rebuild and redesign magazine

Renovating yourhome

A beautiful Queen Anne house inShropshire fit for a Princess

Home Improvements | Conversions | Converting Buildings | Redesign

Cover Story

Our Top 5Christmas events in Historic Houses

THE CHRISTMAS

EDITIONWith special

christmas features

AlsoThe beauty of Brown Stone

Story of a Youth Hostel converted into three houses

Decorate your house on a budget

Don’t move..Improve

December 2012 £3.50

- How to get the best out of your garage

- The price range

- Adamson’s personal experience

This edition of Rebuild and renovate will focus heavily on peoples own experiences when making changes or refurbishing their own home. We feel it’s important not just to pass on our opinions but to let you share yours, especially at a time when house pricing is inflated, improv-

ing your own home is as important as it has ever been.

As the years go by, the way that houses are designed and built changes frequently, we’re forever looking for a new distinct ways in which to make our house stand out. From the near extinction of the once popular Brownstone to the rise of echo friendly houses (which will both feature in

this month’s magazine) it’s fair to say the landscape of house designing has altered.

A word on more of our content, this month will feature some of our own reader’s experiences, from; designing their own bedrooms, converting their own garages to creating a feng-shui room. These designs are money efficient but also ever growing in popularity, we hope that our unique

projects will inspire you to go away and develop something that you can be proud of.

Finally, as Christmas is approaching, we decided to add some Christmas content to this publica-tion, all for you! With Christmas we associate; vast feasts, gorgeous scenery and the giving of

gifts so we have composed together the top five Christmas events that take place this December. We hope that you’ll not only enjoy the event itself but also the magnificence of the setting.

Enjoy.

Daniel Howard

Editor’s letter...

December 2012

Two Q & A’s

One great magazine!

Top five christmas events

Five in-terviews

Eight features

What to look forward to...

December 2012

ReBUILD & REDESIGN

We go through some of the best five Christ-mas events going on around the country so you can bring the christmas joy to your life right now!

Dan Howard looks at a Youth hostel which was converted into three houses in Ilkley and sold them off for a profit.

The Adamson’s talk about their garage conversion, the ups and downs of it and why they would do it all over again.

C O N T E N T SDecember 2012 edition

We go through some of the best five Christmas events going on around the UK so you can bring the christmas joy to your life right now!

Holly Simmonds interviews Eileen Walkden, a London at heart woman who has moved up north with her husband

Aalia Khan talks all about decoration. Looking at how to do your room on a budget and gives you some useful tips!

The Khan’s talk about an extension of a house in Bradford, adding extra rooms to the house to save themselves from moving to a bigger property.

1/ Top five Christmas events

3/ Renovation of a Queen house

6/ Design a room on a budget

9/ A youth hostel converted

13/ Garage conversion

16/ Extension of a house

19/ All about brownstone

A treat for you this Christmas...

Where - Cornwall, Pendennis Castle

Event - Nadelik, A Cornish Christmas,

Date - December, 18th, 11am – 4pm

A key coastal artillery fortress, Pendennis Castle was built by Henry VIII to counter French and Spanish threats. It is one of the finest remaining surviving examples of a coastal fortress and is a great il-lustration of Tudor architect. It’s certainly worth a visit for historical and architectural nuts! Today it has more festive functions, hosting a special Cornish Christ-mas. This family day out includes mince pies, mulled wine, Christmas lights, carol singers and fireside tales along with getting to experience this fantastic stronghold.

Tickets can be bought on site on the day of the event and cost £6.30 for adults, £3.80 for children 5-15 years, £5.70 for concessions and £16.40 for a family. English Heritage members go free.

This beautiful 12th-century abbey is a World Heritage Site set in 800 acres of countryside. It is one of the largest and best preserved ru-ined Cistercian monasteries in England. At Christmas, the site comes alive with lights – the Abbey ruins are floodlit and trees adorned with Christmas lights. An aural as well as visual feast, seasonal music will be playing through the site as you are free to explore and enjoy the Abbey at its winter finest.

Normal admission charges apply.

Where - Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden

Event - Christmas music and lights

Date - 3-4, 10-11, 17-18 December, 3.30 – 5pm

Christmas doesn’t always have to be confined to your own home, in fact, in certain places around the country Christmas starts as soon as it turns December. Here we have five of what we think are some of the best Christmas events coming up this month in some of the most spectacular buildings and backdrops in Britain.

REBUILD AND REDESIGN: CONTENT

December 2012 Page 1

A chance to experience Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire. This famous house has had many owners and until Nottinghamshire City Council acquired the house, its future was in the balance. This struc-tural work of art can still be seen with the most famous surviving feature being the iconic West Front of the church that dates from the late 13th century and is now a scheduled ancient monument.

Dress The Tree, encourages a family day out where the children can decorate and make cards whilst the adults can appreciate Newstead’s beauty. Entry to the event and house is free.

Dover Castle is situated in spectacular settings above the White Cliffs of Dover and makes a great day out. Venture up to the colourful and opulent Great Tower – created to evoke the royal court of King Henry II – for an evening of Christmas lunch amongst vibrant sur-roundings. This will be followed by a tour of the castle, including a Personal Guided tour of our historic wartime tunnels. Musical min-strels will also be performing to maintain the medieval theme.

Booking in advance for this event is essential. Tickets cost £30 for adults, £20 for English Heritage members.

Islington’s Art House is to be turned into a festive enchanted king-dom. Each room, in conjunction with extraordinary artistic tech-niques, brings each room to life, capturing the particular style, texture and colour combinations. All rooms have been adorned with beau-tiful furniture, lighting effects and water features to create a visual feast.Complete with play zones in the wintry wonderful garden, a Christ-mas cave, a gingerbread workshop and Christmas Peace Garden, not forgetting the bustling elves’ workshop. The adults can relax with mulled wine while everyone is treated to a veritable and delicious Christmas feast and your children will receive a gift just for showing up! Santa Claus’s missus will even be making an appearance!

