Online workshop, single storey extension in Cheadle Hulme

The brief

Richard and Faye live in Cheadle Hulme, and want their Edwardian, semi-detached house revamping. The house already has two extensions, to the side and back, giving them a lot of space, but the middle of the house is dark and not very usable. They came to Pride Road asking for ideas for getting light into the main living area, possibly requiring revamping the kitchen, moving the offices, creating a new dining area, and knocking down rid of walls. They aim to get their family together in a nice and bright space.

Before the workshop

Lisa looked at photos of the outside of the house, and looked at the house using Google Earth. She did that to spot things like external sheds and the house’s possition relative to their neighbours.

Before the workshop, Richard and Faye did a measured survey of their house. Using a laser they measured dimensions that Lisa asked for so she could accurately draw up their existing property. They were excited by their “new toy,” which was easy to use, with the survey only taking them half an hour.

Their options

In the initial consultation they drew up various options, which they discussed and expanded upon in the workshop.

The first option involved knocking down one wall to produce an open kitchen-dinner, and a separate living space with a fireplace. But they could only get a small dining table in, and they thought that option was a bit disproportionate.

The next option was Richard’s idea, of putting the dining table in the old play room and keeping elements of the existing kitchen. But that option wasn’t practical as it wouldn’t provide an efficient work triangle, and the kitchen island was somewhat blocking their path across the kitchen. They would also have to put the conservatory on the back, blocking windows, making the living space even darker.

Then they looked at putting the kitchen in the middle, where there wasn’t much light, allowing for a bright and open living space towards the back of the house. This option required getting planning permission for the conservatory, which they would push to the back.

Their Current Favourite Option

This option involves putting the utility room in the middle of the house, as it doesn’t need much light, and closer to the stairs, as the source of the laundry is upstairs. This opens up a large living, kitchen and dining space, making use of more windows. This moves Faye’s office to the back so it has plenty of light, and views of the garden.

The next option took it one step further by putting the office at the front and making use of the large front window. Faye notes that the view out of this window is awful, so putting it in an office space makes sense as she wouldn’t be looking out of it much, but it would still provide lots of light. Moreover, putting the office at the front would allow her to get to it more quickly- an inconvenience she didn’t realise she had with her office towards the back of the house.

After the workshop

They have been tasked to speak to builders to get an idea of costs, estate agents to get an idea of value, and neighbours to see if there are any showstopers.

They will have an hour long follow up meeting in a months’ time, in which Lisa can draw up any other ideas, or they could amalgamate the options together, so hopefully at that stage they can make a decision.

Faye: [The workshop was] really good as our ideas were to just leave things as they were but to knock a few walls down… so it's been great thinking about moving different rooms around. Richard: It's good having a left-field approach- having someone else coming at it from another angle and making you think about different things. Faye: I've not seen any houses like this… so I'm not that experienced and I don't know how they operate, so it's been good to see your ideas… and I'd love to look at that last option.
Richard and Faye

It's good having a left-field approach- having someone else coming at it from another angle and making you think about different things.

It was a great feeling comming up with that last option that they had never considered, yet were really excited about.

I've really enjoyed discussing the pros and cons and the practicallity of each option with Richard and Faye. It was a great feeling comming up with that last option that they had never considered, yet were really excited about. I'm looking forward to hearing what they decide, so they can bring their familiy together, into an open and bright space.
Pride Road

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