This garden was designed for a keen chef that wanted his herbs and vegetables fresh from the garden and used in his 'al fresco' cooking. Hampton Court Small Garden A Chef’s Kitchen was designed to inspire people to grow their own vegetables and herbs in their back garden and use them to prepare healthy and economical meals outdoors. A wood-burning stove was the focal point, surrounded by raised beds, trellising and a pergola, which were all planted with vegetables and herbs. Inspired by recent popular cookery programmes, the garden aimed to motivate people to cook al fresco taking advantage of fresh ingredients and creating healthy and delicious food. As seen in magazines: HOMES & GARDENS MAY 2010 HOMES & GARDENS JULY 2010 LIVING etc MAY 2010

Lakelands House Renovation - The kitchen details feature exposed timber trusses and rafters. This adds character at first-floor level while the addition of exposed timber beams to ceilings at ground floor level add interest, warmth and charm to interior spaces.

A listed very old cottage was in need of a new kitchen that would be sympathetic to the space and the chestnut dresser the client already had.To maximise the space, we moved the Everhot cooker from the end wall to the side. We were then able to utilise the corners better with an open shelving unit made out of reclaimed pine and oak.a new sink unit with cupboard with drawers and doors was also made and 2 pull-out worktops added to provide more work surface and a breakfast table. The height of the ceiling also allowed us to fit a shelving unit for the pots and pans and free up the lower shelves.

Le pareti della zona cottura sono green! green come il mood di tutta questa bellssima casa, all'insegna della luce, dello spazio, del colore e dell'eleganza!

This garden was designed for a keen chef that wanted his herbs and vegetables fresh from the garden and used in his 'al fresco' cooking. Hampton Court Small Garden A Chef’s Kitchen was designed to inspire people to grow their own vegetables and herbs in their back garden and use them to prepare healthy and economical meals outdoors. A wood-burning stove was the focal point, surrounded by raised beds, trellising and a pergola, which were all planted with vegetables and herbs. Inspired by recent popular cookery programmes, the garden aimed to motivate people to cook al fresco taking advantage of fresh ingredients and creating healthy and delicious food. As seen in magazines: HOMES & GARDENS MAY 2010 HOMES & GARDENS JULY 2010 LIVING etc MAY 2010

Matthew Heritage
Photo of a brown and small rustic bungalow house exterior in Devon with wood cladding and a pitched roof.

