyone approves of it! All the things I’ve collected over the years have come together to create a familiar, happy home for us. I know I’ll keep adding to it and making changes, but the house has fulfilled the potential we saw from the moment we first walked in.’

o ve

e m hofe ey

Pendant lights, naomi Paul. For a similar dining table, try Ebay. For similar chairs and bar stools, try Cult Furniture. Blue pattern fabric, lewis & Wood

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es reade m rs ho

victorian renovation

Lo F T Y

ambiti on s

Profile

By adding a loft conversion and swapping the kitchen and diner around, first-time buyers Amanda and Jess Cotton have maximised the potential of a dilapidated two-bedroom terraced house

THE OWNERS Amanda Cotton, a design manager for Tescoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s F&F ladieswear and an interiors blogger (houselust.co.uk), lives here with husband Jess, an operations manager for Network Rail, their son, Otis, one, and Louis the cat THE PROPERTY A four-bedroom Victorian mid-terraced house in Watford PROJECT COST Around ÂŁ110,000

The Victorian gothic-style cast-iron fireplace is one of Amanda’s favourite features in the house. ‘It’s not the original, and it was really tough to source a fireplace which was narrow enough to not dominate the space,’ she says. She also made the fringed velvet lampshade herself. ‘I bought a metre of printed

velvet fabric for £40 from the House of Hackney sample sale, then bought a wire frame and fringing on Ebay,’ she adds. Shelving unit, Graham & Green. Gold side table and distressed Arabesque wool rug, both West Elm. Face vase, HomeSense

Bought house July 2011

Project timeline

Right Striking art prints work well against the dark blue walls. ‘The cat print by Sam3 was a wedding present from me to my husband as I thought it summed up the relationship between him and our cat really well,’ says Amanda. ‘I bought the Ronnie Wood ‘Self portrait 2’ from Scream Gallery in London. It’s since closed down, but was great for

Renovated kitchen/dining room November 2012

Redecoration #1 2011

drake green sofa, West Elm. Navy sofa, John Lewis & Partners. Vases, HomeSense, M&S, West Elm, H&M and Oka. Wall painted in Railings, Farrow & Ball

Loft conversion February 2018

Redecoration #2 2015

buying pieces by modernday icons in the music and art world. Next, I’d love a neon sign to go above the drinks trolley.’

Redecoration #3 2018

WORdS Karen Wilson PHOTOGRAPHS Fiona WalKer-arnott

aving both lived with parents before buying their first home together, Amanda and Jess Cotton couldn’t wait to get the paintbrushes out and unleash their design ideas. It had taken a while for Amanda to save up a deposit since graduating seven years prior – she’d been struggling on a graduate salary and starting out in the fashion industry. As a result the couple knew their best hope of getting a foot on the ladder was seeking out a doer-upper where they could add plenty of value. After viewing five other houses, they came across a two-bedroom Victorian terraced house in Watford, which had previously been rented out to three people as a house in multiple occupation, with the lounge being used as an additional bedroom. ‘It was in such a bad way that no one wanted it, which is why we got it at such a bargain price,’ says Amanda. ‘Even our surveyor tried to talk us out of buying it as the roof had huge holes where you could see daylight coming through. It also had rotten window frames and a tiered concrete garden with 14 individual flowerbeds, which wasn’t particularly appealing.’ Despite having zero previous experience, the pair threw themselves into the renovations after buying the house in 2011. At first, they focused on making it safe and watertight with a new roof, windows and a functional garden, which involved filling six skips with turf and concrete. Then they flipped the kitchen and dining area around, blocking up the existing French doors and installing new ones at the rear to link the new dining area to the garden. ‘The fun part of adding print, texture, colour and even more print came later,’ says Amanda, who describes herself as a maximalist, curator, collector and print fiend. ‘I decorated the rooms quite grey to begin with just to start with a blank canvas, but it was too bland for my liking.’ Since then she’s redecorated the house three times over. ‘I always do a moodboard for each room so I can see how colours and materials work together,’ she explains. ‘I like to have a cohesive look. I’m not one to decorate each room the same, but I think a house should flow and not have individual themes otherwise there’s a disconnect.’ Luckily Amanda and Jess have very similar tastes. ‘Jess likes collecting artworks, and loves a rug, so most of the rugs are down to him moaning about the lack of carpet in the house,’ she says. ‘They certainly make it more cosy. I’m more hands on with DIY and will turn my hand to anything, unlike Jess who’d rather pay someone to do it right first time.’

BEFORE

Amanda’s favourite room is the lounge, particularly the shelf of greenery behind the green sofa. ‘I love how the foliage pops against the dark wall,’ she says. ‘And, I enjoy collecting glazed ceramics and different vases, so this shows off some of my collection.’ She’s also rather fond of her pineapple ashtray, which was previously owned by Pablo Escobar. ‘It was a gift from a really good friend of mine, Barbara Hulanicki, who’s the founder of the iconic ’60s brand Biba,’ explains Amanda. ‘She went to his estate sale in Miami and purchased it many years ago and it now lives in our lounge.’ Six years after moving in, the pair embarked on a full loft conversion, adding a master bedroom at the front with three Velux windows, a dressing room at the rear with a dormer window and a shower room in between. As their plans were within permitted development rights, they didn’t need planning permission, and used the same architect who’d worked on their neighbour’s loft. ‘Each room was designed to flow seamlessly to create our own suite,’ explains Amanda. ‘Looking back I don’t know how we endured living here through the conversion. The work left a thick level of black dust throughout our home – it was painful. There was a delay with the loft windows as I wanted black steel-framed ones, and the builders would occasionally forget to board the holes up in the evening. We also got a leak on Christmas Day from our radiators, which the builders hadn’t plumbed in correctly. Luckily, they came out on Boxing Day to correct it.’ Despite careful planning, the couple went around £7,000 over their £66,000 loft conversion budget. ‘I went overboard with the fixtures and fittings, such as the Aston Matthews solid brass taps, marble tiles, posh light switches from Buster and Punch and a £2,000 Crittall-style shower screen,’ admits Amanda. In hindsight, the pair have learnt a lot from the project. ‘Builders are a bit like boyfriends: you have to go through the worst to appreciate the good ones,’ Amanda jokes. ‘The most important thing is to find one who’s open and honest. We’ve now got a builder that we would use again for any future projects.’ She also advises having a back-up budget. ‘Make it clear from the start that you want to be consulted about any extra hidden costs as the build progresses,’ she says. ‘There’s nothing worse than an unexpected bill at the end.’ Having spent eight years on the renovations, Amanda and Jess can finally enjoy the fruits of their labours although they’d eventually like to move nearer to family for Otis and have more outside space. ‘If money was no object I’d love to live in an Edwardian villa,’ says Amanda. ‘The Edwardians knew what they were doing when it came to hallways. I love period houses, but, to be honest, I think our next house will probably be a 1930s build for more family space.’

top tip A budget kitchen can have designer style if you customise with quality paints and handles

Above Open shelves work better than wall cabinets by a window, and Amanda has added extra task lighting above with an industrialstyle pendant over the sink. Range cooker, AO. EAT letter lights, Etsy. Oiled walnut laminate flooring from Quickstep is similar Right The kitchen-diner gets used the most, especially since having their son Otis. ‘This is where we all have dinner, chat, dance and sing along to music,’ says Amanda. ‘But I do wish we had a bigger open-plan space at times.’ Kitchen units, Ikea. Granite worktops, Alpiana Stone. Metro tiles, decor Tiles

Amanda chose a classic dining table with blue velvet chairs that will stand the test of time. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I always invest in pieces of furniture I know I will still love in 10 or 20 years,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; she says. The tall kitchen cupboard in the corner conceals the boiler.

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Concrete dining table and chairs, rug, and blue crockery, all West Elm. Pendant lights, Industville. Radiator, Cast Iron Radiator Centre

Left Striking wallpaper makes for an unusual nursery that always gets lots of likes on Instagram. ‘I loved the idea of a jungle theme as it was gender neutral and would inspire Otis’ imagination,’ says Amanda. Jungle palm wallpaper, Milton & King. Cot, Stokke. Rug, La Redoute. Melissa and Doug giraffe, Argos, Canopy, Molly Meg Right ‘Nurseries are easier to plan and accessorise if they have an initial theme to base them on,’ says Amanda. Green chair, HomeSense. Ceiling light, Made.com Personalised cushion, Small Flame

bold botanics Steal Amanda’s style and bring the outside in with vibrant leafy wallpaper 1

1 Monstera wallpaper, £75 per roll, Woodchip & Magnolia 2 Summer garden wallpaper, £12 per roll, Arthouse 3 Florilegium sanctuary wallpaper, £150 per roll, Mind the Gap 4 Tropics ﬂoral leaf print wallpaper, £15.99 per roll, Cult Furniture

top tip Stimulate little imaginations with colourfully themed nurseries. Use washable paints and paper for durability

Left The starting point for the décor in here was the teal paint colour, which works well with accents of mustard and orange. Walls painted in Breathe deeply, Valspar. For a similar bed, try the Besley, Made.com. Bedside tables, John lewis & Partners. Bird of Paradise flower print, Stengun drawings. Ceiling light, Marks & Spencer Below The first-floor guest bedroom at the rear also has alcove space for a desk, where fashion designer Amanda can occasionally work from home. Desk and rug, both West Elm. Chair, John Lewis & Partners. Yellow print on shelves, Kristen Solecki. Lamp, Lagerhaus

Far right We discovered our shower and toilet both leaked on day two of moving in, so the bathroom was a priority,’ says Amanda. ‘It started off white, but grew in personality as I became more confident with experimenting with wallpapers and colours.’ Wallpaper, Florence Broadhurst. Bath painted in Valspar’s Coral Crush. Pink leopard rug by doing Goods, Cotswold Trading. Pink chair, HomeSense. Tiles, decor Tiles

top tip

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Embrace a roomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unusual shape by continuing the wallpaper up a sloped ceiling â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to striking effect

Left and above ‘The attention to detail in the loft conversion makes this my proudest space,’ says Amanda. ‘All the skirtings, architraves and staircase spindles match the existing ones, so it feels like it’s always been part of the house.’ Wall lights, Pooky. Light switches, Buster & Punch. Bed, Made.com. Bedside tables, lamps and rug, West Elm. Blue velvet throw, Christy. Walls painted in Railings, Farrow & Ball. Chest of drawers, West Elm. Radiator, The Cast Iron Radiator Centre. Mirror, Select Mirrors Right A new dormer window made it possible to create a dressing room lined with wardrobes as part of the loft extension. Babylon wallpaper, House of Hackney. Wardrobes painted in Hague Blue, Farrow & Ball. Blue pouffe, HomeSense. doing Goods loony leopard rug, Cotswold Trading

Contacts Architect AJ Ferryman, 020 8950 0508, ajferryman.co.uk Kitchen Ikea, 0845 358 3363, ikea.com

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Above ‘Our loft bathroom was inspired by a shop in South Korea called Stylenanda,’ says Amanda. ‘I was travelling with work while the loft work was going on and took inspiration from there.’ Walls painted in Pink Ground, Farrow & Ball. Light above sink, Tom Dixon. Crittall-style shower screen, Drench. Brass taps, Aston Matthews. Carrara marble tiles, Decor Tiles. Be Kind print, Margo in Margate

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KITCHEN

a guide to

Two-storey extensions

Get a bigger house without the upheaval of moving. Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning to build on at ground and first-floor level

words sarah warwick photographs adam knibb architects/photography limitless

f your house is bursting at the seams but you love where you live, a two-storey extension could be the solution to your space problems. When you factor in the cost of stamp duty, legal fees and removals, it could also be a less expensive way to get a house the size you need than moving. And while the total bill for your project might be greater than for a single-storey addition, the cost per square metre is lower, making it a project that’s well worth considering. Increasing the size of the ground and first floors of your home at the same time could make achieving a desirable balance of living, bedroom and bathroom accommodation straightforward, too. Think a house that’s more practical for the family with fewer bathroom quarrels and separate bedrooms for former young sharers, and a more open kitchen, living and dining arrangement downstairs. Keen to see if it’s the project for you? Want to get in the know about permission, costs, and design? Read on for our top tips and real-life case studies from house owners who’ve extended to improve life at home.

turn over to read how this family transformed the layout of their home with an extension 83

‘Prior to the extension, the house was quite bottom heavy,’ says Adam. ‘The rooms on the ground floor had the correct amount of floor area but were poorly laid out. At first floor level, it was only a two-bedroom house that needed a master suite. ‘We demolished an existing car port along with a small kitchen that was linked to the house by a poorly insulated and leaking conservatory. The house had been DIYed previously with no thought for layout and connection, and missed crucial elements such as insulation, so it needed a full overhaul. ‘The ground floor extension allowed us to use the house in a more contemporary way. While we kept a snug at the front, we opened out the existing dining room, kitchen area and casual seating into one large space. Costs were a key factor so we designed the kitchen around existing service runs but made sure it would provide a much improved layout. ‘On the first floor, we used the cantilevered extension to house a family bathroom and new master suite (bedroom, dressing area and en suite). The master bedroom with large double sliding doors now enjoys dramatic views across the South Downs. ‘The existing house was built in the early 1900s and it was a design of its era. We wanted something that represented the 21st century and tried not to create a pastiche from the past. The contemporary design clearly shows what is new and old. ‘We didn’t move out while the work was being done. All the funds went on the works, so we endured camping stoves and had baths with our legs hanging over the side. ‘The project has improved our enjoyment of the house, and allowed us to bring our two small daughters up in a location we love.’ costs & contacts project cost £75,000+Vat (build cost only) architect adam Knibb architects, 01962 680221, adamknibbarchitects.com

councIL oKAy You can build a two-storey extension without the need to spend money and time on gaining planning permission by making use of the permitted development (pd) regime – so long as you don’t live in a Conservation area or other so-called designated land. Check with the council if you’re not sure if this applies. Under pd, you can’t build on more than 50 per cent of the area of land around the original house. this includes previous additions, sheds and other outbuildings. an existing extension built by the past owner of the house? It still counts.

