How To Find The Right Interior Architect In Simple Steps

Are you planning to start a new business, you just have the keys to your new apartment or you simply want to change the decor of your home to bring it up to date? Unfortunately, you are running out of time or you do not know how to set up your office or home: So you want to hire one of the interior design companies in London. But how do you choose the right interior designer? Here are simple steps to make the right choice and find the decorator, near you, who will take care of renovating or creating the decoration of your interior.

Before you start doing your research on the internet or elsewhere, you must already decide whether you want to hire the services of a decorator or an interior designer. For many people, the difference between these two trades is not very clear. An interior decorator can help you if you want to make basic modifications such as changing your furniture, your decorative objects or your wallpaper or the colour of your walls. He can also help you to reorganize the layout of your furniture and optimize the layout of your rooms.

Interior design companies in London have professional graduates (unlike the decorator) who allow you to make radical changes to your interior. Obviously, the required budget is more important, but an interior designer will realize plans, generally with a 3D formatting to allow you to visualize the final project, and manage the implementation of the works of your inside. This can range from making custom-made furniture to taking over a complete renovation project or altering the design of your home. Expect to see partitions falling or changing places with an interior designer!

Read more

Expand Your Home: Prices And Techniques

You need more space at home, but have eliminated the idea of moving house for your own reasons. After looking for the different solutions, you could see that prices could double according to the solution suggested. House extension, layout of the attic, elevation ... difficult to choose when trying to extend one’s house for cheap! What are the prices of home extension techniques? How to extend your house? What are the characteristics and constraints of a home extension? These are questions which can be easily be answered by an architect which specialises in London house extensions.

The family has grown and grown, everyone needs more autonomy and privacy. But if everyone agrees that there is not enough room in your dwelling, nobody wants to leave this house full of memories. This is understandable, when everything keeps us in one place: proximity to work, school, businesses, and family, difficult to make the decision to leave. The house in which the children have grown up, but also in which you feel good, you do not want to leave it. Build bigger? You would love to, but with the price of land that flare up, hard to find shoe to his foot. Expanding via an extension or an attic space allows to gain the habitable surface, but also to limit the expenses.

As a general rule, if you double your living space, make sure that you have an architect in London for house extensions. An architect is your best bet to get the maximum out of your current property. While you may think this will be unnecessary cost, it is all but the contrary since an architect cost is much less than you having to move out of your current living conditions.

Read more

Interior Architect For The Residential: He Builds, From The Inside, A Framework Of Life!

The interior designer specializes in residential, listening, designing and organizing everything that contributes to well-being and everyday pleasure, in functional places with harmonious ambiences. At the same time artist, technician and manager, he is the sole interlocutor of the projects and must therefore show a great psychology. Unlike a decorator, he also intervenes on the distribution of the built space, the openings, the general arrangement of the circulations, the extensions, the facades. His skills allow him to intervene on the structure, and the cover. Let’s take a closer look at the responsibilities of residential architects in London.

Since he showcases the immediate surroundings of the person, the family, and all interiors are his privileged field of action, not only through the architectural layout but also layout, equipment, ambiance, lighting, materials, colours, Textures. On the basis of ergonomics designed to make the gesture fluid, he addresses all the perceptive senses, with all the technical means that are constantly deployed. His field of action is very variable, from the simple renovation or design to the creation of buildings, going through all the distinctions of rehabilitation, restoration, restructuring... His areas of expertise and interventions are the same as those of the General Interior Architect, but he has strengthened his expertise in the field of residential interior architecture. Before you know residential architects in London can transform a dull property into a lavish living area. But all their ideas for your comfort come from extensive consultation with the property owner so that the vision is transformed into the property. All aspects are taken into consideration from practical to personal preferences.

Read more

Understand The Role of An Interior Decorator

Interior designer and interior decorators are such confusing terms. They are often used interchangeably, making it more difficult for common person to understand which one they need for their projects. Well, what is your project? Are you building something, renovating it or moving and need professional advice? If you are planning to sell your property, you might also need some decoration ideas before the first inspection.

We will try to answer a few questions in interior design, interior decoration, property styling and colour choice. We will also help you to find the right agency for doing your interior design in Essex. They will help you to create your own interior decoration style for your property.

You might have asked yourself a few times, especially during a building or renovation project, whether you need an interior designer or interior decorator for that purpose. Or, whether you need a colour stylist or interior consultant. The answer depends on the scope of your project.

An interior designer is a trained and qualified professional who designs the interior of your house or office, in line with your inputs and ideas. His responsibility is to modify or renovate an existing property or design an interior from scratch. The designer works in close association with the builder and joins hands during the early phase of construction. These designers often work as a team while some of them may work alone.

Read more

Advantages of House Extensions

Why don't we look enthusiastically for a house extension? Because, we believe that they are expensive to build and then there is no assurance how worthy that will be. House extensions can be of different types, from kitchen extension to loft extension. Thus, one can make use of a huge gain in available space. House extensions can benefit you greatly, if done correctly. You can see London house extensions to realise the advantage these house owners are enjoying.

One of the key advantages of house extension is the increase in value of your property. A house extension makes the house bigger and the price goes up drastically in the market. If the house extension is built by an efficient builder, the house can gain 10-20% value in the market. If you are looking for more space for your family, building a house extension is much cheaper an alternative than buying a new house.