In Brief Our client has occupied their mid-19th Century farm house in a small attractive village in Staffordshire for many years. As the family has grown and developed, their lifestyles and living patterns have changed. Although the existing property is particularly generous in terms of size and space, the family circumstances had changed, and they needed extra living space to accommodate older members of their family. The layout and shape of the farm house’s living accommodation didn’t provide the functional space for everyday modern family life. Their kitchen is located at the far end of the house, and, in fact it is furthest ground floor room away from the garden. This proves challenging for the family during the warmer, sunnier months when they wish to spend more time eating and drinking outdoors. The only access they have to the garden is from a gate at the rear of the property. The quickest way to get there is through the back door which leads onto their rear driveway. The family virtually need to scale the perimeter of the house to access their garden. The family would also like to comfortably welcome additional older family members to the household. Although their relatives want the security of being within the family hub they also want their own space, privacy and independence from the core of the family. We were appointed by our client to help them create a design solution that responds to the needs of the family, for now, and into the foreseeable future. In Context To the rear of the farmhouse our clients had still retained the red bricked historic bake house and granary barn. The family wanted to maximise the potential of the redundant building by converting it into a separate annex to accommodate their older relatives. They also sought a solution to accessing the back garden from the farmhouse. Our clients enjoy being in the garden and would like to be able to easily spend more time outside. The barn offers an ideal use of vacant space from which to create additional living accommodation that’s on the ground floor, independent, private, and yet it’s easy to access the hub of the family home. Our Approach The client’s home is in a small village in the Staffordshire countryside, within a conservation area. Their attractive mid-19th century red bricked farmhouse occupies a prominent corner position next to the church at the entrance to High Street. Its former farm buildings and yard have been sold for residential conversion and redevelopment but to the rear the farmhouse still retains its historic bake house with granary above. The barn is a two-storey red brick building with a clay tiled roof and the upper floor can still accessed by an external flight of stone steps. Over the years the bake house has only been used by the family for storage and needed some repairs. The barn's style is a great example which reflects the way that former farming activity was carried out back in the mid-19th Century. The new living space within the barn solves three problems in one. The empty barn provides the perfect space for developing extra en-suite, ground floor living accommodation for the family, creating additional flexible space on the first floor of the barn for the family’s hobbies. The conversion provides a to link the main farmhouse with barn, the garden and the drive way. It will also give a new lease of life back to the historic barn preserving and enhancing its originality. Design Approach Every element of the historical barns restoration was given careful consideration, to sensitively retain and restore the original character. The property has some significant features of heritage value all lending to its historical character. For example, to the rear of the barn there is an original beehive oven. Historical Gems A beehive oven is a type of oven that’s been used since the Middle Ages in Europe. It gets its name from its domed shape, which resembles that of an old-fashioned beehive. The oven is an extremely rare example and is a feature that our team and our clients wanted to restore and incorporate into the new design. The conservation officer was in favour of retaining the beehive oven to preserve it for future studies. Our clients also have a well in the front garden of the farmhouse. The old well is located exactly under the spot of the proposed new en-suite WC. We liaised with the conservation officer and they were happy for the well to be covered rather than preserved within the design. We discussed the possibility of making a feature of the well within the barn to our clients and made clear that highlighting the well would be costly in both time and money. The family had a budget and timescale to follow and they decided against incorporating the well within the new design. We ensured that the redundant well was properly assessed, before it could be infilled and capped with a reinforced concrete slab. Another aspect of the barn that we were all keen to preserve were the external granary steps and door. They are part of the building’s significance and character; their loss would weaken the character and heritage of the old granary barn. We ensured that the steps and door should be retained and repaired within the new design. It was imperative for clients and our team to retain the historical features that form the character and history of the building. The external stone steps and granary door complement the original design indicating the buildings former working purpose within the 19th Century farm complex. An experienced structural specialist was appointed to produce a structural report, to ensure all aspects of the building were sound prior to planning. Our team worked closely with the conservation officer to ensure that the project remained sensitive and sympathetic to the locality of the site and the existing buildings. Access Problems Solved Despite being in a Conservation Area, the conservation officer and the planners were happy with a seamless contemporary glazed link from the main farm to the granary barn. The new glazed link, not only brings a significant amount of light into the interior of the farmhouse, but also granary barn, creating an open and fluid area within the home, rather than it just being a corridor. The glazed hallway provides the family with direct access from the main farmhouse to the granary barn, and it opens outdirectly onto their garden space. The link to the barn changes the way that the family currently live for the better, creating flexibility in terms of direct access to the outside space and to the granary barn. Working Together We worked closely with the conservation officer to ensure that our initial design for the planned scheme was befitting of its place in the Conservation Area (and suited to a historic structure). It was our intention to create a modern and refreshing space which complements the original building. A close collaboration between the client, the conservation officer, the planners and our team has enabled us the deliver a design that retains as much of the working aesthetic of the buildings as possible. Local planners were keen to see the building converted to residential use to save it from disrepair, allowing the chance to create a unique home with significant original features, such as the beehive oven, the stone steps and the granary doors. We have sensitively and respectfully designed the barn incorporating new architecture with a sense of the old history from the existing buildings. This allows the current work to be interpreted as an additional thread to the historical context of the buildings, without affecting their character. The former barn has been sympathetically transformed inside and out, corresponding well with the historical significance of the immediate farm site and the local area. We’ve created a new sleek, contemporary glazed link for the family to the outside of their house, whilst developing additional living space that retains the historical core, ethos and detail of the building. In addition, the clients can also now take advantage of the unrivaled views of the church opposite, from the upper floor of the historic barn. Feeling inspired? Find out how we converted a Grade II LIsted Farmhouse.