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architect adam knibb built a two-storey extension on the home he shares with partner emily, and daughters Felicity and olivia, to improve layout and add a bedroom

conservatory

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wArm weLcome once you add rooms to two floors of the house, your existing boiler may not be up to the job – both because radiators are being added and because of the hot water requirements of any bathrooms you add on the first floor. a heating engineer can assess what you need. have to replace the boiler? don’t forget to add this cost into your budget, and reckon on around £2,300 for a new gas version, according to the Energy saving trust.

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LooKInG ouT If you put windows in a wall or roof slope on the upper floor in a side elevation of the extension, they’ll need to have obscure glazing and should not be openable unless the opening part is more than 1.7m above the floor of the room where the window is. and if you were thinking of opening up a new first floor room to the view by adding a balcony or verandah, be aware that pd doesn’t let you do that either.

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GreAT GLAzInG doors, fixed glass panels and sizeable windows are all worth considering as part of a two-storey extension design. they’ll boost daylight in the interior, as well as creating a good connection between house and garden. downstairs, consider bi-fold doors if you want to maximise the opening you can make between house and garden, or go for sliding doors to optimise the amount of glass between interior and exterior. glazed extensions can also be two storey rather than just one. they’re likely to be a more suitable solution where the two-storey addition spans lower ground and ground floors, however.

sTAy AwAy avoiding dust and disruption by moving out temporarily is desirable, and could help the project move faster, too. however, there are cost implications if going to family or friends for the duration isn’t on the cards, so this should be factored in. sealing off the areas being worked on and adding protection with plastic sheeting is vital in any case, so make sure you’re clear about how this will be achieved.

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coHesIve InTerIor whether you’ve opted for a two-storey extension that matches the materials of the main house or looks distinct, it’s preferable to make the interior feel harmonious. You can do this by selecting a palette of materials and colours to use throughout the original house and the new rooms. doors and door furniture can also help old and new blend naturally, even though these might be different on the two floors, as can details such as mouldings.

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counT cosTs a two-storey extension could make financial sense in comparison to only adding a single storey. You need groundworks, foundations and a roof whichever you build, so you’ll get more space for your money in the grand scheme of things. where you live in the UK, the specification, the materials and design will all influence the cost, but expect to pay around £1,850 per square metre for the build itself. Vat, professional fees and the interior’s fit out costs are all on top – make sure you factor this in. AT

photographs adam butler (aFlux designs)

‘The house was dated and needed a refurb,’ say Amit and Sara. ‘The couple wanted to extend it to give each of their daughters an independent room with its own bathroom, and they wanted a more open-plan living, dining and kitchen area downstairs. ‘There was a conservatory at the rear that we demolished, then we pushed out four metres into the garden. The extra room on the upper storey enabled us to create a master bedroom space with an en suite and walk-in wardrobe. We left corridors in the central parts, but the master bed occupies most of the extension. ‘Downstairs, there’s now an L-shaped kitchen, dining and living area. The couple wanted a more usable and sociable kitchen – they cook a lot and needed plenty of storage. Originally they planned to put the kitchen in the new extension but we changed their minds and put the dining area at the back facing the industrial-style windows with the kitchen located in the existing part of the house. You face the garden for cooking, but in a way the kitchen is hidden: when you enter the house you don’t see it straight away. ‘The couple wanted industrial style mixed in with classic and Shaker influences, and that’s why glazing is a big feature. The first part of the garden was tiled and we needed to make big openings for barbecues and entertaining. ‘The girls’ bedrooms and bathrooms were personalised, and we created a funky guest loo. Having on-trend decor was important to the client; the colour of the kitchen links to the greenery of the garden. She is a budding fashion stylist, and it was very important to have friends over, but she couldn’t have done it before because the house looked dated. Now the space helps her promote herself as a professional.’

PermIssIon InFo If you’re going down the permitted development route (pd), your extension will have to follow the rules. the extension can’t go more than three metres beyond the rear wall of the original house, nor be within seven metres of any boundary opposite the house’s rear wall. Its eaves and ridge height can’t be higher than the existing house, and if the addition is within two metres of a boundary, the maximum eaves height must be no higher than three metres. the roof pitch should match that of the existing house as far as possible, too. Materials should be similar in appearance to those for the exterior of your house. p

amit malhotra and sara ripamonti of aflux designs gave a professional couple and their two young girls space to suit them all with a two-storey addition

costs & contacts project cost £210,000 architect aflux designs, 07729 875172 and 07940 224618, aflux.co.uk

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PLAnnInG PreFerence the pd criteria are exacting, so you may want to apply for planning permission to build a two-storey addition that deviates from them in some respects – perhaps by using different materials for the new addition. want to build on at the side rather than the rear? You’ll have to get an official go-ahead, as pd only covers rear two-storey extensions. applying for planning permission costs £206 and the fee needs to be paid when you submit your application, so include it in your budget.

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reGuLATIon sAvvy a two-storey extension, whether built with planning permission or under the pd regime, needs building regulations approval. You can either work through your local authority’s building control department or use an approved inspector, and costs vary. the drawings and details necessary can be produced by an architectural designer, and a structural engineer’s input is likely to be necessary to provide calculations for foundations and other aspects of the build.

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sIde by sIde

photographs simon maxwell (la hally)

derek smith upsized his cottage to create an extra bedroom and bathroom and a more open and spacious ground floor layout ‘There were two parts to the work,’ says Derek, ‘The extension on the existing cottage, and the opportunity to buy and completely renovate a neighbouring cottage very close to my front door. By buying the second cottage, I also got its small stretch of garden and that created part of the space I needed for the extension. ‘The outside wall of my cottage was knocked through to create the extension. It opened out the kitchen, and I now have a separate study where I work, and a downstairs loo for the first time. Upstairs, the two existing bedrooms were left as they were. There is a second staircase in the extension, which leads to a bedroom and bathroom, but there’s no access between it and the rest of the house at first floor level. ‘The two cottages aren’t attached because there’s a right of way to another property so the owners can fill their oil tank. ‘I was open-minded about whether to make the extension a replica of what’s on the other side of the front door. Architect Lesley suggested something a bit more ambitious. I was sensitive as to how it would look to people walking down the lane, but it’s round a corner and you can’t see it, so I didn’t think I would upset anyone with something too modern. ‘I do quite a lot of entertaining, and having friends and family round is a million times easier now. There’s more room, but also much more privacy. If people come to stay, they can be with me in the expanded dining area, but then they go upstairs and have their own space and privacy. ‘I was a bit nervous that I was trying to pack too much into a small area, but the architects did a really good job at working with the space through the use of glass, and with the lovely American oak wood floors and staircase it all feels very light, looks great and creates a lot more space.’ costs & contacts project cost a similar project would cost around £120,000 to £150,000 architect La hally architect, 01962 843500, lahally.com

InsIde TrAcK adding an extension on two storeys needs a thoughtful approach so that rooms at the centre of the house aren’t deprived of light, and circulation isn’t rendered awkward. the design should leave principal rooms accessible from the hallway and the landing, but this might require using part of an existing room to create circulation space. the first floor of the house might well need to be reconfigured as part of the work to get bedroom access right.

wHose worK? there’s a choice of routes to the end point of a two-storey extension. You can work with a builder, employ a design and build company or call on an architectural designer and then employ a contractor for the build. Cutting costs through dIYing some of the project is possible, depending on your skills and whether you have the time for such major work. Most achievable might be taking on the decorating at the end of the project.

In conTrAsT You may want to distinguish the extension from the rest of the house by using exterior cladding. Coloured render – which comes in a wide choice of shades – can make the two parts distinct, as could brick, various timber or timber lookalikes, or a metal such as zinc. while the cladding creates a contrast, it should still be sympathetic to the original house, so that the two parts work as a whole even while they’re visually distinct.

THe PLAns First Floor

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vALue mATTers It’s always worth considering what you’ll have to spend on a two-storey extension in relation to what the work might add to the selling price when you move on. Be aware, however, that the answer does depend on the local area, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. a friendly estate agent can tell you what your home might currently fetch and what it might be worth with the space you’re going to add. If its size post-extension would put it in an in-demand category then that’s a positive, too.

#sorealhomes

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for more ideas, visit realhomes.com/extensions

sIde orders If yours needs to be a two-storey extension at the side, local planners could require that the new addition is subordinate to the house. they might ask for it to be set back a few hundred millimetres from the front elevation, and for the extension roof to be lower than that of the main part of the house. this could mean the extension needs a flat roof connecting it to the house below the eaves, or a pitch roof set a little lower. an architectural designer used to working with your local authority will be familiar with these stipulations and can deal with the design demands.

‘We spend 90 per cent of our time in here as a family,’ Sayu says. ‘One of us can be cooking while someone else is at the dining table – usually Avi, studying – which is really important as a young family.’

remodelled house

Tom Dixon pendant lights (above island), John Lewis & Partners. Flooring, Broadleaf Timber

s m a r t t h i n k i n g Sayu Sinha seamlessly integrated tech into his extended period home in a move that’s streamlined family life. Features editor Ellen Finch delves into the details

Sofa, Heal’s. Side table, Made.com

Q A

I wouldn’t have known where to start! What were your first steps? We submitted for planning permission almost immediately. We wanted to restore the property to its former glory and extend to the rear and into the side return. Because the house sits in a Conservation Area, it needed to be sympathetic to the original brickwork. We spent two or three months planning everything out before we did anything. I was keen to have a high-tech, futureproofed home that would reflect the needs of our family.

left ‘We spent a lot of time sourcing a classic Edwardian checked path,’ Sayu says. ‘The idea was that the house starts off very original, then becomes more modern as you progress through.’ Front path tiles, The Tile Shop of Kensal Rise

Q A

We talk a lot about visualising your ideal lifestyle when you’re planning an extension or renovation. How did that help you decide on the layout? The core focus was to create a communal area, somewhere we could be together but still do our own thing, so we have the open-plan kitchen-diner at the back. We wanted a formal space at the front of the house, too, for a living room, dining area and home cinema. We have surround sound and speakers above the seating area, and we incorporated LED lighting to separate the two parts of the room. It’s a great place to be able to break away.

Q A

The house has a pretty seamless mix of classic and modern styles. How did you achieve that? Our idea was that when you open the door, you should be able to look all the way through the house into the garden for a feeling of fluidity. It feels more contemporary the further into the property you get. We kept original features like the bannister and coving, but the kitchen is more urban with exposed brick and glazing. We opted for the thinnest framing for the doors at the back to bring the outside in. We spill out into the garden in the summer for barbecues and drinks.

Q A

It’s the tech that makes this house ultra modern. I imagine it’s a very intuitive experience living with it. How does it work for family life? I wanted a single point of connectivity for the house, so that if we wanted to extend the tech to other rooms in the future, we could do it in a plug and play fashion. The lighting unit and touch panels are in one room, which allows us to operate music, the front door, heating and lighting from one place. We added Amazon Alexa, so we can come in and say,

#sorealhomes

Q A

It’s hard to imagine this house as a multi-occupancy property. What was it like when you moved in? Each bedroom was self-contained and there was a communal kitchen and bathroom. There was a sink in every room and it hadn’t been updated since the 1980s. There was even a dead pigeon in one room. It was great for me because it put off 90 per cent of other buyers. My wife took one step in and two steps back and said, ‘There’s no way we’re buying this.’ So I did!

It sounds like the project was grounded in technology from the outset… We started the design with tech because we were keen to know how to make the house operational. The home tech company, Intellicasa, worked closely with Next Chapter Designs and Cato, who helped us develop a 3D rendering of the house. Everything was planned out as a model before we even put a spade in the ground. It helped us see how day-to-day life would look, and it saved us a lot of time. We could measure out exactly how much space we’d need when the dining chairs were pulled out, so all we had to do was build around the existing furniture.

Find more smart living ideas at realhomes.com/technology

re you tempted by the prospect of a truly smart home but struggling to see how it will work in your period house? Or are you just curious about how the latest technologies might improve your day-to-day life? As a smart tech novice, I was a little daunted by the ins and outs of it. But talking to Sayu Sinha, it’s clear embracing the latest innovations has immeasurably improved his family’s life. Sayu took on a huge project when he bought a fivestudio HMO (house in multiple occupation). Tasked with the challenge of transforming the dated, run-down property into an extended family home, he integrated smart technology in the design process from the outset to help him visualise each room down to the finest details. I spoke to him about how his smart home makes day-to-day life that little bit easier…

‘Alexa, play this playlist in the lounge.’ If we leave lights on when we’re out in the daytime, it’ll notify me. We don’t have to think about the little things because it’s all automated, and it’s energy efficient. You can use everything from an app, so our daughter, Avi, likes to spend half an hour every morning dancing around to music in her room.

Q A

Has investing in the tech also proven a way to save money on bills? The main aim for installing the technology was to make our lives easier (and more fun), but it’s also helped us to become more eco-friendly and reduce our energy and electric usage in the long term, which of course means reduced bills. Using the Crestron intelligent lighting system means we can control the lighting and heating across the entire house from the wall panels or our phones. The ‘home-away’ function allows us to turn off the entire house’s lighting and heating with a single click when leaving, so lights don’t accidentally get left on.