Booking nessasary, tickets around £50.

Where - Dover Castle

Event - Christmas lunch and tour

Date - 20 December

Where - Newstead Abbey

Event - Dress The Tree

Date - 1st-23rd December

Where - Enchanted Christmas House, London

Event -The En-chanted Christmas House

Date -1st – 24th December


Browsing through the internet looking at beautiful houses in the countryside, just another day for Eileen Walkden who dreamed of moving away from the hustle of London to a more peaceful retreat. Holly Simmonds exploresThe prices of the houses Eileen was looking at where far out of her price range, until she discovered a secret gem in Shropshire. It was a beautiful Queen Anne Grade II listed house with a classic doll’s house façade. “I absolutely fell in love with it and couldn’t wait to have a look around the house.” She went to look around the house the next day, and her husband Neville the day after. It was only six months later that they put pen to paper and the house was theirs.

The house was like a building site when they first moved in. The builder’s tools were thrown around like it was child’s playroom and dust was filling the room like an atomic dust storm. “When we first moved in I thought I would it would just be a cosmetic makeover, it’s only when I had a good look around the house where I realised I was totally wrong. I walked in and thought, I didn’t see that terrible cracked ceiling, the seventies wallpaper didn’t look that bad, the period bathroom features didn’t look so grungy at first sight.”

It has been three years since the property was occupied, and decoration dated back to the 1970’s, which granted the chance for Eileen to put on her creative gloves. She explained how the two of them had to give the house a full repair before they could start looking to do a makeover on it. “We repaired the chimney stacks, re-lined the gullies in the roof,

replaced the ancient central heating, replaced the broken window glass, repaired all the shutters and the sash cords.” Alongside her job working as an independent retailer, designing stylish cushions themed around London and beyond, Eileen had to deal with the strain of revamping the whole house. It was clear to see that it wasn’t an easy ride.

The repair work didn’t stop there though. As Eileen described “the boring bits” were over and done with, she then had to work from the floor upwards, repairing the concrete she stood on, the dirty and tired walls, right up to the ceiling which was a filthy dusty mess. “The old and cracked lime plaster had to be removed, carefully retaining as many of the old laths as possible. Replacement oak laths were installed and the first courses of lime plaster were applied, and we waited, two weeks

to dry, another layer, two more weeks, better make it three, and finally the last course.”

Finally the house started to take shape, only took them half a calendar year mind.

The final repair job was labour heavy and tiring for the couple. On the side of the house is a late

Georgian extension, single story, but with a very high vaulted ceiling, a ceiling with a huge crack. It was a mundane prospect for the couple to deal with, and with the Council delaying permission for up to six months, Eileen decided she would start moving her furnishings into the house.

“When I first moved in I thought I would just be a

cosmetic makeover”

REBUILD AND REDESIGN: FEATURES


Living in a cottage previously, means that Eileen had a range of beautiful French antiques to fill the rooms and lift the spirit of the house. She also has her own range of textiles, including her own hand-made cushions and fabrics which have been a popular hit in Chelsea.

This came at a time she couldn’t find quite the right cushions to go with her favourite style of a warm cottage feel. “They look particularly pretty in this house and even our curtains from our old cottage seemed to fit just perfectly. “She describes herself as having an eclectic style, featured all around the household in her soft plush furnishings whilst having electric blue sofa’s to make the rooms more vibrant.

Above: Her pillows fill the rooms in her house, she says this is one of her favourite ones “Girls Only In This Area.” The pillows can be purchased from her official site.

Below: Eileen’s outdoors.

Eileen’s Top Five Tips when looking for a new home

Make sure you love the home

Know the costs before you think about renovating the building

Check planning permission first, you may have ideas which won’t get the go ahead

Do a pro’s and con’s list about the house to help make your decision

Enjoy your new home!


We asked if she would do this experience all over again, “yes it was definitely worth it, we have a stunning house and the views over the Llangollen Canal are to die for. In hindsight we didn’t need seven bedrooms as there are only two of us living here, but it’s great if we have family over as there’s plenty of options where to sleep!”

She also described how she woke up having nightmares that the house was a complete mess and the struggle to maintain its beauty whilst working on a full restore was too hard to comprehend. “If it wasn’t for my love for the house, along with my driven ambitious personality, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was sitting on some wallpaper plaster right now.”

So what’s next for the house? Perhaps she wants a whole new theme, bright red velvet sofas and stunning new fur-nishings to match? “We could do with a cleaner, but I think we need to start working on our garden first!”Another job for the ever so busy Eileen and Neville Walkden.

“If it wasn’t for our love for the house to get the work done, I

wouldn’t be suprised if I was sitting on wallpaper plaster right now”

Eileens favourite vintage piece




Student Sarah Hussain tells us how she redecorated her bedroom on a budget of £100. Sarah, 21 of Bradford, provides tips, ideas and advice on how to glam a room up by recycling.

After the decorating

Before the decorating

REBUILD AND REDESIGN FEATURES

How to create a chic bedroom On a budget


Designing a room, be it a living room, bedroom, dining room or kitchen may seem like an expensive task; wallpa-per, paint, furniture, items to glam the room up, all this is needed to make a room homely, warm and nice. However this process does not have to be so expensive. “Decorating your room on a budget can look as good as a room that has had a lot of money spent on it” says Sarah. She explains that there are a lot of budget shops where you can get inexpensive items from that are a copy or a take on more expensive items sold at designer shops. “This allows your room to look just as good at a cheaper price.” Redecorating a room allows you to get creative and bring change to a room in the way you want it to be. Sarah advises that “do not feel as though decorating your room on a budget won’t make it look nice or cosy. This simply gives you the opportunity to get creative by recycling items and turning them into something glamorous.” She also stresses that budget money can be spent on items

which may not necessarily be expensive, but will look just as good, and be of good quality as an expensive item. While decorating her room Sarah managed to recycle many old items, painted them and made them look fresh and brand new, to fit with the purple theme of her bed-room. She speaks of the initial ideas she had of her bedroom and how it was before. “Before my room had plain walls everywhere, not a lot of personality, there were things cluttered around and many of my items were mis-matched. There was no cohesive theme to the room.” Sarah wanted a cosy place where she could chill out and enjoy being in her room “instead of it feeling like a cupboard.” She advises that you must think of the main features you want in your room before decorating and designing. “You need to think of three or four main features you want your room to be centred around.” The vision she had of her bedroom was to include a feature wall as the centre focus. She also wanted “decorative bed covers which would help in making the room look chic without needing extra objects.” The final feature she wanted in her room was a mirror collage on one of the walls. Sarah explains that the first thing she did was draw sketches of how she wanted the room layout to be. This