Compact Cottage Garden. Walled garden ready for planting and accessorising. Laid lawn with York Stone patio - bespoke timber bi-folding doors leading off from the garden room, and the kitchen. Photograph:Chris Kemp

In Brief Our client has occupied their mid-19th Century farm house in a small attractive village in Staffordshire for many years. As the family has grown and developed, their lifestyles and living patterns have changed. Although the existing property is particularly generous in terms of size and space, the family circumstances had changed, and they needed extra living space to accommodate older members of their family. The layout and shape of the farm house’s living accommodation didn’t provide the functional space for everyday modern family life. Their kitchen is located at the far end of the house, and, in fact it is furthest ground floor room away from the garden. This proves challenging for the family during the warmer, sunnier months when they wish to spend more time eating and drinking outdoors. The only access they have to the garden is from a gate at the rear of the property. The quickest way to get there is through the back door which leads onto their rear driveway. The family virtually need to scale the perimeter of the house to access their garden. The family would also like to comfortably welcome additional older family members to the household. Although their relatives want the security of being within the family hub they also want their own space, privacy and independence from the core of the family. We were appointed by our client to help them create a design solution that responds to the needs of the family, for now, and into the foreseeable future. In Context To the rear of the farmhouse our clients had still retained the red bricked historic bake house and granary barn. The family wanted to maximise the potential of the redundant building by converting it into a separate annex to accommodate their older relatives. They also sought a solution to accessing the back garden from the farmhouse. Our clients enjoy being in the garden and would like to be able to easily spend more time outside. The barn offers an ideal use of vacant space from which to create additional living accommodation that’s on the ground floor, independent, private, and yet it’s easy to access the hub of the family home. Our Approach The client’s home is in a small village in the Staffordshire countryside, within a conservation area. Their attractive mid-19th century red bricked farmhouse occupies a prominent corner position next to the church at the entrance to High Street. Its former farm buildings and yard have been sold for residential conversion and redevelopment but to the rear the farmhouse still retains its historic bake house with granary above. The barn is a two-storey red brick building with a clay tiled roof and the upper floor can still accessed by an external flight of stone steps. Over the years the bake house has only been used by the family for storage and needed some repairs. The barn's style is a great example which reflects the way that former farming activity was carried out back in the mid-19th Century. The new living space within the barn solves three problems in one. The empty barn provides the perfect space for developing extra en-suite, ground floor living accommodation for the family, creating additional flexible space on the first floor of the barn for the family’s hobbies. The conversion provides a to link the main farmhouse with barn, the garden and the drive way. It will also give a new lease of life back to the historic barn preserving and enhancing its originality. Design Approach Every element of the historical barns restoration was given careful consideration, to sensitively retain and restore the original character. The property has some significant features of heritage value all lending to its historical character. For example, to the rear of the barn there is an original beehive oven. Historical Gems A beehive oven is a type of oven that’s been used since the Middle Ages in Europe. It gets its name from its domed shape, which resembles that of an old-fashioned beehive. The oven is an extremely rare example and is a feature that our team and our clients wanted to restore and incorporate into the new design. The conservation officer was in favour of retaining the beehive oven to preserve it for future studies. Our clients also have a well in the front garden of the farmhouse. The old well is located exactly under the spot of the proposed new en-suite WC. We liaised with the conservation officer and they were happy for the well to be covered rather than preserved within the design. We discussed the possibility of making a feature of the well within the barn to our clients and made clear that highlighting the well would be costly in both time and money. The family had a budget and timescale to follow and they decided against incorporating the well within the new design. We ensured that the redundant well was properly assessed, before it could be infilled and capped with a reinforced concrete slab. Another aspect of the barn that we were all keen to preserve were the external granary steps and door. They are part of the building’s significance and character; their loss would weaken the character and heritage of the old granary barn. We ensured that the steps and door should be retained and repaired within the new design. It was imperative for clients and our team to retain the historical features that form the character and history of the building. The external stone steps and granary door complement the original design indicating the buildings former working purpose within the 19th Century farm complex. An experienced structural specialist was appointed to produce a structural report, to ensure all aspects of the building were sound prior to planning. Our team worked closely with the conservation officer to ensure that the project remained sensitive and sympathetic to the locality of the site and the existing buildings. Access Problems Solved Despite being in a Conservation Area, the conservation officer and the planners were happy with a seamless contemporary glazed link from the main farm to the granary barn. The new glazed link, not only brings a significant amount of light into the interior of the farmhouse, but also granary barn, creating an open and fluid area within the home, rather than it just being a corridor. The glazed hallway provides the family with direct access from the main farmhouse to the granary barn, and it opens outdirectly onto their garden space. The link to the barn changes the way that the family currently live for the better, creating flexibility in terms of direct access to the outside space and to the granary barn. Working Together We worked closely with the conservation officer to ensure that our initial design for the planned scheme was befitting of its place in the Conservation Area (and suited to a historic structure). It was our intention to create a modern and refreshing space which complements the original building. A close collaboration between the client, the conservation officer, the planners and our team has enabled us the deliver a design that retains as much of the working aesthetic of the buildings as possible. Local planners were keen to see the building converted to residential use to save it from disrepair, allowing the chance to create a unique home with significant original features, such as the beehive oven, the stone steps and the granary doors. We have sensitively and respectfully designed the barn incorporating new architecture with a sense of the old history from the existing buildings. This allows the current work to be interpreted as an additional thread to the historical context of the buildings, without affecting their character. The former barn has been sympathetically transformed inside and out, corresponding well with the historical significance of the immediate farm site and the local area. We’ve created a new sleek, contemporary glazed link for the family to the outside of their house, whilst developing additional living space that retains the historical core, ethos and detail of the building. In addition, the clients can also now take advantage of the unrivaled views of the church opposite, from the upper floor of the historic barn. Feeling inspired? Find out how we converted a Grade II LIsted Farmhouse.