Q A

I don’t know if it’s down to the smart systems, but the whole house feels very polished and pulled-together. Is there anything you would have changed about it? I debate now and then whether we should open up the front room. Whenever we have guests over, they congregate at the back of the house, and I can’t for love nor money get them to the front. I’ve tried leaving bottles of wine and gin to lure them in, but it never works! The concern is that we’d lose the functionality of the space. If you’re cooking, the noise and smell transcend across the floor and pull everyone in to what you’re doing, as would watching the TV. With a separate front and back, there’s two areas to go to whatever your mood and the time of day.

Profile THE OWNERs Sayu Sinha, a hedge fund manager, lives here with his wife, Sharon, who works for the Financial Times, and their daughter, Avi, 12 THE PROPERTY A five-bedroom Edwardian terraced house in Queen’s Park, London

Below ‘We spent a lot of time thinking about how to get the outdoors functional, so we split the space into formal and casual seating areas,’ says Sayhu. ‘Like indoors, we’ve used light fittings to give parts of the garden different character.’

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raphs

PHOTOgRAPHS Chris snook STyLing gemma gear

Glazing, Maxlight. Table and chair set, John Lewis & Partners. Paving, European Heritage

Kitchen and worktop, Bulthaup. Bar stools, John Lewis & Partners. Sink, goslett Bathrooms. Tap, The Bathroom Company. Table, Camerich. Dining chairs, Dwell. Ceiling light (above table), Roll & Hill

Mirror, John Lewis & Partners. Dining table and chairs, Heal’s

realhomes.com

left ‘it hasn’t been too difficult to integrate tech while retaining the character of the house,’ says Sayhu. ‘We installed it with a view that it would improve our lives, not become a flashy focal point.’

‘Having a formal area creates a space for us to break away and read or have a cinematic experience,’ says Sayu. Walls painted in Elephant’s Breath, Farrow & Ball. Ceiling light, DelightFULL. Flooring, Broadleaf Timber. Rug, Katherine Carnaby. Sofas, The Sofa & Chair Company. Fireplace, Thornwood Fireplaces. Coffee table, John Lewis & Partners. Side tables, Marks & Spencer

shining statement

Be inspired by Sayu’s home and create an architectural focal point with a golden chandelier G

1 gold sunburst pendant ceiling light, £298, Audenza 2 Zeus chandelier, £640, Pooky 3 Code 12 pendant light, £270, Där Lighting 4 Lazenby gold pendant light, £280, The French Bedroom Co

Below Hallway walls painted in Elephantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Breath, Farrow & Ball. Flooring, Broadleaf Timber. Tom Dixon ceiling light, John Lewis & Partners

Contacts

Design next Chapter Design, 07984 872957, nextchapterdesign.co.uk; Cato Creative, 020 8704 0022, catocreative.com Glazing Maxlight, 020 8896 0700, maxlight.co.uk Kitchen Bulthaup, bulthaup.com Tech intellicasa, 020 7205 2536, intellicasa.co.uk

ORE

BeFore

Walls painted in Elephant’s Breath, Farrow & Ball. Bed, Furniture Village. Flooring, Broadleaf Timber. Carpet, Mr Carpet. Side tables, Made.com. Wall lights, DelightFULL

‘We wanted to replicate the luxury of a hotel suite in the master bedroom, so we knocked three rooms into one,’ Sayu says. ‘it’s a bit greedy, but my wife loves it! From a functional perspective, having a bathroom and dressing room is perfect.’

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tech installed June 2016

alexa introduced December 2017

First film watched with surround sound Prometheus, summer 2016

above Tiles, Al Murad Tiling. Duravit bath, vanity unit and Dornbracht shower, The Bathroom Discount Centre. Sink, Solidity. Mirrored cabinet, ikea left ‘The brass fittings in the en suite feel luxurious and almost hotel-like,’ Sayu says. ‘We have speakers in this room, too.’ gold-flecked tiles, European Heritage. Vanity unit, Solidity. Dornbracht taps and shower, The Bathroom Discount Centre

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Plans submitted September 2015

project finished July 2016

Project timeline

Builders on site november 2015 N

Bought house August 2015

SMARTER

LIVING Whether you’re planning an extension, completing a whole house renovation or just looking for ways to improve your property, here’s how to make your home a smart one

or those yet to make the jump, smart home technology can seem like a pretty daunting proposition. Sure, being able to control your heating from your phone and turn off your lights with your voice might sound like something you’d be interested in, but it also sounds complicated, time consuming and expensive. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be any of those things, and whether you fancy testing the water with a few smart touches, or are considering making the jump to kit out the whole house, we’ve got all the tips you need to get started.

you’re out of milk. Their main focus is convenience, though some are arguably more useful than others.

What do I need? All you need is a strong home Wi-Fi network, so your device(s) can connect to the internet, and a smartphone or tablet. For most smart devices, there will be an app for you to download to set it up, which you’ll then use to control it as well. Some devices will also work with a laptop, but this isn’t as convenient as using your phone – especially when out and about.

Where do I start?

FEATURE VERITY BURNS IMAGE GETTY

What is a smart home? At its most basic, a smart home is made up of devices connected to the internet via your home Wi-Fi network. This lets you control them using your smartphone and also allows them to see and communicate with one another, almost like being neighbours on the same street. That’s important if you’re keen on making use of a voice-controlled smart assistant, like Alexa or Google Assistant. Usually built into smart speakers, such as the Amazon Echo (£89.99) or Google Home (£89), these assistants can respond to your voice commands to control compatible devices wirelessly, and can also pull up general information via the internet, such as weather forecasts and traffic information. Smart home devices can be found for just about every room of the house, and depending on what you have installed, they can control lighting, heating, keep your house safe and even let you know when

A smart home is usually a network of devices working together, but you can still invest in one piece of smart home tech to get started, and keep adding to it as and when you want to. It’s worth considering which smart ecosystem you want to use from the off. It will determine the devices that you can add to your set-up, and which will work best. For most people, that means choosing between Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Apple’s HomeKit is gaining traction from Apple loyalists, and Samsung’s SmartThings is doing the same for Samsung fans, but both lack the widespread compatibility of their more established counterparts. As for where you start on kit – that will depend on what is most important to you, or what will make your life easiest. To help you decide, we’ve pulled together the main device categories that make up a smart home, along with what they do and how much you’ll need to spend to make it worthwhile.

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Smart heating

smart Television

Smart thermostats allow you to Smart TVs are a bit of a subsection of adjust your heating from afar smart home tech, in that they were named (or from the sofa – this is about ‘smart’ before the whole smart home convenience, after all) using scene really got started. The premise your smartphone or laptop, and is the same – smart TVs connect to the can be installed no matter who internet to deliver on-demand your supplier is. It services, like BBC iPlayer and won’t be affected Netﬂix, alongside your regular if you change TV channels. The difference is, in supplier either. the beginning at least, smart TVs They’ll work weren’t really designed to work with most boilers Hive Active – so if you already Heating, £249 in conjunction with anything else. That’s starting to change, use a standard with TVs from LG, Hisense and thermostat, Sony now including support for chances are your Alexa and Google Assistant. This means current set-up will work with you can turn your TV on and change a smart thermostat, too. channel with your voice, as well as add As well as those can’t-beit into a smart home routine – a single bothered-to-leave-the-sofa voice command that triggers actions moments, smart heating is from several smart devices at once. particularly handy for people For example, a ‘goodnight’ command who have no strict routine as to could turn your TV and lights off, your when they’ll be in and out of thermostat down and your security the house. It allows you to camera on. Clever, eh? adjust your heating on the While it’s almost ﬂy when a traditional timer impossible to buy a wouldn’t be as effective. TV without smart Hive (owned by British functionality these Gas, but works with any days, if you already supplier) and Nest (owned have an older TV by Google) are two of you’re perfectly the biggest names, but Tado, Netatmo and Honeywell are other brands to watch out for. Google Nest Features will vary Learning based on the thermostat thermostat, you choose, but look out for £219 hot water control, a geofencing feature that tracks when you leave and return home, voice control, holiday modes and multi-room functionality. Prices range from £50 to £200 depending on the features you need, and up to around £100 extra for professional installation – though with good instructions and a little knowhow you can do it yourself.

happy with, then streaming sticks are an inexpensive way of adding a bit of smart know-how to them. All you’ll need is a spare HDMI input, and something like the Amazon Fire Stick, Google Chromecast or Roku Streaming Stick. Those from Amazon and Roku offer a separate content ecosystem for you to browse, while Chromecast relies on you ‘casting’ content from your phone or tablet to the TV using compatible apps. Make sure the one you choose includes the services you need as support can vary. Streaming sticks start from around £30-£40, but you’ll pay more for one that streams in 4K quality – just be aware you’ll need a 4K TV (which will likely have smart functionality already built in) to get the beneﬁt from that. Other takes on smart televisions are reaching beyond functionality and focusing on design. Samsung produce a set called the Frame, which contains all the smart features of its regular TVs, but with an added trick up its sleeve. When it’s turned off, the TV can display artwork so it looks like a painting or picture rather than a TV, complete with matte ﬁnish to make sure it looks as realistic as possible. Very smart indeed.

Amazon Fire TV stick, £39.99

Tado smart thermostat, £199.99 Samsung The Frame, from £1,299 for 43in screen

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Want an easy win? Smart lighting can be set up with minimal fuss and outlay, offers great results – and can save you money. As you’d imagine, it allows you to switch your lights on and off using an app on your phone, or you can use your voice and a compatible smart assistant as well. Most offer the ability to set schedules for when you’re on holiday, plus some bulbs can even dim or change colour; features depend on the brand. Smart lighting falls into two camps: those systems that use a separate hub or bridge, and those using just Wi-Fi. In use, you won’t notice much difference, but Wi-Fi bulbs, like Lifx, are usually easier to set up but are more expensive per bulb, whereas hub-based bulbs, like Philips Hue, offer more functionality and are cheaper to buy individually, after the initial package cost. Expect to pay £50 for a Philips Hue two-bulb starter kit with hub, and £25 per two bulbs after that. Lifx bulbs, in contrast, generally cost between £30-£55 each. Pricey if you’re kitting out a whole house.

Google Nest Hello video doorbell, £229

Smart security

Keeping an eye on your home has never been easier than with a smart security set-up. Smart cameras can cover surveillance both inside and outside the home, while smart doorbells can keep tabs on who is coming and going from your home – all from your smartphone. There are a few key players in this market, such as Arlo, Nest, Hive and Ring, which offer wired and wireless cameras suitable for indoors and outdoors. They’ll record for lengths of time based on their individual capabilities and settings, and save the footage either in the cloud, or on an SD card in the device. You’ll be able to check out what your camera is seeing (and hearing) at any time, as well as receive notiﬁcations if it thinks it’s spotted something dodgy. The very best cameras use geofencing to know whether you’re at home or not, and will adjust their notiﬁcations to suit. After an introductory period, most smart cameras require a monthly or annual subscription in order to keep the more advanced functionality. This could include face detection or the amount of cloud storage you get, depending on the device.

Smart lighting

It’s worth taking into consideration before you buy though, as it can really add to the cost – expect to pay around £100-£300 for a one-camera set up, with an annual subscription cost of £25-£40. Smart doorbells work in much the same way, except – surprise, surprise – they come with doorbell functionality. You’ll receive a notiﬁcation to your phone when someone rings the bell, with a video stream of who’s there. You can then speak to them using the two-way microphone – handy if you aren’t in the house and need to tell your delivery person where to leave a parcel. Ring and Nest Hello are the two key devices to look out for here. Ring costs around £180 and is wireless, while the Nest Hello costs about £230 and requires professional installation for around another £100. That makes the Nest Hello considerably more expensive, but it’s also the smaller, neater device, packs a more reliable Wi-Fi signal and comes with no battery concerns. Ring can’t be beaten for ﬂexibility, though.

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Ring Video Doorbell 2, £179

Arlo Pro 2, £569.99 for two cameras

Nest Cam IQ Indoor, £299

FOR ALL THE LATEST SMART TECH, VISIT REALHOMES.COM/TECHNOLOGY

Lifx Mini White Wi-Fi LED smart light, £19.99

HUB

THE

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Amazon’s Smart Plug, below, which works with Alexa, costs £24.99, but a number of reputable third-party companies, like D-Link and TP Link, offer options that work with Alexa and Google Assistant for less than £20

Smart plugs A smart plug is one of the quickest, easiest and cheapest ways to start your smart home set-up because it allows you to upgrade devices you already have to make them ‘smart’. Simply connect a smart plug to a power socket and then plug in a device, such as a coffee machine, slow cooker or lamp, and you’ll be able to control power to that bit of kit – in effect switching it on and off from afar. Depending on the smart switch you have, you’ll be able to do this using your smartphone or even your voice (via a compatible voice assistant), as well as check the status of the switch, create schedules and set timers. This is great for switching your coffee machine on from bed, or having lights that turn on and off when you’re on holiday. There are some limitations: it’s only really useful if the appliance you want to control has a physical switch. This way, you can leave the device turned on, but then control the power to it from your phone. If you need to push a button or activate an electronic switch for the device to work, a smart switch won’t be so useful.

smart appliances The kitchen is quickly becoming one of the smartest rooms of the house, with just about every appliance you can think of getting kitted out with smart functionality (see page 150 for more). Ovens, fridges, dishwashers and washing machines are all regularly found with smart offerings, as well as blenders, scales and slow cookers. They do vary as to their usefulness, though. For example, being able to start a dishwasher or washing machine from afar isn’t that handy if you need to be there to ﬁll it in the ﬁrst place, but being able to pre-heat your oven on the way home from work could prove useful.