“Decoratingyour room cheaply can look as good as a room that has had a lot of money spent on it”

gave her the initial idea of where things would go and how the end product needed to look. She then recycled small items such as a lamp, jewellery box and a mirror, and painted them purple. This made them fit with the theme of her room and look fresh and new. The clever recycling techniques Sarah used saved her a lot of money, and gave her fantastic end products. “I think that’s very important if you’re decorating your room on a budget because you do not have a lot of money to be spending, therefore the limited money can be used wisely.”“My dad did all the handy work such as the painting of the walls, adding the wallpaper on the feature wall and fixing of the mirrors on the wall.” Using her dad to do the handy work allowed Sarah to save money on a handy-man and decorator. The decorating of Sarah’s room did not take too long as they did most of the work them-selves. “Two-three days were spent on painting and add-ing the feature wall, and then it took a further few days to

After

Before


By Aalia Khan

Before

After

“I think recycling isimportant when you’re decorating with a limited budget”

with the colour scheme and also goes well with my fea-ture wall.” “Overall I managed to spend £80-£100 on my room, which included the buying of items, wallpaper and paint to jazz up recycled items.” This shows that creat-ing a glamorous, exciting room does not require a lot of money. Simply recycling, having initial ideas and spend-ing budget money wisely can present a fantastic looking room.

Student Sarah Hussain

decorate the room and get all the furniture back in.”“on my wallpaper I spent £30, each roll being £15. I got bed covers at £30. For the wall with my mirror collage I went to a car boot sale, where you can pick up cheap handy items, and managed to get myself nine small cheap mirrors which cost £1 each.” For her mirror collage wall she used purple paint to create a design on the wall and then attached the mirrors on; “It makes a great feature for my room.” She also managed to get a cheap black lamp and beige vases from the car boot sale; However these were not the colour she wanted them to be so she repainted them purple. “I got a mirror from a vintage shop which cost me about £5, it had a gold frame which I painted purple to give it the chic look. A few of my old jewellery boxes were wooden I also painted them purple to give them a new look.” This shows how, like Sarah has done, buying of cheap items allows you to revamp them in the way you want, saving a lot of money. “My room doors were dull and white so I also painted them purple. The hint of colour everywhere pulls my room together



Ilkley is an old spa town blessed with a history that goes way beyond its great Victorian herit-age which makes it one of the most sought after places to live in West Yorkshire. “This is my proudest piece of work” Mark affirmed, whilst we sat in his house which was just over five years ago, a deserted Youth Hostel.

Since moving to Britain at an early age, Mark has learnt his trade by gaining apprenticeships and working his way up the scale, which he says took over 20 years to do, “I was your bog standard builder boy in my early years; mixing cement, wheeling barrows and bricking walls.After a while I just had enough, I wanted to do my own thing, I knew I was good enough but it was having the courage to go solo and effectively

have no continuous income for the first time in 10 years.I worked with two lads that I helped out for a few years and they were both very interested when I approached them with the project, I owe them a lot for taking time out to help me with this one”

So how did Mark come across this old Youth Hostel, situated on the secluded moors of Ilkley; “I had been working in the south of England mainly repairing old barns but I wanted a bigger project.One of my contacts up north told me of a place in Ilkley that interested him but due to him being tied down he couldn’t do it, I went up and looked and was immediately interested.” Anyone from Yorkshire or who lives near the

Youth hostel to luxary houses -

a two year transformation

Mark Wysocki is a builder, or more accurately a renovator. When searching for a new project, Mark had plenty of options but only one wish...

The experts view...REBUILD AND REDESIGN: FEATURE


dales will in all probability, have been to Ilkley or at least heard of this old town. If you’ve not heard of the cow and calf rocks then chances are you will have heard this unusual song that says something about walking on Ilkley moor without your hat?“To be honest, I hadn’t even heard of Ilkley before I visited, never mind heard the song!” Oh, well there you go, Mark was an exception to the rule.

Once Mark purchased the house, the reality of the task ahead set in; “There’s no doubt it was a bit of a gamble, I spent most of what I had earned in purchasing the building but I knew if I made a half decent job of it I would double my money, especially with the location and the hous-ing rates in a place like Ilkley.The house was originally going to be a semi-detached; two houses of decent size but then one day I had a thought, a musing if you will… Where the hell am I going to be living whilst do-ing this?”

Mark had of course rented out his house down south and was living in a hotel when the work started but due to the length of the job, that would be too pricey. “I was living out of a suit-

case for a month or so before I realised I would have to live somewhere to complete this job, it was then I decided to make it into three houses and I’d live in one of them.It meant I had to separate the houses and knock down a lot of walls which any builder will tell you is not easy as if you knock down one brick that is important, the whole house could come down!The house I lived in was renovated first but finished last, I just made it liveable but wanted to complete and get the other two on the market first.”

It was a big risk as Mark explained; “Effectively I was living on the job for the best part of two years, anyone who lives at or near their work will tell you that it’s not easy, there are some days where you just lose the will to work and get fed up of the sight of the place but fortunately for me I was working with a beautiful building.It took a bit of structural restoration which I expected but another big challenge for me was keeping the oak beams in which offered support to the house.”