This garden was designed for a keen chef that wanted his herbs and vegetables fresh from the garden and used in his 'al fresco' cooking. Hampton Court Small Garden A Chef’s Kitchen was designed to inspire people to grow their own vegetables and herbs in their back garden and use them to prepare healthy and economical meals outdoors. A wood-burning stove was the focal point, surrounded by raised beds, trellising and a pergola, which were all planted with vegetables and herbs. Inspired by recent popular cookery programmes, the garden aimed to motivate people to cook al fresco taking advantage of fresh ingredients and creating healthy and delicious food. As seen in magazines: HOMES & GARDENS MAY 2010 HOMES & GARDENS JULY 2010 LIVING etc MAY 2010

One of the only surviving examples of a 14thC agricultural building of this type in Cornwall, the ancient Grade II*Listed Medieval Tithe Barn had fallen into dereliction and was on the National Buildings at Risk Register. Numerous previous attempts to obtain planning consent had been unsuccessful, but a detailed and sympathetic approach by The Bazeley Partnership secured the support of English Heritage, thereby enabling this important building to begin a new chapter as a stunning, unique home designed for modern-day living. A key element of the conversion was the insertion of a contemporary glazed extension which provides a bridge between the older and newer parts of the building. The finished accommodation includes bespoke features such as a new staircase and kitchen and offers an extraordinary blend of old and new in an idyllic location overlooking the Cornish coast. This complex project required working with traditional building materials and the majority of the stone, timber and slate found on site was utilised in the reconstruction of the barn. Since completion, the project has been featured in various national and local magazines, as well as being shown on Homes by the Sea on More4. The project won the prestigious Cornish Buildings Group Main Award for ‘Maer Barn, 14th Century Grade II* Listed Tithe Barn Conversion to Family Dwelling’.

Garden studio / Bed and Breakfast within the grounds of a heritage house and gardens. The inspiration was a French Provincial rustic style, with a modern interpretation with pitched roof and barn-style doors and textured cladding. Charcoal timber and battens are featured. The garden studio has two bedrooms and a spacious living, kitchen and bathroom, and sits harmoniously in the grounds of this heritage precinct.

With both parents in this Chiswick family working from home for the foreseeable future, there was an urgent need to create more space as the home office wasn’t big enough for the two of them. So the simple solution was to create a garden office - one that embraced the outoors but which was also within easy reach of the kitchen for a coffee top up. Reclaimed cladding was used externally to give the office a weathered look, whilst colourful wallpaper and painted doors helped to brighten the space and make it feel more homely. Re-used laboratory worktops form the desk and shelves, and vintage furniture was found for storage. As an added extra, it was designed so that the concertina doors could open right up to view the television - suspended on an extending bracket - so that the whole family can enjoy movies and sport outside in the summer months.