Samsung RF56M9540SR/ EU Family Hub smart fridge freezer, £3,599

Many don’t charge a premium for the smart functionality, but you’ll often ﬁnd it included in the appliances that pack the more advanced standard features, too. Smart fridges are the one appliance where you’ll see a price premium for the added features, with Samsung’s Family Hub costing from £2,500 – around £500 more than a similar non-smart model. For that, you’ll get things like a fridge camera, for keeping an eye on what you’ve got in stock, notiﬁcations to your phone when something is going out of date and the ability to share calendars, messages or stream TV to the fridge’s large LCD screen.

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Smart speakers Smart speakers sit at the core of most smart home set-ups. They contain the assistants that allow you to control smart devices using your voice. More than that, though, smart speakers can play music, answer questions, tell you how your calendar is looking, call a friend or even order you an Uber. The best are able to distinguish between different voices, offer personalised results, or even come with displays to offer visual results. Starting from around £50, they’re not too expensive considering the convenience they can offer. However, to get one that can do the music you play justice, one of these will offer a happy medium, and could save you forking out for a separate Bluetooth speaker. AMAZON ECHO, £89.99 The original smart speaker, the Amazon Echo is now in its second generation, and was recently upgraded to improve its design and sound quality. It packs Amazon’s Alexa, which arguably works with the biggest range of smart home tech out of any voice assistant, and comes in a range of fabrics and finishes to fit with your décor. GOOGLE HOME, £89 The Google Home speaker features Google Assistant, which after a couple of years of playing catch up to Alexa, is now pretty close indeed. While Alexa might still just pip it for device compatibility, Assistant has overtaken Alexa on a deeper and more natural voice control experience. There aren’t as many options on the design, but you can choose from four colours of fabric to customise. APPLE HOMEPOD, £279 The first thing you’ll notice with the HomePod is the difference in price. It’s a big ask considering Siri doesn’t yet have the same smart home kudos as its competitors. However, it does offer a much-improved audio performance over any other smart speaker, and, as you’d expect, an absolutely seamless integration with other Apple devices.

a dv e rtor i a l

StAy wArm And in control with A SmArt Stove

The Nina Smart Stove from the Prasino Contemporary Collection

Stoves that feed themselves and fuel that burns cleanly make Prasino the smart choice

s winter arrives and we look at ways to heat our homes, there’s nothing quite like the relaxing warmth of a real fire. But an innovation in smart, clean technologies, and a new generation of stoves that combine sustainable heating and lower carbon monoxide emissions with web-enabled controls, is set to revolutionise what we burn as fuel and how we do it. Prasino Smart Stoves use recycled wood pellets to create clean and efficient heat. Convenient and inexpensive, it eliminates the need for logs or coal, so there’s no dirt or mess to clean or a chilly wait for it to fire up. Instead you simply empty a bag of pellets into the stove’s hopper and the smart technology will deliver a controlled dose of fuel to the burn chamber. The stove will continue to draw pellets as needed. It will also alert you when the supply is running low. One of the great benefits of Prasino Smart Stoves is their controllability, thanks to a dedicated smartphone app. Too hot or too cold? Use the app to turn the heating up or

down. Want to return to a warm and cosy home? Remotely turn the stove on ready for when you get back. They are also compatible with connected smart devices like Nest, Hive or Google Home or with Alexa. Built-in room temperature sensors adjust the heat so it stays comfortable. The surfaces remain quite cool compared to hot-tothe-touch traditional stoves, making them even safer to use. You can do your bit for the environment, too. The Smart Stoves’ unique burner technology neutralises up to 80 per cent of particulates and carbon dioxide, achieving ultra-low carbon monoxide emissions. Built-in Speedy Clean technology means it’s quick and easy to get your stove looking pristine. Prasino collaborated with leading Italian manufacturer Palazzetti, to offer a selection of

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A top-loading pellet hopper

designs to suit every home. Combine classic looks with smart controls in the Traditional designs or choose a modern statement piece from the Contemporary Collection. There are slimline options as well – perfect for homes where room dimensions are a little snugger. To view the range, go to prasinosmartstoves.co.uk

Profile The owners Rebecca and Ewan Graham, who are both architects The property A two-bedroom ground-floor flat in a Victorian terraced house in Peckham Rye, London

WoRds EllEn Finch PhotoGRAPhs MalcolM MEnziEs

Project cost ÂŁ206,000 (including refurbishment of entire flat and garden)

access a l l area s Architect Ewan Graham design, 07886 366217 Sliding doors Maxlight, 020 8896 0700, maxlight.co.uk Kitchen Pluck, 020 7095 1795, pluck.kitchen Builder Altus Construction, 07917 768278 Structures Axiom structures, 020 3637 2751, axiom-structures.co.uk

When

you’re transforming a flat, it doesn’t have to be a headache. If you’re lucky enough to live on the ground floor, there might be the potential to extend and create a kitchen-diner to rival any other extended house – just as Rebecca and Ewan did. Moving into their new home, the couple – architects by trade – could see the potential of the property as a place they could grow into and shape to suit their lifestyle. After spending a few years saving, they drew on their experience and created their dream kitchen as part of a full-flat overhaul. The result? A cool, pared-back space that embraces open-plan living. Here, Rebecca reveals the five steps to her extended home… BEFORE

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Contacts

By extending their ground floor flat, Rebecca and Ewan have capitalised on space and embraced open-plan living

‘I know people often have islands in their kitchendiner, but I don’t like their inﬂexibility,’ Rebecca says. Kitchen, Pluck. Oven, Bosch. For a similar dining table, try Ebay. For Eamesstyle chairs, try Cult Furniture. House Doctor ceiling light, Nordic Nest

Step two

Step three

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Step one

Humble beginnings

Total teamwork

Building up

‘We bought this flat mainly because we thought it had the potential to extend if we could afford it further down the line,’ Rebecca says. ‘It was a one-bedroom flat with a strange layout. The living room was at the front of the property and benefitted from south-facing light and a lovely big window. The kitchen was in the middle and the bathroom at the rear, which meant there was no view of the garden while we were cooking or eating. Most of the flat was very dark and enclosed. We compromised on the one bedroom because we had that space to grow.’

‘It was two or three years down the line before we got started. We had planning permission for our design – an openplan kitchen-diner at the back of the house. The process was a balancing act between extending for the space and to create a second bedroom, but not changing too much of the rest of the house. We did move the bathroom to the centre of the ﬂat. Ewan did the main planning and I did the construction drawings. I’m more used to projects of this scale, so I was on site more. Generally, we worked well together. The only point of contention was when I suggested the bathroom door should open out because the space was so small. Our tastes are very similar; I’d pick things and we’d agree on them before purchasing.’

‘The project took six months and was quite smooth sailing. The structural integrity of the property meant it needed extra underpinning, and digging out the back was a bit of an unknown. Other than that, the process was okay. We stayed with friends throughout, which was very generous of them. That made the whole project much more doable and aﬀordable. ‘We weren’t going to build a separate garden studio because having more builders in would be been expensive, but there was a place in Essex that delivered and installed garden buildings to the property for about a third of the price of what we’d pay to build something on site. It transformed the whole thing from a good project to a better one.’

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my kitchen in five Must-have plant ‘Our Swiss cheese plant seems to be surviving so far.’ ‘Chaz’ Swiss cheese plant, from £14, Patch

4 5 Step five

Step four

Sliding doors, Maxlight. Rooﬂights, Velux. Corian worktop, Total Tops. Hob, Bosch. Shelving unit, sofa and rug, Ikea. Green blanket, Emma Makes store via Etsy

Design details

Space saverS

‘Ewan is quite tall and struggled with the ceiling height in the old flat, but the extension gives him extra space. We wanted to mirror the shape of the back of neighbouring houses, and we felt having it pitched would create interest. ‘Because the back is one room, I wanted the kitchen cabinetry to feel like part of the furniture. We wanted it to be the stand-out feature. Rather than having too many materials, we opted for a concrete floor that could flow from inside to out – and it also has great heating and cooling properties. ‘Finishes on things like the window were kept simple; black, white or dark grey. We have a similar theme in the rest of the house . The concrete floor carries on in the bathroom, and we have white and grey marble tiles in there.’

‘For us, it’s the little things that don’t cost much more but make a huge difference that are important. We have full-height doors for a sense of space, and we added an extra, wider step down to the kitchen to create a platform leading into the extension. For the worktops, we went 800mm rather than 600mm deep, and used that extra space to store utensils and appliances without interfering with the prep space. We stacked the boiler over the washing machine to save space, too. ‘When we bought this flat, we were looking for the potential to grow into it. We underestimated how much going open-plan would make a difference, though. Even the north-facing kitchen gets so much light. It feels communal but still private. We absolutely love it.’

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Our ideal Sunday brunch ‘Ewan is the king of brunch. He likes a continental-style grazing selection. No one goes hungry!’ Marble serving board, £25, Garden Trading

The song that’s always on our playlist ‘We’re dance/house fans – so something with a beat!’ Google Home smart speaker, £89, John Lewis & Partners

The cookbook we couldn’t do without ‘I still go back to my Usbourne First Cookbook 30 years later. For a grown-up book, Jamie Oliver’s 5 Ingredients.’ (£26, Penguin Random House)

Costs Building work £172,200 (including refurbishment of whole ﬂat and garden) Kitchen £15,000 Professional fees £11,000 Glazing £7,800 Total £206,000

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‘Our friends have seen the ﬂat before and after, and they’re all so impressed by the light and brightness,’ Rebecca says.

On a Friday night, we’ll be… ‘Slouched on the sofa with a beer and a G&T.’ Pembroke grey velvet sofa, £749.99, Furniture Choice

WORDS jennifer morgan IMage getty

always and forever What makes a house a forever home, and do we still hanker after the idea of one? Or are we always simply looking for the next project to move up the property ladder...

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‘ w H e n t H e d ay c o m e s t o pac k b o x e s a n d m ov e o n , i k n ow i ’l l f e e l a l u m p i n m y t H r o at ’ farmhouse in North Shields. ‘The thinking was that our two children would one day use this as a teenage den…or that we’d have somewhere to escape to!’ As Kate and James are both self-confessed ‘true creatives’, however (she owns jewellery and lifestyle brand Tuttiandco.com), they have just submitted plans for a much more contemporary home that’s also future proof. ‘Even though we loved our home, we just had this burning desire to create the next dream one,’ says Kate. ‘The location is the draw this time. We’ll have views of the river and the North Sea, walking distance to the bustling fish quay with great bars and restaurants, plus it’s very close to our children’s school.’ Kate thinks this could be their ‘home for the next 10 years, although I’m not sure it will be our forever home’. ‘I’m hoping we can spend as much time here as possible,’ says Natalie, talking about her current home. ‘It does become lovelier the longer we live here, especially as the house is bedding down into the landscape. I really wanted to create a sense of “home”; I didn’t want the boys to feel as if they were living in a show home, but in a cosy, inviting space.’ Home – whether that’s present or forever – carries plenty of emotion with it. ‘When the day comes to pack boxes and move on, I know I’ll feel that lump in my throat,’ says Naomi. ‘I think most people feel sentimental over their first buy, especially when you bring a baby home from hospital. It forever remains your first-ever home.’ Naomi remains sensible when it comes to looking for that next move. ‘We’re always on Rightmove, but we restrict ourselves to window shopping and looking at houses 10 times our budget, like a fantasy hobby. I think if we started looking for our next home now, we’d be too tempted to buy it, and while the banks might offer us the mortgage needed, we’ve become quite financially discerning over recent years and want to make sure it’s something we can comfortably afford along with our other lifestyle choices, like travelling and planning for the future. ‘I’m not actually sure I believe in that forever home,’ adds Naomi. ‘Nowadays, we have a more fluid society that allows people to chop and change their lifestyles and their homes to suit. I feel like our next home will be the one we stay in to bring up our boys. But we could get 10 years in and get bored or have life take us in a different direction. We’re happy to be relatively nomadic in that respect. A home can be made from anywhere. It’s the people I’m sharing it with that matter the most. It’s a cliché because it’s true.’ ‘Yes, I agree,’ says Kate, ‘a forever home is a home with my family. Wherever we are together, then that’s home.’

