Knowles Drive

Major alterations and extensions to an existing detached Georgian Styled house including a fresh new appearance.

The Challenge

The clients decided that they would extend and refurbish their existing 1970’s Neo Georgian style property that was starting to look externally dated and tired.

The existing property was typical of the era with a very low pitch concrete tiled roof, single glazed windows with fixed shutters, and fibreglass imitation columns. Having previously been extended and altered the accommodation comprised a kitchen diner with narrow conservatory, drawing room, family room, utility and small double garage. With 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms on the first floor in the original format

With some of the rooms already having been fitted out to a high standard the brief was to incorporate these areas into the new extended design rather than have to fully re-fit all areas. Externally the property was to be kept in its current style but given a refreshed look more true to the Georgian ideals and using high quality materials.

The Solution

The old narrow conservatory was replaced with a spacious orangery to provide a garden room living space within the combined kitchen / dining area, the garage and utility were re-built to a larger size also providing a structure to build an extended first floor upon. The old internal staircase was taken out the hall and landing enlarged to accept a new feature curved mahogany staircase leading to an open porch area and a large galleried landing with reading area above. At first floor level a new master suite with dressing area and en suite bathroom was built over the garage and utility, and the remaining bedrooms were altered to suit the new layout with a further en suite bathroom provided.

To the exterior the low pitched roof was removed and replaced with a higher pitched roof clad in hand finished clay tiles, the wide a shallow windows were replaced with tall and narrow high specification sash windows with a narrow glazing bar more in-keeping with Georgian proportions. To provide detail, stone quoins were added to the external corners with stone sills and heads to the window openings along with part re rendering to bring the new and original parts together and complete the look.