It was clear that these old beams were what Mark was most proud about when it came to the house itself; “They were beautiful and extremely

One of two large living

rooms


large but they possessed a unique selling point which would add thousands on to the price of the house on its own aswell as keeping part of its history.”

With Mark now settled in Ilkley, he could now focus fully on the other two houses; “It took around a year just to sort the rooms out and get the place looking like the print that we had in-front of us. As it was a Youth Hostel beforehand, there were a lot of large rooms to work with which was exciting and gave me a chance to be creative with the high ceilings and big windows.The bedrooms were my personal highlight of the houses. They were all different and stood out in their own way from having their own fireplace to having a ledged window overlooking the moors.” Mark also specified his pride in the kitchens which he designed and fit himself“Once the houses were completed it was frustrat-ing waiting for the health and safety people to pass the house, there was a lot of faffing around with it like making sure I’d fit fire doors and ban-nisters but once I’d finished I wasn’t really relived, I was proud of the job I had done.”

With two beautiful views; one overlooking Ilkley and the other, a lovely moor, Mark now had three housew that fit nicely into the scenery around but the work wasn’t done yet.

“The two houses sold for a combined price of around 1.1 million”

Loft converted into bedroom, supported by oak beams

En-suite in the master bedroom


Now the job was done all that was left to do was sell the houses, which needless to say, didn’t take much work; “The two houses sold for a com-bined price of around 1.1 million, they were both on the market little over a week before selling. Unfortunately not all of it went to me of course as I sold it through an estate agent. Nice little pay off though!”

Finally, when I asked Mark if he would ever sell his cosy two bedroomed house, the reply was pretty emphatic, ‘Never.’

By Daniel Howard

A state of the art

kitchen

Facts about the house

- The three houses are just under 400 meteres from the Cow and Calf rocks.- Mark purcahsed all three houses initially for around £390,000.- The middle house was a three bedroomed home, the other had five.- All the kitchens and bathrooms were designed and fitted by Mark and his team.- Mark now restores houses around the country and is cur-rently working abroad.

More on bedroom design: page

The garage is almost like Mary Poppin’s handbag, full ofunnecessary junk. Most people park their cars on the drives these days, where the garage is left as the tipping yard of the household. So ask yourself, do you really need your garage?

The Adamson family considered this question. Dave and Karen Adamson live in a four bedroom semi-detached house with their twochildren Jamie aged 17 and Meghan aged 10 and about to welcome a new bundle of joy into the world. The spare room was already occupied as the “study”. So what were their options?

They could simply put their house on the market and settle for a larger property, yet they had already found comfortable surroundings on their

estate in Chorley. Karen said “our estate is really tight-knitted. I don’t want to move away from this. We all chip in together to put on event’s. This year we organised an Olympics street party which was really fun to do. Last year when it was really icy, we all dug out our spaces from the garage and dug up the ice so that cars could get home safely. I’d already seen one car go flying down the hill it was scary!”

It’s almost comparable to Wisteria Lane so they didn’t feel like moving was applicable. The Adamson’s had anoth-er option though, which took place in a garage conversion. The trend which is sweeping across the nation sees homeowners using the space in the garage to convert it into another room. Research by lender GE Money questioned 110 estate agents, which reported increasing numbers of homeowners

“Our estate is really tight-knitted, I don’t want to move away

from this”

So what is the cost?The budget: £18,000

The spending: £26,0000

Any tips?- Make sure you look around, don’t just jump at the first one, they may not be suitable!

-Love your design, don’t let them dictate how it is going to be built, it’s your house!

-Check with your neighbours beforehand, they may not like your ideas. If not try and compromise (and good luck!)

-Enjoy your new conver-sion, it was one of the best



By Holly Simmonds

are looking to extend rather than move, showing that it’s a worthwhile investment.

So after deciding that they wanted a new garage, they had to think seriously about the financial aspects of the project and which companies they should use in order to get it done to a high standard. With a budget of £18,000 the next step was to get going with it. It is important to take your time with planning your extension/conversion; you will need to get quotes from different garage conversion companies who will then use an Architect to draw up your ideas onto paper.

The Adamson’s overall used three different companies to come and look at their house and each Architect drew a

plan differently to what they thought was most suitable. In the end though, they de-cided to use a builder who was self-employed and was recommended by their close friend. He brought along his team of builders, electricians and plumbers which saves the time and cost of employing each one individually.

You might think planning permission will put you off building, but a new law brought in by David Cameron on 6th September 2012 means that this is no longer a worry. Households will be free to make major renovations without the cost or delay of seeking council approval under temporary rules intended to help the construction industry.

You still need to do your homework before converting though. Find out if this remodel complies with local building codes, and if there’s enough room for you to park afterwards.

“Our estate is really tight-knitted, I don’t want to move away

from this”

Before: Far left, the house has a garage on the right hand-side with the bay living room windows. The grass to the left of the living room was used to build on their new garage.

After: Nearest right. The garage is now con-verted into a new room which is now used as a playroom for the baby girl. A garage is built onto the side of the house, and the drive-way is extended.

1

2

3

Work underway for the new garage

The Foundations of the new garage

Final touches, a roof is being built


Above: The garage after it was converted which is now used as their daughter’s playroom. This room is situated on the right-hand side of the house and in front of the kitchen.


So after you’ve planned your garage and employed your team, you might want to start adding things to your house, such as electrical, new radiators, new plumbing works. It is essential to make sure that you keep note of your finances. Dave Adamson said that he didn’t do this, “I trusted them to keep at a level budget, but they started adding ridiculous prices. They were saying oh yes well the screws to fit this in are going to cost you a fiver and I thought, oh you’re kidding me. It’s funny because my wife said ‘well you can pay back for all the chippy teas I bought you!’”