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ow many times have you walked into a potential property and thought, ‘this is where I could grow old’? Well, it’s probably more than you might think. A recent survey by Hillarys.co.uk revealed that one in eight of us will actually purchase three ‘forever’ homes during our lifetime. So, what makes it a forever home? When (or why) does it flip into a ‘home for now’? And what makes us move on from a dream property when we have found one? Natalie Gascoigne-Smith (@countrybrumkin) is a serial mover and has changed address nine times in 17 years, but believes she’s found her forever home… well at least until her two boys have grown up. ‘It’s the third house I’ve built with my husband, who owns a property development company (nutfieldhomes.co.uk). When we bought the plot in the Surrey countryside, it came with an old farmhouse. As much as it was characterful, it was structurally unsound, so it made more financial sense to start again.’ Natalie’s self-build home now has five bedrooms and plenty of space for her two boys to, ‘run wild’. She’s also chosen every fixture and fitting, every paint colour and fabric herself. ‘Working on the house with two small children has been a challenge though,’ she admits. But then we are more likely to spend time and money making what we have nearer our idea of perfect than move, as Mark Hayward, chief executive at NAEA Propertymark explains. ‘Findings from Barclays Mortgages show we are staying in our homes on average 19 years before moving. When our agents are showing properties to buyers, it’s all about highlighting the potential – that the garage could become an annexe, there’s scope to extend or that it’s in the right catchment area for future schools.’ Firsttime buyers are waiting so long to get onto the property ladder that often they move into houses rather than flats, ‘which means they stay put for longer’, Mark adds. ‘There’s definitely been a shift; head now rules much more than heart.’ Something first-time buyer Naomi Lindell, who owns online store Goodlivingscotland.com is very conscious of. ‘We’re wary that any investment we make is likely to get left behind. After 10-plus years of hopping rental properties both in the UK and Australia, we’ve finally put down roots, although I do believe our home is great for now, but not our forever home.’ This affects the choices Naomi makes when it comes to stamping her own mark on the three-bedroom 1970s semi in a little village, half-way between Edinburgh and Glasgow. ‘Of course, there are things I’d love to do, such as rejig the downstairs layout so it flows better, but we’re thinking we’ll put the house on the market in five years. Even small improvements can add to the value, however, so I think we’ll replace our kitchen next year. I’ll probably go for something inexpensive, like white gloss, but maybe invest in some beautiful hardware to elevate the overall style.’ What happens when you are in that forever home, with the interior style just right, and that perfect layout? Well as Kate Rose discovered, sometimes even the best-laid plans can have a habit of changing. ‘Our previous home was designed to be the one we grew old in. We battled with planners for three years and it was everything and more we could have ever dreamed of,’ she says. Kate and husband James even added a self-contained flat with living space on the top floor of their classic Georgian-style new-build

Profile THE OWNERs Lucy Alston, a fashion stylist and lifestyle blogger (@thestylesponge_ ) and partner David Sutton, who works in insurance, and their daughter, Clemence, seven THE PROPERTY A four-bedroom semidetached 1930s house in Beckenham, south London project COST ÂŁ180,000

Extended 1930s home

space for living Lucy Alston and David Sutton have extended their semi-detached home to create a bright, comfortable space full of on-trend touches

The rooms to the rear have been knocked through and extended to create a light-filled kitchen-diningliving space. ‘I love how people can be sat chatting on the sofa while someone’s cooking and kids are playing close by without causing a huge disruptive mess,’ Lucy says.

Sliding doors, Schueco. Flos IC S1 pendant light, John Lewis & Partners. Normann Copenhagen bar stools, Nest. Rug, West Elm. For similar concrete-effect porcelain floor tiles, try the Block tile, Marazzi

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WORDS Kate Jacobs PHOTOGRAPHS Rachael smith STYLING maxine bRady and Kate Jacobs

ucy Alston’s career as a fashion stylist and lifestyle blogger is all about having vision and celebrating beautiful-looking things. So it comes as a shock to learn that she just couldn’t see the charms of this 1930s semi at first. ‘For me, this kind of house had too many granny-in-suburbia connotations,’ she admits. It was her partner, David, who convinced her to take it seriously, pointing out the beautifully proportioned rooms and sense of space. ‘David has been the driving force in this project from the start,’ Lucy adds. ‘It could never have happened without him.’ The couple and their then baby daughter, Clemence, now seven, moved here in 2013 and began work straight away, starting at the front of the house before moving on to the rear extension. They camped in different rooms and rigged up an improvised kitchen in the garage. ‘The dust and upheaval was terrible for all of us – especially Clemence – but would we do it the same way again? Probably,’ Lucy says. ‘We saved a lot of money that we could spend on things like a beautiful sofa.’ David scoured the country to find materials at the best price – even bringing timber down from Scotland – and drafted in builders from his home town in the West Midlands. The team took the place back to bare brick, replumbing and rewiring. Their builder came on board as a plasterer, but ended up doing most of the work himself. His father, another builder, drew up the plans to save on architect’s fees, while David devoted a lot of time to taking every measurement with perfect precision. ‘He’s got the right sort of brain for that work, but it was very stressful,’ Lucy says. David was hands-on with the building work, too. ‘He was so keen to learn and acquire new skills,’ Lucy adds, ‘even though he nearly lost a finger fitting the floor!’ The two of them make a good team, with David handling the practicalities while Lucy deals with the creative side. Despite her initial hang-ups about houses of this era, she has tried to retain the period feel of the rooms while giving the space a refresh. The sitting room, master bedroom and hall all have original doors, fireplaces and stair spindles, many of which had been boarded over during the Sixties craze for streamlining interiors. At the rear, the couple have incorporated a modern ‘glass box’ extension onto what was once the original kitchen, dining room and pantry. This has given them a vast kitchen-dining-living space as well as a generous utility room, BEFORE a downstairs WC and shower room. ‘It works so well for family life and for entertaining friends,’ says Lucy. For the kitchen itself, Lucy wanted a warm look ‘with a seamless, unfussy feel’. She combined a ‘faux’ wood, chosen for its hardwearing properties, with matt-white worktops and splashbacks. ‘We wanted marble but everyone warned us off it because staining is such an issue. They were right – we used it on the bathroom floor and it’s incredibly porous.’ A lifelong colour obsessive, Lucy swears by the transformative power of paint. ‘When you’re spending thousands on a sofa, you need to play it safe, but paint is an area where you can have fun and experiment.’ She likes to layer on colour and texture with cushions and throws. Lucy has long been influenced by modern Scandinavian style but is now adding touches of glamorous Italian maximalism. ‘It’s inspired our round mirrors. In a square room, curves bring softness to the space.’ The family couldn’t be happier with the end results. ‘This house lifts our mood when we come home,’ Lucy says. ‘It’s lovely living with all this light. It’s given us all a happier state of mind.’ Lucy advises keeping the end goal in sight when in the middle of a makeover. ‘It can be relentless, so try and accept the here and now, hang onto your vision and remember what you’re in it for.’ Wise words indeed.

Comfortable seating in bold colours helps to create a laid-back lounge area in the open-plan extension. Hay Mags modular sofa, Haus. Oversized round mirror, West Elm. Rug, West Elm. Cushions, COS x Hay and John Lewis & Partners

top tip

Left and above Wood-effect cabinets bring warmth to the sleek simplicity of the kitchen, ‘I love the timeless mix of rustic warm wood features with creamy white minimal cabinets.’

Right ‘The front sitting room is like an oasis of calm,’ Lucy says. ‘I feel very cocooned in here!’ A simple fireplace niche and pale blue walls are a modern update to this period room.

Rotpunkt kitchen cabinets in Old Wild Oak and Snow, Amazing Spaces Kitchens. For a similar matt quartz worktop, try LWK Kitchens

Sofa, vintage; for similar, try Swoon Editions. For a similar rug, try the Darwin, John Lewis & Partners. Walls painted in Bone China Blue Pale, Little Greene. Shelving, Heal’s

THE PLANS BEFORE

gRound FlooR

dining Room

living Room

AFTER

living Room

bedRoom

Kitchen-dineR

Kitchen

bathRoom

gaRage

FiRst FlooR

bathRoom

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bedRoom

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Style a table or add interest to a worktop with clusters of vases filled with blooms – don’t be afraid to clash colours

The fourth bedroom serves as Davidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study and is painted inky blue. Mid-century-style wooden furniture helps to create a sleek, stylish study. Walls painted in Hicksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Blue, Little Greene. For a similar desk, try the Gerton/Lerberg desk, Ikea. Eames DSW chair, Aram

top tip

Create a study area in a small space with slimline furniture. Adorn your desk with prints and plants to make a feature

Right Warm pastel shades and tactile textiles create a cosy space in Clemence’s room. ‘We love snuggling up together to read stories,’ Lucy says.

For a similar chair, try the Originals Chairmakers chair, Heal’s. Compass Small table, Unto This Last. Walls painted in Mirror, Little Greene

Tepee, Smallable. For a similar chair, try the Eames RAR, Heal’s. Stool, Ikea. Walls painted in Blackened, Farrow & Ball

Spindle style

Be inspired by Lucy and David’s home and create a feature of an empty corner with a stylish chair 1

1 Ercol Originals Chairmakers rocking chair, £1,045, Furniture Village 2 Burbler occasional chair, £445, Loaf 3 Croft Collection Frome armchair, from £599, John Lewis & Partners 4 Hay J110 chair in Raspberry Red, £229, Nest

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Above Modernist-style lighting brings this 1930s guest room up to date. An exposed brick fireplace and rustic textiles conjure a cosy mood.

Left New windows and an off-centre bath give this room a bold modern look. ‘We utilised the space to the max by placing the standalone bath diagonal to one of the windows,’ Lucy says. ‘We kept the original window shape. It looks like you’re on a ship, which I love’. Matt and satin fixtures and fittings soften the look

Started work on front of house January 2014

Project timeline

Started rear extension September 2015

Completed the front rooms May 2014

completed extension February 2016

Cooked Christmas dinner in the garage December 2016

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Vicenza stone bath and basin, Clearwater. Scarlatin stool, La Redoute. Bath mat, HK Living. Feature wall painted in Peach Blossom Light, Little Greene

Remodelled family bathroom June 2017

Sunny yellows contrast with elegant greys in this light and airy bedroom. ‘We could add an en suite but I love the space we have here – and it’s one less bathroom to keep clean and tidy!’ Lucy says. Walls painted in Gauze Mid, Little Greene. Senzo dressing table, Swoon. Chair, Ikea. Normann Copenhagen pendant light, Trouva. Silk curtains, bespoke

Costs & contacts Build and planning £70,000 Kitchen £25,000 Doors and windows £20,000 Flooring £15,000 Rewiring, plumbing and heating £10,000 Bathroom £15,000 Wetroom £15,000 Decorating £10,000 Total £170,000 Kitchen Rotpunkt, rotpunktuk.com Sliding doors Schueco doors installed by Euro Aluminium, 01243 863 776, euroaluminiumltd.co.uk

over to Undecided on the idea of smart home tech? Let these readers’ experiences make up your mind for you…

YOU

‘You get a notification at three in the morning telling you there’s an unfamiliar face outside’ ‘For me, the best thing about smart home tech is the interactiveness of it,’ Simon says. ‘We’ve used it in various forms for a long time – we bought a Nest thermostat when it first came out in 2012 and we’ve installed it in the three houses we’ve lived in since then. ‘It’s good to be able to see your house all on one screen rather than having to figure out dials and things like that for meter readings. It is especially useful for me because I’m away a lot for work – if I’ve forgotten to switch something off or need to check up on something, I can do it from my phone. When we come back from a holiday, we can turn the water and heating on ahead of time so that the house is warm and welcoming when we get home. ‘Our current house is quite remote, so we decided to invest in a security camera. If we’re away, we can see who was outside our house and do the whole “Oi, clear off ” that you see on

the adverts. It’s not just security, though – it’s invaluable for deliveries. I can tell someone to leave a parcel in the garage if I’m not in. Every now and then, we even catch a family of ducks on camera. The only negative is that the camera will sometimes spot a face in a perfectly innocent bush or a movement reflected on the side of the car, so you get a notification at three in the morning telling you there’s an unfamiliar face outside the house. ‘We also have an Alexa speaker. We use it mainly as a timer in the kitchen and to get the music going. It’s a useful hands-free tool. Our five-year-old can now formulate words well enough for Alexa to understand him, so he likes to use that to his advantage. ‘We love a more traditional interiors style but that doesn’t stop us from embracing this new world of smart tech. We can see the advantages of it, so we’re keen to keep on using it as long as it’s useful for us.’ @newmeadowview

‘We have smart lighting and it’s massively improved our big living space. Our kitchen and garden have so many different areas and functions, so we grouped lights into modes with Alexa and chose ﬁve different types to set a mood in each part of the space.’ @KIRSTIN_LOVES

‘Our visual Google ‘I love Alexa. We settle down to watch a ﬁlm on the sofa and say, “Alexa, it’s movie night”. She turns the lights dark blue, tells us to get our popcorn ready and plays the Pearl and Dean theme. We also use it for useful stuff, honest…’ @RHIANNEBURNISTON

Home is great for recipes

FEATURE ELLEN FINCH

and, of course, Spotify – it gets us dancing in the kitchen!’ @NO6_COTTAGELIFE

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‘All we have to do is say “Good morning” and

‘We bought a period house with an energy label F, but by having a smart home system, wood ﬁbre insulation, ﬂoor heating and solar panels, we’ll turn the energy label into a B. A real smart home is so smart that you don’t need to think about it – that’s our ultimate plan!’ @MIKE_CORP

‘We’ve added electric gates with a camera doorbell. No one’s getting in unless I let them! @THE_REGANS.RENOVATIONS

‘We have speakers in our ceiling that we can play music or the TV sound through. The only condition was that they didn’t stand out – thankfully, you don’t notice them at all.’ @NATALIE_WEBSTER77

the kettle boils’

