Long-term strategy and immediate upgrades
| Type: | Domestic renovation and alterations |
| Cost: | c £200,000 |
| For: | Annie & Tim |
| Where: | Norfolk |
When our clients moved into their new home, it wasn’t a lack of space that was the problem, but that the space that was there had not been put together effectively. Many older properties like this have been extended in a piecemeal way over the years, with original rooms losing natural light and becoming corridors to the new rooms. The key to this project was making the existing space work harder and giving the property back the ‘wow’ factor it once had.
We started work on this 5,000sqft, Grade II listed, former barn, by considering a longer-term strategy. Our clients had some initial works they wanted to carry out as soon as possible but wanted to ensure that they were not putting in new things that they might want to change later. Our long-term vision for the house included opening up the ceiling in the main room, giving a triple-height space around the feature window to the courtyard, new landscaping, and giving a stronger identity to some of the existing rooms. It also included some smaller interventions that will have a significant impact, such as opening up the ceiling in the kitchen, opening up the living room into the conservatory, new larger windows, and moving doorways to make rooms more usable.
From this wider vision, we are currently working on a smaller detailed package, focusing first on the kitchen, courtyard, and some key joinery. We have been developing these with a combination of hand drawing, digital models, and detailed sections, allowing us to test materials, composition, and colour schemes, whilst simultaneously producing information for the builder to price.