If you keep at your budget, and leave some money aside for extra things, then you shouldn’t be facing the problem of having to scrape your money together to finish the projects. You might think the project is going to cost you a lot of money, but research shows that garage conversions add around £12,250 to the value of a property, so great if you’re selling.

It wasn’t just the garage that the Adamson’s had in mind to change. They also added a study to the rear end of the house, which was formally located in the upstairs spare room, which of course was now being focussed onmaking into a bedroom. Funnily enough, Dave and Karen decided that they wanted to keep their garage, and

therefore used the room at the side of their house to add this on. It meant that they wouldn’t have to find somewhere else to give the tools and lawnmower a home. Trouble-some neighbours were standing in the way of this new extension, which Karen admitted was stressful to begin with. “Our neighbour told us that our new garage was too close to his living room window and he was against everything about it. He had the Council round to talk about the planning permissions and if theyallowed this garage to be built. He didn’t get anywhere with it though and it’s fair to say we aren’t on speaking terms anymore.”

Asked how the Adamson’s thought on the experience they said, “It was a lot of hard work, a lot of mess all the time and struggling to get into the house when they were building the new garage. Our neighbours of course made it all hard work, at some times we would think whether it was worth destroying the friendship, but it’s for our benefit and seeing that he took half our sunlight in our back garden, we thought why not.” Overall the family knew it was a worthwhile investment and would recommend it for anyone. “Unfortunately the mess didn’t stop there; Natasha’s (their new born) toys are everywhere!”


Having an extension done can be a costly and stressful project. Involving dusty furniture, limited space and planningpermission - however in the end you can gain the perfect home.

ExtensionsExtensions

Extensions

Yousuf Khan’s house after the extension.

Before the extension.



Extensions can bring about space, additional rooms and a chance to get creative by designing and decorating your own rooms. Extensions also save the hassle of moving to a bigger home, should your family begin to expand. It allows one to design a home that they would like instead of searching for the perfect home, along with staying in the comfort of your familiar area. Many home owners are also choosing to build an extension as a way to add value to their house.However there are also the cons to having an extension done. Architect Richard Mark Blenkiron says that people may have the worry of whether or not they will get the money and value back to their property, after having an extension done. “You get to stage where you can add a large extension to a house but the house might not sell if you build too much to it.” He also says that naturally many people will not like the mess that takes place during an extension, especially if they are living in the house while the building work is taking place. On the other hand Blenkiron is quick to emphasise that there are perks to having an extension done “you can stay in the same house that you live in. A lot of people also like the area they live in so may wish to stay there.” He explains that it can be expensive to move house therefore having a few rooms extended might make more sense, as opposed to shifting to a new house. Blenkiron, who has been in this profession for 20 years, explains that the factors that are to be considered when having an extensions done are; the cost, whether or not the client will be able to gain the size of a room that they require, and there are also certain planning regulations that need to be considered. He says that once these fac-tors have been dealt with then “having an extension done may be a viable option.”“The first thing is to discuss and make a brief of what the client wants, then the measuring up of the house, drawing the plans, and allowing clients to see exactly what they’re going to get.” He says that after the plans have been drawn up the client must then get estimates and quotes from builders about how much it’s going to cost. Blenkiron says “I also get the planning permission and the building regulations for the house. Certain regulations must be gained such as the size of the timbers, fire safety etc.” Once the planning permission has been received, and prices have been agreed upon, the final step is to start building. Home owner, Yousuf khan had an extension done to his house 6 years ago. The two main reasons for Khan hav-ing an extension done was; the desire to increase the size of his house. And he had undeveloped land to the side of his house, which gave him the capacity to extend. “The idea was to turn my 3 bedroom detached property into a 5 bedroom property, in which two of the bedrooms would have en-suite facilities.” The extension provided Khan with two extra bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a dining room, a larger living room, and an extended

lounge.He says that it wasn’t all flowers and roses “at times I thought why did we take on this extension task, as we were living in the house while the extension was being built. Lounging in a bedroom, with two other people, for several weeks was not easy. However we coped and it wasn’t all too bad.” Khan’s extension, along with the decorating, cost him up to £100,000. He says “it has definitely been worthwhile as we have a nice large house to live in, and I was able to decorate it all in the way I wanted it to be.”Having increased the size of his house Khan has realised that the original kitchen is not in standing with the rest of the property. Whenever he entertains “the kitchen

“Many home owners are also choosing to build an extension as a way to add value to their home.”

Extension process of Khan’s house


seems very small.” He also still has a substantial garden and enough space to expand his kitchen; therefore he has decided to have some plans drawn up for a new kitchen. “At the moment I am awaiting the plans which I have commissioned, if all goes well work can begin within the next few months.” Arab Bibi recently purchased a 3 bedroom semi detached prop-erty, with a large garden, to which she is having an extension done. “We have 4 children and have been making do in a small 4 bed roomed terraced house.” Bibi looked at larger properties but due to their financial circumstances these properties were outside their budget. Therefore the next best idea for them was to find a property which had extension potential. “It worked out cheaper to extend and we would be able to expand within our budget, and in accordance with our needs.” Having found the right property they had the relevant plans drawn up and submitted an application for planning By Aalia Khan

Mark Blenkiron

Yousuf Khan

Yousuf Khan’sextension beingbuilt

permission; which was granted. They then obtained vari-ous quotes from builders and contractors and were able to find a reputable one. Bibi says “we are pleased to say that work has begun. The footings were dug out last week

and the foundations are currently being laid out.”Extensions don’t only mean building an entire house again; single rooms can be added to a house, or to extend the kitchen. The perks of these smaller extensions will of course mean less time and money spent on the extension but the rewards of a fantastic new room, or rooms, and more space. There are many pros and cons in regards to having an extension done but the ultimate decision lies on each individual’s preference and financial situation. Some people may

wish to avoid the hassle of building, gaining planning permission and the mess caused with an extension, there-fore will feel that buying a new property is easier. Oth-ers may not be in a financial position to buy the perfect property and may find it cheaper to simply extend a room

Steps to building an extension:-Discuss and make a brief of what you want-Measuring up of the house-Having plans drawn up-Getting estimates and quotes from builders about how much it’s going to cost.