… AND HOW WE’RE STILL EMBRACING THE SLOWER THINGS IN LIFE

‘We welcomed smart tech into our home as a bi-product of my job working on automating business processes,’ Damien says. ‘I started dabbling six or seven years ago. I was mainly just curious about what ‘The reason the Internet of Things could do for me. I analogue journal is Our first foray was into smart bulbs, because it’s a creative but over the years we’ve learned how to way to document the integrate different kinds of tech to help everyday memories us streamline our daily routines. We have that we have, the daily Wi-Fi plugs over the house, like for the progress I’ve made kettle. In the morning, all we have to do is and to track personal say “Good morning” and it gets the kettle finances and goals.’ @_thedaringlife boiling and reads out our calendar for the day; at night, “Goodnight” will turn off all the lights, lower the thermostat and turn off the TV. ‘Our main investment is a Nest ecosystem with smoke alarms, heating, cameras and the doorbell. The doorbell is particularly useful – I can pick up who’s at the door even when I’m working over on the other side of the house. It’s all about making life as easy as possible so I can concentrate on important things. Each thing might only save a couple of minutes of my time, but that adds up over days and months. ‘My one piece of advice for people thinking of investing in smart tech is to be cautious about ‘I use vinyl because I like buying new products from new companies. They having a physical piece could quite easily go under, which means no more of music to hold and updates for your product. And try to make sure it appreciate – I love looking integrates with what you have already. Operating at the cover artwork and reading about the music. everything from one app is much more seamless.’ I also prefer the way it ‘I rolled my eyes when Damien brought home sounds over a digital track.’ the light bulbs for the first time, but it didn’t take @hayley.margot long before I realised they were actually quite handy,’ Jo says. ‘I waited a while before I admitted that to him, though. You get used to smart tech very quickly. It saves time on simple things. I don’t physically flick a switch in our house as often any more, for example. ‘Over my years of home ‘Smart tech has very practical baking I’ve found that the applications, too. We have a camera in old recipes are the best, our youngest child’s bedroom and we and I love using recipes can check through the footage every that my mum and grandma morning to check we haven’t missed have used. This recipe anything in the night. Damien gets book is full of scribbles notifications when our doorbell of measurements and cooking times and it’s recognises a familiar face at the door, so he knows unique to me. It feels whether it’s the postman or a friend. Even having good to carry something smart light bulbs that can change colour provided on in a world where hours of entertainment for our eldest as a baby. homely traditions seem ‘Of course, now our kids are growing up, we’ll to be disappearing.’ definitely have less control. Our three-year-old @slowdownmumma has recently started telling Alexa to turn things on and off – so we’ve already got competition!’ @just_another_30s_fixerupper

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r at

ormed spac f s e

t c e j h o t n r pof the mo th

at’ s c au g h t

r u o

Words GeorGie Deaville PhotograPh HanDover aGency

Clever contrast Want to make a statement with your extension? We’re loving the subtle drama (if there can be such a thing) of this monochrome beauty. the crisp white kitchen-diner contrasts with the charred black timber-clad exterior, and the Crittall glazing (oh the glazing!) injects an enormous amount of light into the space. and that kitchen side window is such a great addition. Even on dull and drizzly autumn afternoons, we’d be gazing into the garden, comfortable in this bright and airy extension. Project cost: £165,000. Intervention architecture: 0121 753 5195, interventionarchitecture. com. glazing: greenways architectural, 01952 794062 greenwaysarchitectural.co.uk

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WORDS JASON ORME IMAGES GETTY

External ﬁnishes are just as important as the interior when it comes to designing your new space, so here’s what you need to consider

Cladding homes in timber is hugely popular right now, and for good reason. It creates a natural look, offers design flexibility for both modern and traditional styles, and adds little to the wall thickness. Timber is a natural building material which requires some forethought as to maintenance. Most of the species used for cladding, such as larch or Western Red cedar, will lose their early vibrant colour upon exposure to UV, and as they get wet and dry out, will see their cell structure change. If left unattended, this can cause warping and splitting. There are, however, a range of very sophisticated treatments now offered by most of the major suppliers that solve these issues – for example, one that allows the timber to grey naturally and consistently while stabilising it against damage at the same time (and only needs reapplying every five years or so). As Tom Barnes, from Vastern Timber, explains, the choice of timber is critical. ‘Less stable woods like larch and oak have a greater tendency to split. More stable woods, like cedar, chestnut and modified products, such as Brimstone, are less likely to do so. A rustic-style product, like waney-edge larch, which is supplied fresh sawn or wet, will naturally show some surface splitting if left untreated, but this does not adversely affect the cladding’s performance, and is in keeping with the character of rustic cladding.’ Expect to pay £40-£80 per m2 for good-quality timber cladding, plus installation. The alternative, in the form of fibre cement boards, offers a solution for those who really can’t face the idea of their timber cladding needing ongoing love. These products are great for those looking for a New England style for their extension, and some of the boards can provide a more contemporary finish, too. They can’t replicate the natural beauty of timber, however, but provide a solid option for those looking for weatherboarding without the upkeep.

Brick making a choice Brick is the most commonly used external ﬁnish in the UK. It provides a rich variety of colours, shapes and styles and is beginning to be embraced on more contemporary designs, too. Artisan brick manufacturers, such as York Handmade Brick, are creating characterful bricks in interesting formats, so don’t just think of modern bland housing estates when you think of brick. It provides a waterproof external screen and a cavity that is packed with insulation – with zero maintenance and excellent durability. The main negative is the additional depth it adds to the wall – bricks are typically 100mm thick. Costs of brick vary according to the type used, but upward pressure on labour prices means you might expect to pay in the region of £80-£120 per m2 (facing) for a brick wall.

render Traditionally a sand and cement mix applied as a rainscreen to the outside of the building, render is attractive to extenders in that it doesn’t require footings and adds nothing to wall depth. However, it can quickly lose its looks if poorly applied, with bubbling, cracking and even mould an issue in some cases – not to mention the need for regular repainting. The solution is in a specialist render system, such as those offered by K-Rend, which not only use silicon as an additive to provide flexibility (and therefore prevent cracking) but are throughcoloured – solving the durability and maintenance issues. You should expect to pay in the region of £30-£50 per m2 for a traditional render finish, with a specialist system costing in the region of £40-£80 per m2.

The three most popular options outlined above all offer sound, proven solutions for external finishes – other choices include stone and the increasingly popular metal/zinc-style finishes seen on contemporary extensions. And that’s ultimately the point about making a choice for your home – all the available solutions are valid but you need to be able to tie in the cladding choice with the design of your home. A traditional brick, for example, would look out of place on a tight urban extension. Your designer will need to factor in the existing house, as well as the neighbourhood – in addition to the input of planning and conservation officers where relevant. The design should naturally lead to the cladding choice, not the other way round. It’s only once the design choice for your extension has been made that the practical considerations need revisiting. These are maintenance issues, the impact on wall thickness and, of course, overall cost. This isn’t a choice that you want to make again in a few years’ time, so marginal cost savings from choosing one over another, shouldn’t be factored in. External finishes have a major role in both looks and practical terms – so don’t scrimp.

GETTING YOUR PROJECT OUT OF THE GROUND – IT’S TIME TO START BUILDING YOUR NEW ADDITION

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FOR MORE ADVICE, GO TO REALHOMES.COM/ADVICE/EXTERIOR-FINISHES

timber

#SOREALHOMES

hile it’ss all too tempting to concentrate on the lovely interiors of your newly extended space, don’t overlook o the external finish. After all, you’ll b be seeing the outside of the extension from y your garden and its outside appearance can ha ave a huge impact on the overall success of the project. Get it right and you’ll have something that can transform your home’s entire appearance – get it wrong and you’ll be left with an embarrassing eyesore. First things first. It’s important to separate out the external finish from the build system. Extensions tend to be constructed out of masonry blocks, timber frames or one of several alternatives. These systems hold the weight of the roof and stop the building falling down. The external facing (or cladding), while tied to this internal structure, is usually non-structural, is designed to provide resistance to rain and offer additional thermal benefits. The external facing that comes to mind for most people is brick, but it’s far from the only choice. Timber, render and stone are popular alternatives – as are other cladding systems. So how do you choose? There are several differentials between the systems, in addition to the obvious aesthetic ones. With extensions often trying to squeeze every additional inch of floor area out of a tight garden, the thickness of the external wall is often a factor. In simple terms, a brick is much thicker than a piece of timber – so going for the latter means more living space rather than walling. On tight sites, that can make a significant difference. Maintenance is also a major issue. Extensions often include an external wall that is difficult to access for regular upkeep. Even if that isn’t the case, different systems have different maintenance requirements (ranging from none to intensive), so it’s worth understanding what you’re taking on when you make a particular choice. Additionally, each of the systems have different costs, both in terms of the material itself and the installation.

KITCHEN EXTENSION

DIARY

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS LIND DA CLAYTON BOTTOM PHOTOGRAPH ANGUS BREMNER/HELEN LUCAS ARCHITECTS

Ever wondered if it’s possible to project manage a massive kitchen extension and remain sane? Interiors journalist Linda Clayton is finding out the hard way… Flat roofs are notoriously tricky fish to fry. Or they are if you don’t get the gradients precisely right so that puddles don’t form. Oh, and you get it watertight obvs. I’ve heard lots of horror stories, and experienced them, too. In our last home, we had a leaky Asphalt roof above our ground floor bedroom. When it rained we used to pull a plastic sheet out from under the bed and lie there listening to the drips rain down. So romantic. Not. Needless to say I did a LOT of research when it came to choosing the roof for our extension. It could easily be my specialist subject on Mastermind now. Our extension design was massively inspired by Helen Lucas Architects’ beautiful zinc-clad Greenhill project. Thus my sights were initially set on zinc. Turns out that stuff costs more than gold, or at least silver, and we were staring down the barrel of a £20,000+ quote. Ooof. Budget (or lack of) is such a buzzkill. Once he’d popped all my toys back in the pram, my brother (our architect) pointed out that our house wasn’t tall enough to have a pitched zinc roof like the Greenhill project anyway. And, being flat, we’d only ever see it from our bedroom. This was supported by Katie Woods (@comedowntothewoods), (@ d t th d ) who told me she regrets shelling out on a sedumtopped flat roof on her extension, since no one ever gets t to t marvell att it. it Then I met Darren from our local roofing company –

Read’s Roofing – who told me he could mimic the pretty ridged look of zinc using fiberglass (or GRP roofing). For about half the dosh. Sold! It helped that I got gushing reports wherever I mentioned ‘The roofers nearly Darren’s name around the village and melted in the heat beyond. Personal recommendation while waterproofing is worth a million Google reviews. the OSB’ I’d love to say the installation went smoothly but, despite booking the job in ‘summer’, the weather refused to play ball. First it was too wet; you need at least four dry days to lay the OSB (like particleboard but stronger) and get it waterproof. Then it was too hot, and the sticky stuff was setting before it could be spread. The one-week job ended up taking a month and Darren and his team nearly melted in the process, poor loves. Still, it appears to be watertight and it’s not ugly. Winning. ‘Helen ‘H l L Lucas’s Two things I’ve learnt post-install, Greenhill project that didn’t come up in my was my inspiration’ research: one, a flat roof below your bedroom window is fiendishly noisy when it rains, especially if you need the window open for fear of sweating to death overnight (it’s an age thing). Two, a flat roof is more tempting than candy cane to small people, especially those who are part monkey. I recommend lockable windows and possibly straightjackets. Read more about my extension fun and frolics @lindaclaytonwrites roofs are now my specialist subject

‘We copied the ridged look of zinc using ﬁberglass for half the cost’

NEXT T MONTH: The thing about flooring…

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Report THE novEmbEr

Oh-so quiet Open–plan living is all well and good, until you turn on the tumble dryer and can’t hear the TV. Thankfully, Hoover’s new 11kg heat pump tumble dryer has an insulated drum, to offer ultra-quiet drying. Complete with Wi-Fi, AI technology (so it learns your laundry habits and suggests the right programme to use) and using 50 per cent less energy than conventional dryers, this modern design ticks all our boxes. AXI tumble dryer, £549, Hoover.

essential buys d n a s d en tr s, ea id st the late for your kitchen an d bathroom

Smart Shower

Vinyl flooring in torrance

Feature AmeliA Smith

all-in-one deSign You’ll feel like you’ve entered the future with this stylish and streamlined vanity unit/bathroom light/waterproof speaker. Sensors detect when you approach, turning on the light automatically without the need for a germ-gathering light switch. And what better way to start the day than by getting ready to your favourite songs? Say goodbye to your separate bathroom speaker for a built-in design that takes up no space! Go Bluetooth vanity unit with basin in oak, £1,385, Frontline Bathrooms

Vinyl flooring in Cerro Vinyl flooring in Carlla

Vinyl flooring in Herringbone

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Autumnal update Bathrooms can often be quite cold looking, so bring in warming tones of deep red, burnt orange and spicy saffron. These vibrant designs create a statement and the soft vinyl will be warm underfoot, too. Vinyl flooring, £48 per m2, For the Floor & More.

realhomes.com

The Host digital shower has a wireless start-stop control and warm up feature, which you can place next to your bed, turn on when you wake up and then step straight into your shower that’s already set at your perfect temperature. Winning! That’ll make getting out of bed during the cold winter months just that little bit easier. Host multi-outlet digital mixer shower, from £592.20, Triton

Compact luxury If you’d love an Americanstyle fridge-freezer but you think you don’t have the space, this compact Fisher & Paykel model could be the answer. With attractive French-style doors, and a water dispenser which doesn’t take up any fridge space, it’s the ideal solution for a focal-point fridge in a small kitchen. French door multidrawer fridge-freezer, £1,999, Fisher and Paykel

Just landed We’ve gone all googlyeyed for the latest kitchens from Wickes. The Melrose kitchen in matt Carbon has finger-print resistant technology, creating a sleek and spotless look for a contemporary space. Bring warmth with open wooden shelving and add personality by displaying your favourite ceramics and recipe books. Melrose kitchen in matt carbon, price on application, Wickes.

Statement Sink Don’t think you need to choose between style and substance when it comes to your kitchen sink. This sleek new design from Blanco has a specialised PuraPlus® coating, meaning it’s scratchproof, heat and cold resistant, easy to clean and hygienic. What more could you ask for? Etagon 500-U ceramic PuraPlusTM sink, £837.60, Blanco

eco-friendly A key part of any open-plan kitchen-diner is a good table, and this handmade design combines classic looks with modern colour. Made from reclaimed weathered wood and finished with a hard wax to prevent stains and food damage, you can have this table made to your perfect size and colour. Reclaimed wood table, from £1,050, Farmhouse Table Company.

clutter control

clever deSign idea

If your worktop looks more like an untidy desk than a culinary work space, look to your unused areas. This clever built-in panel transforms a wasted wall into a storage solution, keeping your daily essentials close to hand in an orderly fashion. Orgawall wall panel system, £417, Schüller.

