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Room Tour: A New Loft With Period Character and Plenty of Storage
This loft conversion has created a large and light-filled en suite bedroom with discreet yet roomy cupboard space
Before deciding on a loft conversion, the owners of this house, who commissioned Matt Ryder of Ash Island Lofts to help them open up their home, were toying with the idea of moving to gain more space instead. “But it worked out more cost-effective to do the loft,” Matt says.
The aim was to give their three bedroom, one bathroom house an extra bedroom and bathroom, allowing the two children to have their own rooms, to free up space for guests, and to create an adult en suite retreat on the new top floor.
The aim was to give their three bedroom, one bathroom house an extra bedroom and bathroom, allowing the two children to have their own rooms, to free up space for guests, and to create an adult en suite retreat on the new top floor.
The owners wanted to reflect as much of their home’s period character as possible in their loft, which is why the new room has beautiful, large sash windows and column radiators.
The conservation area restrictions meant the room’s dormer had to be inset 50mm from the party wall, rather than full-width.
The slates also had to match those on the extension below.
Read reviews of loft conversion specialists in your area.
The slates also had to match those on the extension below.
Read reviews of loft conversion specialists in your area.
The chimney breast falls behind the headboard, so it was plasterboarded over to make best use of the available space.
At first, the owners had hoped to squeeze two bedrooms and a shower room into the opened up loft space, but Matt advised that the rooms would be tiny and they could instead have one really good-sized bedroom and an en suite.
To help keep the new rooms uncluttered while maximising storage, Ash Island Lofts installed bespoke cupboards in the eaves. “This was very important to [the owners],” Matt explains, “as they’d previously been using the loft for storage.”
The doors were designed to be as inconspicuous as possible. “The storage is flush and has clean lines – there’s no fussy detailing,” Matt says.
Walls painted in All White, Farrow & Ball.
The doors were designed to be as inconspicuous as possible. “The storage is flush and has clean lines – there’s no fussy detailing,” Matt says.
Walls painted in All White, Farrow & Ball.
There’s more flush, built-in storage opposite the bed. “The clients didn’t want a [standard] wardrobe in here,” Matt says. The routing on the doors gives a look of classic tongue-and-groove panelling, adding character.
Sheepskin rug, Dunelm.
Sheepskin rug, Dunelm.
The main lighting consists of discreet white downlighters on a dimmer, “so they’re not ‘in your face’,” Matt says. There are eight in the bedroom, four in the bathroom and two over the landing.
The sash windows were specified to be as large as possible while still complying with conservation area stipulations. “They’re symmetrical to the dormer and the room and provide excellent light,” Matt says.
The sash windows were specified to be as large as possible while still complying with conservation area stipulations. “They’re symmetrical to the dormer and the room and provide excellent light,” Matt says.
“We did have a discussion about putting the bathroom at the back rather than under the roof slope, but we wouldn’t have been able to have the two sash windows if we’d done it like that,” Matt says. “It created a bit of an L-shape, but, for maximising light, this was the best way.”
The view towards the back of the space, with the shower room – door open – on the right.
In the bathroom, the walls are covered in classic white metro tiles highlighted with grey grout, while the floor tiles are more decorative. “The idea was that the floor tiles had an Edwardian feel,” Matt says.
To keep the small space nice and bright, the design incorporated a large skylight, which follows the same roofline as the one in the bedroom. “The pale pink paint brightens the room, too,” Matt adds.
Sanitaryware, Hudson Reed. Wall and floor tiles, Topps Tiles. Walls painted in Calamine, Farrow & Ball.
To keep the small space nice and bright, the design incorporated a large skylight, which follows the same roofline as the one in the bedroom. “The pale pink paint brightens the room, too,” Matt adds.
Sanitaryware, Hudson Reed. Wall and floor tiles, Topps Tiles. Walls painted in Calamine, Farrow & Ball.
“The owners wanted to max the size of the shower, so we went the full width of the room with the tray, which is 1.5 metres. It gives you the maximum size for a shower,” Matt says.
A frameless shower screen was picked for its simplicity and to keep the sense of an open space.
A frameless shower screen was picked for its simplicity and to keep the sense of an open space.
The owners also wanted a wall-hung loo and concealed cistern to give as much of a sense of space as possible.
The small door conceals a cupboard, while a shelf is reserved for displaying attractively packaged bathroom items.
The small door conceals a cupboard, while a shelf is reserved for displaying attractively packaged bathroom items.
Between the tall, built-in storage and the en suite are the stairs down to the rest of the house.
Ash Island Lofts put in the new staircase, which was designed to feel as if it had always been there.
“We matched the spindles and newel post to give the sense of it being a continuation of the original staircase,” Matt says.
“We matched the spindles and newel post to give the sense of it being a continuation of the original staircase,” Matt says.
The street view of the house.
Tell us…
Which details in this loft conversion would also work in your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
Which details in this loft conversion would also work in your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? Polly and Oli Geal and their two young children
Location Isleworth, west London
Property A mid-terrace Edwardian house in a conservation area; it originally had three bedrooms and one bathroom and now has four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Room dimensions The whole loft area is around 4.15m x 6m
Designer Matt Ryder of Ash Island Lofts
Budget £50,00 to £60,000, including the build, decorating and furnishings
Photography by Chris Snook