“It wasn’t all flowers androses, at times I thought why did we start this extension.”




Brownstone, which is really just a brown sand-stone, is still quarried in a few spots around the world — including Britain, China and Utah — but stone fabricators and materials experts say that there is really nothing quite like the stone that comes from Portland.

Preservationists are bemoaning the end of an era, with famous stone fabricators such as George Heckel declaring that, “you’re not going to get the look and feel of a New York City brownstone again.”

Brownstone has a rich history that goes way back to the early 19th century when all upper-class cit-ies around the world seemed to be full of houses built using this popular stone. The dissolved iron oxide within the stone gave it a unique reddish look which has always been the brownstone

Brownstone houses occupy a unique place in major cities across the world as one of the most exemplary signposts, similar too; red London buses, yellow NYC cabs and Venetian boats. Yet they are still able to create an aching desire and teeth-baring jealousy. Everybody wants one. Still, despite its timeless magnificence, brownstone is under threat.

This year it was announced that the Portland Brownstone Quarry, which had been mining and distributing Brownstone for two centuries, will be closing down. Although not the only Brownstone suppliers left in the world, Portland’s quarry was definitely one of the most prominent; supplying most of the Brownstone down the East Coast of the US, in towns and cities such as: Brooklyn, Chi-cago, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Is Brownstone really eroding away?

An inside look at the history of the Brownstone

and how even though its popularity has plummeted,

it still has a prominant place in todays society.

REBUILD AND REDESIGN: FEATURE


trademark; it quickly became the stone of choice for row house developers as it could be built with a stone facing which creates a fine-looking outer coat to the house.The ease of which it could be carved and quar-ried meant that most houses around Europe and America were built using brownstone, therefore the demand was becoming fiercer. Towards the late 19th, early 20th century, new styles began to develop with elaborate houses being built with high stairway entrances and iron detailing to sup-port the beauty of the brownstone.

Not everyone, however, is sad to say goodbye to this particular building block. Edith Wharton, the famous American novelist famously called it the “most hideous” stone ever quarried and many well respected architects seem to be in agreement, saying it looked like “cold chocolate” due to its dark exterior.

Since the 1940’s, however, the stone has encoun-tered a remarkable dip in popularity so much so, it’s almost impossible to have your house built in brownstone these days and it seems as though it’s only a matter of time before it becomes extinct.

The main fault of brownstone is its susceptibility to withstanding bad weather. People who owned brownstone houses became aware that the stone was getting damaged during bad storms and sim-ply falling away, not every homeowner’s idea of a ‘dream’ house.

Today, architectural conservators say that most of the worlds “brownstone” facades have been re-placed with brown cement-based masonry. Many people seem to have gone down this route due to the ease and trustworthiness of the method; this has steadily resulted in a decline of brownstone masons and the demand that came with it.

Although the closure of the Portland quarry is not finish line for brownstone, it seems certain that it is the beginning of the end. No matter where it’s from, brownstone is no longer cheap; it is estimated to be two to three times as much as a typical limestone or a common cast stone which is cement based.Those who own a brownstone house are often proud owners. To own something that was once

such a sought after demand almost two centuries ago but is now in danger of being lost in antiq-uity, is no mean feat. Brownstone appears to have gone through the full circle of life, ending up right back at the start as an expensive stone for the more well-off individuals.

Earlier this year, 64 Perry Street in Manhattan was sold for a mammoth $9.85 million, a rather large price you might think but not for the most famous brownstone house in the world. This was the home of the fictional character in Sex and the City; Carrie Bradshaw and the home was used in many episodes, not to mention it’s brownstone stairs, the backdrop to many first kisses.

Somehow, brownstone seems to lure people in a way that no other stone based building can. Through a sheer sense of splendour and a rich history, brownstone houses share a special bond with their owners, one that from the outside cannot simply be cracked by a chipped stone or a whittled wall.

“The dissolved iron oxide within the stone gave it a unique reddish look which has always been the brownstone trade-mark”

There’s no doubt that the loyal owners have a certain reluctance to let go of their brownstone abodes. Some may have lived in their houses for most of their lives and their bond is irreplaceable. The question still remains; can we go on living in a brownstone home?

The house isn’t dangerous, any damage is likely to be easily repaired and won’t cause any lasting structural impairment, the problem is the effort and cost that goes into constant repairs. Not only will the maintenances be pricey but they’ll also be quite continual, especially during bad weather. So although it’s still possible to live in them, many will choose against it.

In the UK, Cormac quarry in Cornwall still mines brownstone and is probably the place to go if you want this particular stone. It is mainly used for decorative and practical features like: bird baths, surfaces and fans but the will also have masons who will do restorations. In Britain, at present, there is no builder who uses brownstone to build whole houses from scratch.For now, brownstone remains. Nonetheless, the closure of Portland’s brownstone wall which, in

its peak, was about 20 feet high and 650 feet long seems to be the first step towards the extinction of New York City’s most famous world-wide stone.

“64 Perry Street in Manhattan was sold for a mam-moth $9.85 million. This was the home of the fictional character in Sex and the City; Carrie Bradshaw”

By Daniel Howard

Brownstone facts:-A similar, but more brightly colored, sandstone was deposited in the Rocky Mt. region during the Triassic period and Jurassic period. These deposits called “redbeds” make up the colorful landscapes of the Painted Desert of Arizona.

-The term, Brownstone, is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house (row-house) clad in this material.

-New York has a the higest population of Brownstone houses left in the world.



ity since the US housing bubble in 2006. Bridget Thornton, head of public relations and marketing for Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, a busi-ness that builds small homes and also sells plans to would be DIY-ers said the movement has seen a spike in popularity–both in the number of peo-ple building their own small homes and purchas-ing plans from businesses like Tumbleweed–in the past several years.

