YellowDoor

YellowDoor were the key to unlocking the potential in our house and transforming it into a stunning yet practical home for our family. We had a tough brief to create a light, contemporary space in our poky, disjointed mid-terrace Victorian house - without losing some of the fantastic period features. We were demanding clients and had already parted ways with another leading residential architectural practice before finding YellowDoor. From the very first meeting we were impressed by Helen’s cool, calm yet creative approach to architectural design and Joe’s deep, practical knowledge of the technical constraints - and possibilities – that there may be in our project. Over the course of a tricky design and build lasting 18 months those first impressions proved accurate. Their vision and design for our side return extension is full of features which draw out the relationship between the old and new parts of the house in subtle and interesting ways. We particularly love the use of the London-stock bricks on the bulkhead above the kitchen island and the contemporary take on the traditional glass “fanlight” above the doorway between the lounge and side return. So far, everybody who has walked through that doorway for the first time has had a “wow” reaction. YellowDoor are also superb on technical and project management issues. When, in the middle of the construction phase, we ran into challenges with the site and contractors, Joe’s skills and expertise were invaluable. His attention to detail, can-do approach to problem solving and dedication to getting things right for us as clients was first class. There were a number of points during the build where we nearly lost hope that we would ever achieve our vision but Joe did not and he was vital to keeping the project (and us) on track. Renovation projects like ours are a big financial investment and can be an intense, demanding experience full of twists and turns. It’s vital to choose the right architects to guide you through the journey. The best decision we made about our build was to work with YellowDoor and we’d highly recommend them to others embarking on their own projects.

Yellow Door have designed us a beautiful and unusual loft conversion. The round porthole windows and open steel stair case in particular stand out. There were some minor issues, the original staircase design was deemed very difficult to build by the structural engineer and had to be redesigned, also planning rejected the original design as one of the roof windows considered to be to large. Overall we are very happy.

A review from a photographer’s point of view: I enjoy so much taking photos of Yellow Door’s projects - very photogenic flowing spaces, clever designs with a great finish. It's been a pleasure working with Helen and Joe, both so friendly and creative. I'm always looking forward to their next project.

Joe and Helen at Yellow Door have an incredible knowledge of architecture and all things relating to home refurbishments. They listened to our requirements and ideas and guided us carefully through the minefield of building works in the UK. Although they have many years experience and their expertise is paramount, they are not arrogant or pushy; rather more helpful, transparent and therefore trustworthy with their suggestions. Our encounter with them was so positive that we will absolutely use their services for all of our future large and small projects.

We really enjoyed working with team "YellowDoor". Joe and Helen took time to understand the restrictions our tiny cottage presented and what we wanted from the new design. We had a limited area to work with, but their designs utilised every centimetre to maximise the internal living space. In the end we feel the final design is a great balance between practicality and good looks and we can't wait to see it built and finished.

We engaged Joe & Helen to support us with turning our 1930's end terrace into bigger family home that stood out from the run of the mill extensions in the area. Having taken our brief and then supported us in battling the planning office, they have come up with a unique, light and airy design that we absolutely love. We cant wait to have them both over to celebrate in our beautiful new home once the build is completed! Thanks guys - Jo & Brett

YellowDoor were brought on board to help with major renovations to a turn of the last Century town house in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon's conservation area. The house retained many original features but the poor use of space, and even poorer 15 year old extension to the rear, desperately needed some proper design input to make the most of what should be a beautiful house. Our builder queried whether architects were really needed and that the funds could be put to better use elsewhere, however, YellowDoor have been absolutely worth every penny. Their design input, ability to see the whole picture, close attention to detail regarding the brief and limited budget for the amount of work needed has been fantastic. Without them I am convinced the finished project would be nothing particularly special, not thought out properly and probably would have cost more too as the builders would not be working to any plan, which is always dangerous! The client is downsizing and very budget conscious for what is potentially their last move. YellowDoor has fully respected the budget constraints and not got carried away with ideas and costs but equally provided invaluable design ideas which make such a difference without costing the earth. The back of the house has been reconfigured to provide the best use of space and light and a wonderful kitchen/ living area in what was a dark, uninspiring kitchen, the cloakroom has been moved to create more space for the kitchen, upstairs the main bathroom redesigned to make use of the huge space whilst also finding space for a separate shower room in what was the loft access cupboard, the cellar is being made into a fully habitable extra living space/ third spare bedroom for visiting family. All of this was done to make the existing space work without the high cost and additional hassle of converting the loft space. Using words used by YellowDoor during a site visit, the idea was to make the house 'sing' and YellowDoor are doing just that. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again on any project, either professionally or personally.

When we first talked to YellowDoor we had what felt like impossible dreams for our place - to transform it from a slightly pokey basement and ground flat / maisonette into a more spacious and light family home. Helen and Joe listened to all our needs and seemed to understand from the outset what we were after and how to achieve it. They brought to the table some brilliant ideas and put together an impressive design package that took account of our existing key pieces of furniture and units that we had earmarked to buy. The resulting extension into our garden has allowed us a third bedroom, a second bathroom and an improved open plan living space. YellowDoor also managed the relationship with the builders very professionally - putting in checks and balances and a system of incremental payments based on the builders achieving targets. Bearing in mind the sums involved - it was a huge relief to have YellowDoor watching out for our interests with spreadsheet detail. Would definitely use them again - and certainly recommend Joe and Helen. A good eye for style, an instinct for the detail and very friendly.

YellowDoor Architecture provided spacial planning, developed concepts to maintain the original features but with a contemporary feel. They assisted in materials procurement so the local builders and Trade Contractors could develop the design. They met deadlines and were a pleasure to work with.

From start to finish, hiring Helen as our architect and project manager was the best decision we made for our home renovation project. From the very beginning Helen was patient and took on board our many requests and ideas. She then transformed them into reality in a way we never would have imagined possible. Also, as interior design is not our area of expertise, she was very helpful in recommending fixtures, colours, and many other interior design elements. Helen would visit the site at least once a week to ensure all was moving along smoothly. Her keen eye for detail and quality is amazing, as in the end she was able to pick out things we never would have noticed. She even went toe to toe with our builders instructing them to redo items that were not performed to her high standards. For this, we are forever grateful because as a result, we have a beautiful polished home. When people ask for our number one tip for a home renovation project, we always give the same advice, "you need Helen".