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48 2852 *TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Áǝǣɀ Ȓǔǔƺȸ ƺȇɎǣɎǼƺɀ ȇƺɯ ɀɖƫɀƬȸǣƫƺȸɀ ɎȒ ȸƺƬƺǣɮƺ Ɏǝƺǣȸ ˡȸɀɎ ‫ ד‬ǣɀɀɖƺɀ ǔȒȸ ‫ דگ‬ǔȒȸ Èk ȸƺƏƳƺȸɀً ‫ ד‬ǣɀɀɖƺɀ ǔȒȸ ‫ דڡ‬ƏȇƳ ‫ ד‬ǣɀɀɖƺɀ ǔȒȸ ‫ דڟ‬ǔȒȸ ȒɮƺȸɀƺƏɀ ȸƺƏƳƺȸɀِ ǔɎƺȸ Ɏǝƺɀƺ ǣɀɀɖƺɀً ɀɎƏȇƳƏȸƳ ɀɖƫɀƬȸǣȵɎǣȒȇ ȵȸǣƬǣȇǕ ɯǣǼǼ ƏȵȵǼɵ ٫ ȵǼƺƏɀƺ ɀƺƺ ȒȇǼǣȇƺ ǔȒȸ ƳƺɎƏǣǼɀِ Áǝƺ ƫǣǕǕƺɀɎ ɀƏɮǣȇǕɀ Əȸƺ ƬȒȅȵƏȸƺƳ ɯǣɎǝ Ɏǝƺ ȒɮƺȸɀƺƏɀ ««¨ِ IȒȸ ƏǼǼ ɀƏɮǣȇǕɀ ƳƺɎƏǣǼɀ ɀƺƺ ȒȇǼǣȇƺ Ȓǔǔƺȸ ȵƏǕƺِ çȒɖ ƬƏȇ ɯȸǣɎƺ ɎȒ ɖɀ Ȓȸ ƬƏǼǼ ɖɀ ɎȒ ƬƏȇƬƺǼ ɵȒɖȸ ɀɖƫɀƬȸǣȵɎǣȒȇ ɯǣɎǝǣȇ ‫ ג׏‬ƳƏɵɀ Ȓǔ ȵɖȸƬǝƏɀƺِ ¨ƏɵȅƺȇɎ ǣɀ ȇȒȇ‫ٮ‬ȸƺǔɖȇƳƏƫǼƺ ƏǔɎƺȸ Ɏǝƺ ‫ ג׏‬ƳƏɵ ƬƏȇƬƺǼǼƏɎǣȒȇ ȵƺȸǣȒƳ ɖȇǼƺɀɀ ƺɴƬƺȵɎǣȒȇƏǼ ƬǣȸƬɖȅɀɎƏȇƬƺɀ ƏȵȵǼɵِ çȒɖȸ ɀɎƏɎɖɎȒȸɵ ȸǣǕǝɎɀ Əȸƺ ȇȒɎ ƏǔǔƺƬɎƺƳِ ¨ȸǣƬƺɀ ƬȒȸȸƺƬɎ ƏɎ ȵȒǣȇɎ Ȓǔ ȵȸǣȇɎ ƏȇƳ ɀɖƫǴƺƬɎ ɎȒ ƬǝƏȇǕƺِ IɖǼǼ ƳƺɎƏǣǼɀ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ (ǣȸƺƬɎ (ƺƫǣɎ ǕɖƏȸƏȇɎƺƺ Əȸƺ ƏɮƏǣǼƏƫǼƺ ɖȵȒȇ ȸƺȷɖƺɀɎِ Èk ƬƏǼǼɀ ɯǣǼǼ ƬȒɀɎ Ɏǝƺ ɀƏȅƺ Əɀ ȒɎǝƺȸ ɀɎƏȇƳƏȸƳ ˡɴƺƳ Ǽǣȇƺ ȇɖȅƫƺȸɀ ٢ɀɎƏȸɎǣȇǕ ‫ ׏׎‬Ȓȸ ‫א׎‬٣ Ȓȸ Əȸƺ ǣȇƬǼɖƳƺƳ Əɀ ȵƏȸɎ Ȓǔ Əȇɵ ǣȇƬǼɖɀǣɮƺ Ȓȸ ǔȸƺƺ ȅǣȇɖɎƺɀ ƏǼǼȒɯƏȇƬƺɀ ٢ǣǔ ȒǔǔƺȸƺƳ ƫɵ ɵȒɖȸ ȵǝȒȇƺ ɎƏȸǣǔǔ٣ِ IȒȸ ǔɖǼǼ Ɏƺȸȅɀ ƏȇƳ ƬȒȇƳǣɎǣȒȇɀ ȵǼƺƏɀƺ ɮǣɀǣɎ‫ ي‬ƫǣɎِǼɵٖȅƏǕɎƏȇƳƬِ ǔǔƺȸ ƺȇƳɀ ‫ ׏׏‬ƬɎȒƫƺȸ ‫ِח׏׎א‬

Profile The owners Catie Wearmouth and her husband, Nick, a home audio specialist, live here with their three children The property A five-bedroom Victorian detached house in West Lothian

Words Alison Gibb PhotogrAPhs DouGlAs Gibb

project cost £37,000

‘the design was exactly to our brief – simple and subtle, to make the outside view the main focus,’ says Catie. ‘We approached several kitchen companies but the designer at Magnet completely understood what we wanted.’ Kitchen, Magnet. driftwood flooring, Karndean. Extractor fan, Elica. Walls painted in French gray, Farrow & Ball. roller blinds and scatter cushions, made by Bric Interiors with Voyage fabric

pure and simple With its clean white design and lush garden backdrop, Catie’s kitchen is a haven for family living

making

Contacts Architect tM Young Chartered Architect, 0131 226 3390 Builder JEs, 01620 895796, joineryerectionservices.com Kitchen Magnet, 01325 744093, magnet.co.uk

realhomes.com

room for a family doesn’t necessarily mean extending. For many of us, making the most of what we have is the most affordable or practical way forward. Whether you’re limited by budget or just want to preserve the period character of a house, working within the footprint of your property can be as satisfying a project as any extension. For Catie and Nick, turning their small, north-facing kitchen into a family room has been transformative for them all. Deciding against a kitchendiner extension, they’ve reaped the benefits of the large, sunlight-filled room they already had. Simple features and a white scheme emphasise the garden views, while a carefully curated selection of artwork adorns the walls and adds personality. Here, Catie takes us through the steps to their new family space…

‘The rich tone of the zebrano wood worktop is so tactile and adds warmth to the scheme,’ Catie says. ‘We wanted a material that was both natural and beautiful.’ Pendant light, Grok Wallpaper (in scullery), Birds by Louise Body

Step two

Step three

2 3

Step one

Practical thinking

Careful planning

Period picks

‘We lived here for three years before we started altering it,’ Catie says. ‘Our children were born during that time so our needs kept changing and we didn’t want to rush into anything. There was a perfectly serviceable kitchen at the back of the house that we seriously considered extending into a kitchen-diner, but we decided against it in the end and it’s now our utility room. Once we’d lived there a while, we found we were strongly drawn to the sunnier, south-facing front of the house for the kitchen space instead.’

‘We hired architect Tom Young, a family friend, to discuss the plans. He was all for an extension at the back, but, in the end, we decided it wasn’t right for us. Having the light was our priority, so we preferred the “dining room option” – a room at the front of the house that had been Nick’s mum’s underused sitting room. She’d lived with us for a couple of years when we ﬁrst moved in. ‘It’s a lovely sunny room that overlooks the garden and we realised it would be perfect as the kitchen. We decided to turn the small bathroom behind it into an adjoining scullery to hide things like the fridge-freezer. We also wanted to add a door at the back for that much-wanted garden access.

‘To get that connection to the garden and bring in as much light as possible, we added two windows to the south wall alongside the existing bay window. We thought about ﬂoor-to-ceiling windows, but it would have meant having more units opposite, and we wanted to preserve the wooden panelling on that wall. I also felt that ﬂoor-to-ceiling windows might make the room too modern. We very much wanted to respect the period integrity of the house when making all of these improvements to the layout.’

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‘We don’t have wall cupboards, just two tall cupboards in a couple of corners, Catie says. ‘One houses the oven and the other is a larder.’

my kitchen in five Tipple of choice ‘A glass or two of good red wine’ Six-bottle wine rack, £8, Sainsbury’s

For a similar bread bin, try The Emporium Direct

Best purchase ‘The worktops. They bring so much warmth’ Karlby walnut worktop, £120 for 186x63cm, Ikea

4 5

Garden links

Family home

‘The kitchen is deliberately simple to make the garden the focal point. We wanted to be able to enjoy the sun and watch the children playing. We opted for a minimal white kitchen – the only added ornament is the subtle ﬂoral fabric for the blinds and cushions in the window seat. We were tempted to get an Aga but felt it could end up dominating the room. ‘I’ve kept all of the kitchen paraphernalia minimal and placed the hob on the island unit so I can join in with conversation while I’m cooking. The island itself is the main feature. It has a lot of storage, which we needed because we don’t have wall cupboards – we felt they would have made the room feel more enclosed than we wanted.’

‘Living in the house throughout the project was challenging, but we were able to use the old kitchen, now our utility, and we have a bathroom upstairs, so there was no real hardship. This was our third major renovation – we’ve been through a lot worse! The noise and dust is stressful, but so is moving out, and it was only for a short period. The whole thing was completed in 12 weeks. ‘The space now is a family room ﬁrst, then a kitchen. I love sitting at the table in the bay window. I’ve hung my favourite paintings here because we spend so much time in this room. The additions and alterations look as if they’ve always been there. We’re already gearing up for our next project – landscaping the garden we so enjoy looking out over from our kitchen.’

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Favourite finishing touch ‘The paintings – they really personalise the space’ Abstract Oil 4 poster, from £13.95, Desenio

Costs Kitchen £15,500 Building work £13,000 Windows and doors £3,000 Decoration £3,000 Flooring £1,500 Extractor fan £1,000 Total cost £37,000

REALHOMES.COM

Favourite shop for accessories ‘I love Liberty London’ Rockett St George Allium cushion, £45, Liberty London

Step five

Step four

Easy weeknight dinner go-to ‘Pasta – my favourite food’ Denby Studio Blue pasta bowls, £56 for four, John Lewis & Partners

COMING NEXT MONTH in your new

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24 October

Decorating trends and gift guides for your most stylish Christmas yet Amazing home transformations with ideas to inspire your own project Expert advice on designing an open-plan layout How to create a welcoming guest space

A GUIDE TO

Fires & stoves

An unbeatable feature to look at and to warm yourself by, a fire or stove could make your room. Get in the know about designs, fuels and the rules hoT colour

T cosy up Team an inset electric fire and a handsome mantel for a modern take on a focal feature. This design has an LED flame effect and is remotely operated. VEL75, around £1,082 excluding VAT; Cortese Aegean Limestone mantel, around £1,124, both Percy Doughty

hink a living space just doesn’t look right without a fire at its heart? Open fires or stoves might be traditional, but they’re far from the only option for today’s homes, and there are possibilities for rooms of all proportions. And while many of us love the idea of adding another log to the fire, there are alternatives if wood doesn’t work. Bear in mind that you might need to prepare for the new focal point – like lining a chimney, or even installing one. You’ll need to protect yourself from carbon monoxide, too, unless your fire’s electric. To help stay safe, follow our guidelines on buying and maintenance, and put in an alarm as well.

Words sarah warwick

crisp effecT In white with a painted white aluminium top, this woodburning stove has glass side panes so the fire’s visible from different angles, making it the perfect choice for a contemporary open-plan layout. It has a 5kW heat output and a clean burning system that uses less wood. Contura 856G, from £1,945, Contura

Add a vivid accent with your stove design. This model is ecodesign ready and approved for use in smoke-control areas. There’s a choice of woodburning or solid fuel versions, and it has a rear heat shield to allow for closer positioning to combustibles. i600 Slimline freestanding stove, from £1,255, Arada

Which fuels cAN i burN?

No sTore If you like the idea of a stove, but don’t have room for the fuel, a gas version can create the look and the warmth. This has realistic ceramic logs and can be fitted with an optional black glass internal rear panel to reflect the flame effect. Wychwood gas stove, £1,999, ACR Stoves

There’s a range of fuels to choose from, although it will depend on where you live (see page 148). If you don’t want to store anything, a gas or electric fire or stove design will still give you a fabulous focal point with convincing flame effects. Alternatively, you can go for appliances that use solid fuel, including wood and smokeless fuel. Be aware that some stoves are woodburning only, while others are multi-fuel. If you go for the latter, you’ll still need to check which fuels are suitable for the model. If you’re using firewood, high quality is vital for air quality and to keep the appliance and chimney in good condition. Look for the Woodsure Ready to Burn label: wood should be dried (seasoned) for two years before burning, and you’ll need to keep it dry once it’s home. Whichever fuel you use, the stove will require maintenance: you

GATher rouND Suitable for brick chimneys, the gas fire in this room can be controlled remotely. There’s a choice of trims – this is black – and liners – this is vermiculite. The fire’s teamed here with a Portuguese limestone surround. Inspire 400 as part of Vicenza Suite, around £2,585, Valor

WiDe Go for a contemporary take on an electric fire. LED technology creates the realistic flame effect and hot ash bed, and the logs are moulded from real wood. Operate it via an app on a smartphone or tablet, or the optional remote control. UF1500-E linear electric fireplace, £1,979, Urban Fires at Sky House Design Centre

should have the chimney swept at least once a year if you burn smokeless fuel and twice a year if you use wood.