“In recent years we’ve seen a huge amount of growth with our business and several other busi-nesses doing what we are doing,” she told Mo-voto Real Estate in a phone interview from the company’s headquarters in Northern California.

While she has no hard figures for why there’s been an increase, Thornton said people are reach-ing retirement and looking for more efficient space, and people are becoming more concerned about their environmental footprint.

As the small house movement has often been on the blind side of the public eye for more

Janice Kenney’s home is small–much smaller than you imagine. Kenney, from Pennsylvania USA lives in a 140-square-foot structure that many people would consider a mere box, certainly not a home. There’s no bath and only a flimsy stove. Her bed-room resides in a loft that under normal circum-stances would be considered as a barely justifiable second floor.

“This thing is definitely much smaller than what I planned on,” said Kenney, who’s lived in her tiny abode for the past year and a half. But while Kenney’s home might be petit, she’s not planning to leave any time soon.

Kenney is part of the monumental small house movement, an ever expanding group of eco and financially conscious people, particularly vocal in the United States, who seek a simpler life away from the expensive status quo standard of living.

The movement, which began to take off in 2000, has flourished as of late, ever growing in popular-

Size matters?

There is no escaping the harsh economic climate, in every corner of the globe people are feeling the pinch and as a result are turning towards less tradtional methods of living...

Eco-friendly house


than a decade, there’s much that people don’t understand. There are a number of opinions on how the movement came about. Some who have purchased or built small houses fretted over the environment, others saw it as a way to cut down on rent payments, and some simply wanted less clutter.

Gregory Johnson, co-founder of the Small House Society and one of the movement’s lumi-naries, said some people confuse the movement’s goals.

“People think that this small house movement is anti-big,” Johnson said. “The small house move-ment isn’t about people who live big. It’s about making options available for people who want to live small. Once made aware of the large life changing possibilities downsizing offers people started to see they were over consumptive, they saw this as a way of moving from over-buying to just a simpler life.”

Meanwhile on the other side of the Atlantic a similar ship thought has docked. Fed up with the lack of community spirit in their neighbour-hoods, the lack of environmentally-friendly housing stock, and with the sheer cost of buying a property in 21st-century Britain, a collection of teachers, medical professionals and other ordinary folk began to discuss building their own community along more sustainable lines in Leeds, West Yorkshire under the guise of the LILAC housing scheme.

“We are on site building now and aim to be complete in early 2013,” said Paul Chatterton, a geography teacher at Leeds University, and one of the co-founders of the Lilac – Low Impact Living Affordable Community - project.

‘‘It is hard to believe in a way, I have worked full-time all of my life but have found that still I’m priced out of the housing market, I just don’t have the huge deposit required to buy my own home”.

He has watched the scheme grow from just a handful of people to more than 30 residents and 18 of the 20 properties have now been leased to individuals and families who have bought into

Lilac’s three-pronged ethos of affordability, com-munity spirit and regard for the environment.

The straw-and-timber frames of the buildings – guaranteed both water and fire-proof – lock in CO2 and make the walls of the properties carbon-negative.

But even more unusual than the materials used is the shared-equity scheme by which members lease their properties.

Each house is owned by the co-operative, with residents leasing them for 35 per cent of their net household income, effectively buying shares in the co-op with each payment.

These can be sold back if and when people move on – meaning they have built up capital to spend elsewhere. Crucially, no deposit is required.

“Lilac offers me the opportunity to have an eq-uity stake in a beautiful eco-home, with the added bonus of also being part of a community” said Fran Lee, 64, a retired teacher who will be giving up life on a houseboat to move into the Lilac community.

Rather dissimilar to the American mavericks of construction it is the community aspect that is central to what the British Lilac scheme aims to achieve. Yet despite which side of the water they reside each innovative initiative offers insight and provides a few pointers to consider when embarking upon a project such as building a new or improving your home.

LILAC - computerised plans and previous builds


structors, interior designers, scientists and home-builders are choosing to attend.

Feng Shui translated by many of its practioners as the acquisition of skills for creating a bet-ter living environment, has a long history - well over 2000 years. It was used originally for finding burial plots for the dead, called Yin houses and was reserved exclusively for royalty and the very wealthy. Emperors of China used the skills of a Feng Shui master to find an auspicious burial site which would ensure their future generations would have good fortune. Fast forward a suf-ficient amount of centuries and the principles remain and have even been applied to buildings arguably as grand:

In today’s fiercely competitive world, architects have succumbed to the needs and demands of the clients and started incorporating principles of Feng Shui to harmonize with the spiritual forces in architecture through planning principles, services, building elements and materials. The architect well versed in Feng Shui can also use its

Imagine how frustrating it would be to finally purchase the house of your dreams but fall un-com fortable in its very presence? The Thou-sands of pounds spent trying to achieve that fitting forethought atmosphere has been in vain; no mix match can of Dulux’ colour spectrum spanning paint or personal ornament placement suffice, the feeling of unfulfillment remains and the most irritating thing about the whole ordeal is that you just can’t put your finger on why. Ever heard of Feng Shui?

I am almost sure you have heard of this ancient Chinese Philosophy before. Usually, as in my case, initial exposure to the practice is coupled with crude satire (imagine a drunk friend assum-ing a Jackie Chan esque martial arts stance and bellowing FengShui at the top of their voice) and amongst us westerners it is somewhat unsurpris-ingly taken as mere mythical practice akin to Grandmothers hand me down red wine removal remedies. Yet beyond the narrow minded ally ways of western society lies a school of thought that an increasing number of Architects, con-

As within so without.

Joshua hevicon explains how a few simple re-arrangements in the home can transform your well being.

Feng-shui bedroom


benefits to match structures and land, forecast development related concerns such as cost over-runs, quality issues, worker injuries and trade dis-putes. City Hall in London, Sydney Opera House and The Kingdom Centre of Saudi Arabia have all been designed with this philosophy in mind. You may be wondering what an earth this must have to do with your new home right?

