Wish List
And – ta-da! – the winner, at number 1, is……this impressively converted Victorian semi, which looks dramatically different at the back compared to its street view (click on the link at the end of the story if you’d like to see more photos).Again, it’s a generously sized home – there are five bedrooms and four bathrooms – and the new extension, the external appearance of which architect Felix Milns of Zulufish compares to a rocket – boosts space further.
At number 2, the runner-up is…Ooh, we’re getting close now. In second place is this grand, semi-detached, five-bedroom, 19th-century house redesigned by STAC Architecture.Clever extensions are always a talking point among Houzzers and perhaps it was this home’s ingenious new underground zone, which links the main house to its end-of-garden original coach house, that piqued your interest. Or maybe it was the gorgeous period features, classy décor and traditional-style wooden kitchen with exposed brick walls and bags of natural light (see the next photo for a glimpse).
Alternatively, be inspired by another shoes-off-now solution. This under-stairs design is easy to access and has nooks suitable for everything from boots to sports shoes.Discover storage hacks for shoe hoarders
Max out the spot below the stairsYou don’t have to stick to cupboards when you’re planning your under-stairs storage area. In this home, the clever designers have added two doors to give access to all of the space below the slope, but they’ve also managed to fit some neat open shelves into the leftover area. Discover more ways to make the most of the space under the stairs for storage
Like many large, Victorian terraced homes, the property already featured a basement, but the ceiling was low. The building team raised it and extended it out further into the back garden.Kitchen units, bulthaup. Refectory table, I&JL Brown. Lights, The Limehouse Lamp Company.
Storage is essential for keeping a busy family home looking ordered, and Mauran made sure she worked it in on every floor, so the house can quickly be tidied up. “I have eight massive, built-in, floor-to-ceiling cupboards on the ground floor,” she says. These contain everything from coats and shoes to paperwork. “They are beautiful and so practical!” she says. “I can tidy my home in 10 minutes now.”
Use cladding as an accent This home in Cheshire uses cladding to bring depth and detail to its exterior. The garage door matches the rest of the random width cladding on the house and planters.
Choose a nice numberThe mission to find pleasing door numbers is a tricky one, with brass digits in Times New Roman appearing to be the default setting on most homes. Show people you’re a stickler for details and select your favourite font cut from window film.
Enhance a bedroomA window seat is a great addition to a bedroom, offering blanket storage, a place to sit while getting dressed, and a haven for stolen moments of peace and quiet. This seat has been designed to tie in beautifully with the room, the pretty drawer knobs and coffee-toned cushions adding to the hotel-chic mood.TELL US...Do you have a window seat at home? Show us photos of your window seat in the Comments below.
Build in storageA typical window seat, built into a window nook or a bay, can easily be designed to incorporate storage. Whether this is drawers that pull out or space accessed via a hatch door in the seat, it can provide useful additional space and help you create a clutter-free room.
Steel yourselfPopular in the 1920s and 1930s, steel-framed windows are making a tremendous comeback. Compared to timber, aluminium or plastic, steel is by far the strongest framing material and thus can do its job with much finer sections. Unlike their predecessors, steel windows are now available double-glazed and, although far from the best for insulation, are much better thermally than they ever used to be. Factory-applied finishes mean rust isn’t the problem it once was, but be aware that steel windows are often a very expensive option.See how to use Crittall windows in your home
Create a canvasIn a child’s room, walls are often taken up with shelving for toys and storage for clothes, with little room for large pieces of art. So why not make the bay window your canvas and choose a fabric that’s as pretty as a picture? Curtains are bulky and take up much-needed floor space; Roman blinds are a better choice for small rooms and will present the fabric flat, so the design is easy to see.
Create a view in…A frameless glass oriel window (a protruding window that does not reach the ground) added to the back wall of a Victorian house works on many levels – seen from the garden, it provides inviting views into the interior.
Update a classic featureThese two bay windows with contemporary detailing are a nice counterpoint to a traditional exterior wall. Standard older bay windows can be updated with slim frames, full-height glass, right angles and glass roof panels, all of which contribute to an overall sense of lightness.
Go back to black Black is an obvious alternative to white, and gaining popularity in homes. It has depth and drama, and can add a lovely vintage feel. It works particularly well as a detail on period homes, or on a modern extension. Black paint reflects the trend for darker heritage paint hues generally, both inside and out. Metal and wooden frames can usually be painted another shade, but don’t despair if yours are white UPVC and you can’t afford to change them. You can source UPVC primer and paint over it with gloss or satin paint.
Update a classicThis house plays an interesting game of reimagining, in a more modernist style, the traditional forms and proportions of three windows in a vertical row and a two-storey bay. The colour and texture of the brickwork is in keeping and the stone of the bay is muted in tone, but the cool windows have no brash white surrounds, unlike their showy neighbours, while the bay is outsized and deliberately rectangular and blocky. There is at once restraint and defiance expressed here.
Black is finding its way onto shower doors as well, with the factory-style look that’s popular in other areas of the home being replicated in the bathroom. The opening here resembles French windows and gives the shower area a smart and contemporary feel.Is it over for metro tiles? You decide
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