Residential Semi Detached Extension & Refurb in Ealing, London

The Customer

A young couple, both entrepreneurs, were moving into their first property with a baby on the way. Their home of choice was a 3 storey Edwardian semi-detached property, built in the 1890s, with 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom.

The Challenge

The client required an extensive re-working of their home, with a single-storey extension, hip-to-gable loft conversion and full refurbishment of the rest of the property. Their main aim was to expand the property to gain as much additional space as possible, whilst revamping the entire interior to provide a beautiful home for their new family whilst retaining elements of the traditional Edwardian style.

Special Features

• Hip-to-gable loft conversion
• Frameless corner window
• Cost-effective roof with zinc effect
• Bedroom with internal en-suite bathroom
• Two juliet balconies within new loft bedroom

The Solution

Firstly, we created a rear, wrap-around kitchen extension with a pitched roof to allow more light to flow into the previously darker areas of the home. This was decorated to the client’s tastes with symmetrical Velux skylights to pair well with the custom-made wooden patio doors. The client originally wanted a zinc roof, but this proved to be too expensive for their budget, so we used glass reinforced plastic (GRP) and aluminium frame lights to provide the same quality and look as an expensive zinc roof but without the hefty price tag.

One side of the roof also had a higher pitch, meaning that we could install a frameless corner window at an optimum angle to allow plenty of daylight to pour into the breakfast area every morning – a key design feature.

The hip-to-gable loft extension was designed with a large amount of headspace to match the traditional ceiling height in the Edwardian-style rooms below at 2.7 metres. The new loft space consisted of a walk-in wardrobe and bedroom with a bath inside of the bedroom positioned on a raised platform as an en-suite. The loft also had two juliet balconies on each side of the bed for a highly grand and luxurious feel.

To match the existing mahogany stairs in the other parts of the property, we created custom replicas which looked identical, but avoided the expensive cost of using the same type of wood.

The construction of the extension and loft conversion brought some engineering challenges as none of the old Edwardian walls were completely straight. However, as this was a design and build project, we could take millimetre measurements on-site and then pass them to our design team, who factored in the measurements as the build progressed with quick and seamless communication.

Inside the property, we installed multiple Velux skylights to add an abundance of fresh light throughout the home, with underfloor heating and extra insulation to mitigate any heat loss through the large amount of glass. We also replaced all of the doors and windows with double glazing in a style which paired superbly with the existing décor. As per the request of the client, the traditional period feel was maintained whilst adding a modern twist in the bathrooms and kitchen for a more contemporary feel.

Outside, landscaping was done on the rear garden with a small amount of front garden landscaping, and the front porch was re-constructed to match the existing style of the house. The property also had issues with the chimney which required it to be replaced, so we used London stock bricks and applied the render in the traditional Edwardian style to match it to the existing exterior.