Well FengShui dictates that everything in our known universe is made of chi, (or energy for us novice spiritualists) which is further broken up into the five basic elements of metal, fire, water, wood and earth. Each of these physical elements emanates energies that have frequencies with a unique wavelength which react with each other in different ways, either positive or negative. Humans are affected by cosmic and earth ener-gies and Feng Shui is a way for us to harness this power and use it for our good.

So if we take into consideration the thought that our world is made up of energy then it becomes quite simple… The main aim is to draw in, direct and nurture the positive Chi energy flow through-out your home in a way that supports a positive flow of Chi inside your body. The quality of Chi energy you always want to have around the house is the vibrant, alive and fresh whereas the Chi you would look to refrain in your home, office, or anywhere else are the sharp & attacking or low & depressing energies.

The idea is that by incorporating the ancient sci-ence and philosophy of Feng Shui we can design, build, remodel, and decorate our homes suc-cessfully so that they will become environments that support our lives and our well-being. Now I understand that all this may be difficult to fathom after all, like the seasons, periods of time bring about new feelings, thoughts changes to both our physical and intellectual landscapes so how can we even consider that a practice popular amongst emperors of the dynasty is still applicable today?The Age of information that we currently find ourselves in has had an astronomical effect on society, bridges have been built between all peo-ple and areas of our fascinating world, technol-ogy is forever progressing and its acceleration allows members of all communities to prosper and grow, offering deeper understanding and

evaluation of each other’s lives. The contempo-rary scientific and spiritual communities are of no exception and increasingly their collaboration has brought some very interesting discussions to the table. Past studies done by environmental psychologists and anthropologists and recent research done by neuro-sociologists like Dr. John Zeisel (“Inquiry by Design: Environment/Be-haviour/Neuroscience in Architecture, Interiors, Landscape, and Planning”) have proved almost beyond doubt that our immediate environment does affect us and we have an effect on the envi-ronment by our actions in return.

Now I can imagine that buying a house can be a fascinating experience let alone building one, even if at times filled with fear and doubts so it is here I shall pose the question: Is the concept of FengShui just more conspiratorial dust to brush under the carpet or a philosophy worth sanding down and making use of? Like everything else in life it is there for you to explore and decide.

Simple FengShui points to consider:

• As you walk around your home, notice if there are any ‘hidden arrows’ in the external environment aimed at your home. The harmful effects of ‘poison arrows’ inside the home can be felt as sharp-edged furniture on either side of the bed, or that block your easy passage in and out of a frequently used room. Even cactus, pointy-leaf dracaena, or other plants with knife-like foliage can be felt as ‘threaten-ing’. Solution: Cover points and edges or change sleeping or sitting locations. Keep the images and the objects soft and safe to the touch.

• Sleep needs to be restful to be rejuvenating, so avoid the following situations: sleeping in a bed with a refrigerator, toilet, or a source of electromagnetic radiation on the other side of the headboard will also result in disturb sleep and not waking up feeling refreshed. Large windows, heavy framed pictures, mirrors or shelves at the head of the bed produces the “what if they break or fall” anxiety.

• Our bodies are stimulated and energised by some colours, or calmed and relaxed by others. Mentally and emo-tionally, colour works on a deep level, changing our mood and our sense of wellbeing, as well as others’ perception of us so consider the emotions some colours provoke and choose wisely before applying them throughout your home.

Tell me about the job of being an architect?I like it because it’s really varied. I go out and meet a lot of people and see a lot of buildings. The clients give me reasons as to why they want things and I have to come up with a solution that works for them. And also seeing the building built afterwards gives me a sense of pleasure and satisfaction. How much input is put in from the client when drawing up plans?Quite a bit, I have to ask them how they live and what they want to gain. They also tell me about other buildings or houses that they’ve seen and liked. Some people have a good idea of the room sizes that they want, so that’s easier for me as I can design the plans to their vision, and then just tweak it. And sometimes they ask me what I think so I tell them my ideas. Once a plan has been made they can see a lot more possibilities for the house. How much input do you put in when drawing up plans?Once I’ve measured up the house, and have an idea of the size of the rooms that the client will get, then I can suggest how it should be built. Some people may want their house all open, and if there are complications then I can point these out and suggest other ways around it. I always do give them my input when needed. The more plans I have drawn the more experience I have gained. I’ve been working for myself for eight years now but I’ve been in the profession for about 20 years. What types of jobs are you doing at the moment?At the moment I’m doing a lot of two story extension plans, which are to the side of a house. In which the clients gains another living room at the ground level, a larger kitchen and either one or two bedrooms. But I also

do a lot of single story extensions at the back of a house, in which they extend the living room, kitchen or make a family room. The extensions I do can be varied as some-times I’m doing a large extension, and then sometimes I may be doing a loft conversion or a conservatory. I normally have 2 or 3 jobs on all in one go, but I do enjoy it a lot. Would you recommend others to take on the job of an architect?Oh yes I believe you should do what you really enjoy doing, and if you think that’s architecture then go for it. I really enjoy my job; going out, meeting people it’s so much better than being sat in an office all day. So yes I would definitely recommend it. I also have a website which provides a lot of information on the types of jobs I have done and any information for first time extenders.

Aalia Khan speak with Architect Richard Mark Blenkiron, on his job role ofbeing an architect, what it entails and whether he would recommend it to others.

Q&A with Architect Richard Mark Blenkiron

On a first meeting with aclient Richard will:

-Listen to house ideas.-Advise on whether a project will need planning permission, and the cost and timescale of this.-Advise on whether a project will need building regulationsapproval, with cost and timescale.-And give a clear idea of how much his services will cost.

Richard’s website ishttp://rmbbuildingdesign.co.uk/

“Seeing thebuilding built

afterwards gives me a sense of

pleasure andsatisfaction.”

Architect Richard Mark Blenkrion

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