WhAT Do i NeeD To kNoW AbouT fires? at

screeN

An open fire is extremely appealing to look at, and it can sound fabulous, too, with its crackle and roar. Bear in mind that while it will make a room feel cosy, an open fire is not very efficient, and you’ll need to burn more fuel to heat the room in comparison to a stove. If you like the idea of a fire, consider a modern inset version, which can provide a great view of the flames but will generate more heat than an open fire.

is A sTove A GooD opTioN?

As well as being more efficient and providing more heat to your room than an open fire, a stove produces less smoke and ash. It’s important to remember that the installation as well as the appliance itself must comply with the Building Regulations. Use a HETAS-approved design and one of the body’s registered installers.

oN scheDule Create the right atmosphere easily with this gas fire’s programmable thermostatic remote. It has non-reflective glass so the sight of the flames isn’t interrupted, and there’s a choice of alternative frames and linings. Riva2 600, from £1,895 depending on frame and lining, Gazco

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eiTher/or Pick a woodburning or multi-fuel version of this classic stove design – both meet the 2022 ecodesign requirements. Black’s the standard colour, but there are five other colours at a supplement. Woody Eco, from £1,378 for multi-fuel, Chilli Penguin

NeAT NuMber Fall for the curvaceous lines of this woodburning stove. Concealed hinges keep it sleek, and log storage at the base saves space. It has a 5kW output, an A+ energy rating, and is DEFRA approved for smoke-control areas. 6143, £1,699, Morsø

Are There NeW eco rules i hAve To folloW?

A woodburning stove can be simple to use – this design has just one push/pull control. The 5kW output design comes in a range of colours. It exceeds the 2022 ecodesign standards and can be used in smoke-control areas. Aire, from £1,295, Charnwood

shiNiNG exAMple Choose a chrome trim like this to give a fire a modern twist. This hole-in-the-wall gas model can be fitted with anti-reflective glass to create the appearance of open flames, and there’s a choice of walnut or these silver birch-effect logs. Infinity 890HD, from £2,074, Charlton & Jenrick

you ask, we answer ‘how do i know what size stove i need?’ ‘To achieve a comfortable room temperature of around 21°C when the temperature outside your house is 0°C, you will need approximately 1kW of heat output for every 14m3 of space,’ says dave saunders, technical and standards manager at stovax. ‘Measure the length, width and height of your room and multiply the three figures together. divide by 14, and this figure will indicate the kW you require. This is a rough guide, and factors such as the size of windows, the age of the home, etc., can all influence the heat requirement. It is best to consult your local retailer, as they will perform a check as part of their site survey. regarding the size of the stove itself, it’s important to consider its distance to combustibles, such as walls and other surfaces. Your stove must be a minimum distance from them, and each appliance’s distance to combustibles varies depending on design.’

ArTWork on Morsø IMAge Top and boTTom: Tomhammick.com; middle: ronald king

eAsy operATioN

As part of its clean air strategy, the Government has committed to ensuring that only the cleanest stoves are available for sale by 2022. New ecodesign regulations set minimum standards for efficiency, and maximum emission levels for particulates and nitrogen oxide, among other things. From 2022 you won’t be able to buy or put in a stove that doesn’t meet the ecodesign standard, and there are already designs that do so – look out for the SIA ecodesign-ready label. Not sure? You can also check a particular stove’s credentials at hetas.co.uk/ find-appliance. Be aware, too, that smoke-control areas exist in the UK. If you live in one of these, you’ll need to use authorised smokeless fuel or have an exempt (from the controls) DEFRA-approved appliance. Not sure if you’re in one of these zones? Your local council can tell you. Check with your supplier if a stove is exempt – or look on defra.co.uk – before buying if this applies to you.

focus on

Smart appliances

Interact with your Wi-Fi-enabled appliances to get the most out of them, and make life just a little easier. We look at some of the hi-tech advantages BeST fOr enTerTaInmenT

BeST fOr flavOur

You could never get bored with all the Hoover Vision smart oven has to offer. There’s a large touchscreen on the door that doubles up as a mini TV for watching recipe videos on, browsing social media or catching up on the news. You can also use the screen to check your cooking thanks to the built-in camera, and control everything with its 10 functions. The 80-litre oven works remotely with the Hoover Wizard app, setting the temperature and sending notifications. It costs £1,499

The Samsung Chef Collection Wi-Fi oven with Vapour surrounds your food with vapour to optimise its taste and texture. A meat probe ensures your roast is cooked. Other smart additions include app control and a touchscreen for you to access recipes. It has 73 litres of cooking space. From £1,079

BeST fOr SeeIng How often have you stood with the fridge door open, shivering slightly, looking for a snack? With the LG InstaView GMX936SBHV, just tap the glass panel and it changes from opaque to clear, revealing exactly what treats are inside. Special temperature controlled compartments can be tweaked from your phone, while the 571 litre capacity means you can pack lots in. It is £3,799

Three TOP TIPS WOrdS alison jones

SmarT OPeraTOr Cookers operated via phone, tablet or a voice control system mean less time in the kitchen. You can pre-heat the oven as you travel home, or have your meal ready to serve when you get back if you prepped before you left. Being able to turn the oven off remotely is a good safety feature. In-oven cameras and built-in sensors tell you when your dish is perfectly cooked.

Why you’d be smart to pick appliances you can connect with

cleanIng uP Washing machines linked up to voice control and apps means you don’t have to be in the room to start the wash, or to know when it’s done and will need unloading. Notification of problems in the machine is useful, especially if it’s an issue you can fix yourself. Technologies that save on water, energy and detergent are helpful, as is anything to cut down the ironing.

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cOOl runnIng Food waste is a critical issue. Smart fridgefreezers let you know their contents while you’re shopping, so you don’t double up. You can also keep track of use-by dates. An alert when doors are open stops a damaging defrost. Smart screens link you up to the internet so you can look up recipes or order groceries direct from the fridge door.

BeST fOr ShIne Polish up yesterday’s dinner plates and wine glasses while you’re at work or out for coffee via Home Connect in the Siemens iQ700 SN678d06TG integrated dishwasher. Its BrilliantShine system with Zeolith-drying means they’ll be buffed till they gleam. You can also cut the washing and drying times, beam how long is left in the cycle onto the floor, and bathe in calming blue emotionLight when you open it up. Priced at £1,119

finishing touches Choose some advanced gadgets that you won’t know how you’ve lived without

DaIly grInD The Melitta Barista TS Smart is a serious bit of coffee-making kit that you can operate from your phone. It grinds fresh beans, froths milk, saves preferences and makes two cups at once. £1,199, Melitta.co.uk

BeST fOr freShneSS Neff has entered the smart market with N 90 KI8865d30 built-in fridge-freezer with Home Connect, offering remote monitoring and control. The 223 litre capacity unit has a larger fridge section with FreshSense, where sensors constantly monitor the temperature. Separate cooling units stops the transfer of humidity between fridge and freezer, while a FreshSafe drawer preserves food for longer. It costs £1,798

BeST fOr affOrDaBIlITy If you’ve an eye to your budget but want a washing machine you control from a distance, the Candy Bianca is Wi-Fi connected and reachable through the Simply-Fi app. It has contactless and Bluetooth, while the Talking Bianca feature means you can instruct it from your phone. Its Mix Power Jet + System injects detergent into the heart of the garments, while the Zoom cycle can wash a load in less than an hour. A Steam option means less creases/ ironing. Priced from £457

In The mIx Learn exactly how much good the fruit and veg smoothies whipped up in the Nutribullet Balance Blender are doing you with an app telling you the nutritional value. £149.99, John Lewis & Partners

WanT The BeST DealS On The laTeST aPPlIanceS? heaD TO realhOmeS.cOm/ BuyIng-guIDeS

WeIgh BeTTer Bluetooth-enabled drop Scale doesn’t just weigh ingredients for recipes on the drop recipes app, it can make substitutions or adjustments if you have extra produce you want to use. From £69, Amazon

#sorealhomes

If you have a whole footie or rugby team’s kit to launder regularly, the Whirlpool Supremecare FSCr12441 has a generous 12kg drum. Though it’s big, the Whirlpool Zen motor means it is quiet; with a noise level of just 70dB at its loudest, and 48dB during the washing cycle. FreshCare keeps the drum moving so clothes stay fresh until they’re unloaded. Smart tech includes 6th Sense, which weighs the load to adjust wash settings automatically, and it’s app controllable from your smart phone. You can even get a rough estimate of cost per wash. Priced at £899

for more appliance advice, visit realhomes.com/technology

BeST fOr BIg lOaDS

A DV E RTOR I A L

RELAX IN A TUB – SCANDI STYLE

The Regal is the premier hot tub. It costs from £3,790

Skargards’ premium wood-fired hot tubs offer an authentic experience at home

ake time out from your busy life by unwinding in your own hot tub, warmed not by electricity, but the traditional Scandinavian way, by a wood fire. Swedish company Skargards has created a premium line of wood-fired hot tubs that can be enjoyed in the comfort of your garden. The concept is simple – just start a fire in a wood stove to enjoy your tub without needing to plug in and switch on to heat it. Perfect for cold, snowy days or starlit summer nights. Skargards offers three premium models: the Terrass, the Panel and the Regal. Each comes in two sizes and can be fitted with different accessories,

such as underwater lighting and bubble jets. The Terrass and the Panel are equipped with a traditional directheating stove, while the Regal sports an innovative circulation stove that is integrated between the cladding and the tub. Though traditional wood-fired hot tubs typically have wooden interiors, Skargards’ signature tubs are made of glass fibre reinforced plastic as it’s more durable and more comfortable. The stoves are made from AISI 316 stainless steel for resistance to corrosion and better long-term performance. The hot tubs cost from £2,290. For details call 08000 988988 or go to skargards.com/uk.

BIFOLD DOORS ADD THE WOW FACTOR Luxury bifolding doors in aluminium, hardwood and upvc at very affordable prices. Add the WOW factor to your home extension with a bifold door complete with 1.0 U-value solar control double glazing as standard.

01621 834123

sales@foldingdoors2u.co.uk 152

www.foldingdoors2u.co.uk

THE EDIT

Boiling water taps 2

FeAtuRe amelia smith

1 Profile monobloc 4-in-1 hot water tap in matt black, £1,445, Abode 2 Polaris 3-in-1 hot mixer tap in pewter, £1,199.76, Perrin & Rowe 3 Omni contemporary 4-in-1 boiling water tap in copper, £1,646, Franke 4 Flex boiling water tap with Cube system, approx £2,300, Quooker 5 3-in-1 hot water tap in brushed steel, approx £575, CDA 6 Red Duo hot water tap, £2,280.68, Grohe 7 L-shape 3-in-1 brushed gold tap, from £909, InSinkerator 8 4-in-1 boiling water tap, £498, Quettle

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for more kitchen accessory ideas, visit realhomes.com/kitchens

When it’s time for a cuppa, you don’t want to hang around. Say goodbye to your slow-mo kettle and make tea in a flash with these super-speedy additions

THE EDIT

Vanity units 2

1 Vogue two-drawer vanity unit, from £545, and copper bench, from £195, Frontline Bathrooms 2 Melbourne floorstanding vanity unit in Earl Grey, from £279.99, Soak 3 Good Home Ladoga white vanity basin unit, £60, B&Q 4 Vitra Sento vanity unit, from £756.80, UK Bathrooms 5 Hudson Reed Coast vanity unit, £439.95, Victorian Plumbing 6 Mode Bergne Dark Concrete Grey washstand and Calhoun basin, £660.97, Victoria Plum 7 Roseberry freestanding washbasin unit in Blue Lagoon, £845, Utopia 8 Large roll-top basin with stainlesssteel stand, £698, Clearwater

FEatURE amelia smith

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for more bathroom inspiration, visit realhomes.com/bathroom

Choose a freestanding design to stand loud and proud and create a focal point in your bathroom

sunda y project Stuck for ideas this weekend? Get your DIY fix and delve right in with our quick and easy ways to update your home for less

YOU’LL NEED n Ikea Ivar unit n Furniture legs n screwdriver n Zinsser BIN shellac primer n Little greene paint (eggshell) in green Verditer n roller suitable for eggshell paint n gorilla glue Mega grab adhesive and Wood glue n 2 packets of Ikea

cool mint diy drinks cabinet Melanie Lissack of @melanielissackinteriors is getting ahead of the party season. She’s created her own ultra-stylish bespoke drinks cabinet. Love it? Here’s how she did it. For more details on this and other inspirational hacks, head to melanielissackinteriors.com

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Lots mirror tiles handles from swarf hardware 1 metre of stripwood 3mm MDF board Jigsaw saw suitable for cutting circles and round edges general purpose filler sandpaper Wood clamp Large piece of cardboard

photographs melanie lissack

1 Build the Ivar unit carcass. put filler in unrequired shelf holes then prime and paint the inside and outside of the side, top and bottom panels. 2 For hooks to hang glasses upside down, use two pieces of pine stripwood, one half the width of the other, cut to size just a bit shorter than the depth of the cabinet. apply gorilla Wood glue down the underside of the thinnest strip and stick to the right-hand side of the thicker strip. 3 For the door arches, use a cardboard template (53cm high and 12.6cm across) and jigsaw handsaw to cut six pieces of 3mm MDF sheet. put gorilla Wood glue on each MDF arch and press onto the doors. paint when the glue is dry. 4 Lay the cabinet flat then secure Ikea Lots mirror tiles to the back of it with gorilla heavy Duty grab adhesive. 5 attach the Champagne glass hooks (using the base of a glass to measure the correct distance between them) to the underside of the unit top with a generous amount of grab adhesive. put in the unit shelf, hang the doors and add furniture legs and door handles.