Low maintenance garden for an older man who requested a swing seat and mediterranean planting. Seat is positioned in the sunniest corner and as it swings it brushes against the lemon verbena and salvia releasing very evocative scents for him. Planting is almost entirely evergreen and looks lovely year round which is important as garden is always on show though large glass doors in open plan kitchen/living room. Gentle uplighting of planting at night makes for a pretty display in the evenings. Limestone paving is a continuation of that used in the house.

With both parents in this Chiswick family working from home for the foreseeable future, there was an urgent need to create more space as the home office wasn’t big enough for the two of them. So the simple solution was to create a garden office - one that embraced the outoors but which was also within easy reach of the kitchen for a coffee top up. Reclaimed cladding was used externally to give the office a weathered look, whilst colourful wallpaper and painted doors helped to brighten the space and make it feel more homely. Re-used laboratory worktops form the desk and shelves, and vintage furniture was found for storage. As an added extra, it was designed so that the concertina doors could open right up to view the television - suspended on an extending bracket - so that the whole family can enjoy movies and sport outside in the summer months.

With both parents in this Chiswick family working from home for the foreseeable future, there was an urgent need to create more space as the home office wasn’t big enough for the two of them. So the simple solution was to create a garden office - one that embraced the outoors but which was also within easy reach of the kitchen for a coffee top up. Reclaimed cladding was used externally to give the office a weathered look, whilst colourful wallpaper and painted doors helped to brighten the space and make it feel more homely. Re-used laboratory worktops form the desk and shelves, and vintage furniture was found for storage. As an added extra, it was designed so that the concertina doors could open right up to view the television - suspended on an extending bracket - so that the whole family can enjoy movies and sport outside in the summer months.

With recycled hardwood decking, complimented with stainless steel wire balustrades and Blackbutt handrails this elegant dual level deck maximises the outdoor living potential of this Beecroft designer home. The addition of a Bi-fold door, to the lower lounge room level, extends the living space into the garden across the deck. Similarly the upper large entertaining deck increases living space off the kitchen and meals room. Sustainable features include rainwater tank, recycled sandstone walling, salvaged “Post Master General” man hole covers as steps, fruit trees, fauna friendly habitats, edible vege + herb garden, fruit trees and water use zoning plantscape design. Photos By Adrian Swain

Garden studio / Bed and Breakfast within the grounds of a heritage house and gardens. The inspiration was a French Provincial rustic style, with a modern interpretation including pitched roof and barn-style doors and textured cladding. Charcoal timber and battens are featured. The garden studio has two bedrooms and a spacious living, kitchen and bathroom, and sits harmoniously in the grounds of this heritage precinct.

This design draws on Moroccan influences and creates a well laid out space that is fresh and inviting. Flooring in the space consists of multi-coloured African slate laid in a stretcher pattern, interspersed with the occasional Moroccan floor tile. Under the kitchen window is a butcher block housing a Belfast sink allowing the client the opportunity for outside water. Directly outside the back door, flanked either side by flush planting beds, there is a railway sleeper sofa-style seat with bespoke waterproof cushions. This area is enclosed with a purpose-built timber pergola with a rusted iron mesh ‘roof’. The main seating area of the garden consists of rendered block raised beds, painted white and adorned with a Moroccan tile border around the top, upon which L-shaped ‘suspended’ railway sleeper benches are fixed. This area also benefits from a railway sleeper table, a large, ornate Moroccan-style water fountain water feature against the right hand wall and a wrought iron chiminea in the back bed to serve as barbeque and heater. The existing large laurel was retained and the existing ivy was thinned and conditioned. The inclusion of a large tree fern at the entrance to the seating area makes a formal entrance to the space. The remainder of the planting consists of oranges and greens with a selection of climbers, evergreens and herbaceous perennials selected to give year round interest. The space is completed by the inclusion of a comprehensive lighting scheme. The pergola is illuminated with a fairy light net over the top. The main seating area benefits from stylish teak and stainless steel bollard lights installed on top of the raised bed walls and rope lights running along the underside of the seats, with a double weatherproof socket providing power for the client to plug in electrical equipment if required. Finally, a series of low voltage lights throughout the planting beds give the garden a subtle overall glow while serving to highlight individual plant specimens.