Extensions can be of different types. Basically, whatever adds more space to an existing building can be classified as house extension. Kitchen extension is the most popular type while loft conversion closely follows the suit. Then, of course, there are cellar extensions but this is a really costly affair. Each of these extensions have their own benefits and advantages.

Considering the advantages, it would be easy to say that this is the preferred alternative to buying a new and bigger house. Moreover, if you plan to sell your house later, you get more money for it as well.

Read more

Scan Your Barn Before You Rebuild It

The first logical step for any lasting job is the planning. Construction is no different. When you are working on repairing and renovating a dilapidated property especially, the planning becomes utmost important. When doing a barn conversion, for example, it is very easy to get excited and get going. However, you need to investigate the ground reality first. You need to run multiple survey to determine the exact measurement and flaws in the original structure. You should have the survey results ready and with you when you plan to add to this structure and apply for renovation. Thankfully, many agencies provide professional barn conversion in London.

The timber frame of the barns is the most important structure element. You need to scan the building to see if they are intact and in line. A laser scan of the building will help you to know the positioning of these to millimetre accuracy. If there are irregular spacing, which means they are out line, it will be captured in the scan. You should conduct these scans a couple of time, over a couple of months to see if they are static or moving more out of line. The scans will any subsidence.

If you want to keep the brick wall or the ornate detail, you again need the result of these 3D laser scans.  Then you can restore the building like it was before. Because you will have the original scan results with you, you can build the building exactly like it was.

Read more

What You Need To Do Before Renovating Your Listed Building

Do you own one or more of the listed buildings in London? Do you need to have it renovated but you don’t know where to start or how to go about it? Well, if you answered yes to all the questions, this blog is for you! Before going about a renovation work on any listed buildings in London, you need to understand that the English Heritage has its eyes on you and there are some guidelines to follow. Below is some points to comply with which will help you fast track your renovation work.

1.    Bring in the experts – Since you and I are not connoisseurs of the era in which listed buildings in London have been constructed, we need to have the experts helping us deciding which would be best for the building. You may consult the Society for the protection of Ancient Buildings or the Georgian Group and Victorian Society.

2.    Sometimes local authorities can be tough to deal with, so to prevent any tussle with them, get the approval of English Heritage at the initial stage. Their support is detrimental to the smooth running of your project.

3.    It would be wise to know whether the surrounding buildings are listed buildings as well since your renovation work would be hindered considerably then and you will have to manoeuvre accordingly.

4.    Save some money by finding out whether your renovation work is qualified for grants or not and also if the building works are VAT deductible.
5.    Consult the English Heritage website to know more about fireplaces since some parts of your buildings cannot be altered at will.

Following there few guidelines will help you in fast tracking your renovation project on listed buildings in London.

Read more

How To Go About Barn Renovation Projects

The barns offer spaces that are often out of the ordinary, with potentials multiplied. Superb height under ceiling, skylights allowing entry of the natural light, but also where possible, use the walls all stone to bring the rustic and keep the atmosphere that you have so appreciated during the first visit.

Arrangements to be made before buying a barn to be rehabilitated

First, if you have come across the barn of your dreams, do not visit it alone. Have one or more professionals accompany you, an architect is best suited for this type of project. It is perfect to determine which volume usage will be the most suitable according to your ambitions. The building components must also be checked. Thus the framework must be studied to know if it is healthy and if it does not require major work. The roof and its components must be checked.

If it is possible to keep the most original items, do so, this will only add a seal to your future home. Both contemporary and old combine with raw and rustic materials. To retain all these strengths, to be accompanied by professionals of the building is indispensable. Their knowledge of materials, their development, but also their experience in the rehabilitation of buildings such as barns, farms, hangars or all old buildings is a crucial point for your satisfaction. Do not hesitate to make the most crazy barn conversion in Essex projects, as long as they are supported by the professionals, and specifically the architects!

Renovating and rehabilitating a barn is a challenge for a professional, it is a playground to let their art express themselves!

Read more

Why Use An Interior Design Company?

Using an interior designer, a professional interior decorator is often considered a luxury reserved for a privileged clientele. We then use our personal knowledge to manage "big jobs" and "decoration" in order to limit its expenses. And yet, using an interior designer to manage your work, building sites and decorating ideas can sometimes be cheaper than when you manage them for yourself.

The benefits of employing interior design companies in London

Interior design companies in London can intervene both on the structural work (work coming in direct contact with the structure of the building) and on the design and design of space (creation of interior space and decoration). During the listening phase, they collect the needs of the client in order to put together a proposal file in line with the expectations of the client. They will work on shapes, colours, volumes and materials to optimize the space and interior atmosphere of a home (private or professional).

The project is most often presented to the client as drawings (2D or 3D). Once the project has been validated, the designer is in charge of contacting the craftsmen in order to carry out the work and direct the site.

Your home is a true refuge from the stress of the city and the professional world. In order to fully enjoy your days and your family, it is essential to look after your interior. Interior design companies in London offer you the guarantee of a perfect harmony of your habitat but also a space totally optimized for the use that you will make of it.

Read more

What You Should Know Before Going Through With A House Extension

The home you love or the one you're about to buy sometimes needs a little more space. Going for a house extension is the best solution. Additional room on one level, extension on several levels or raised roof ... The possible configurations are almost infinite. However, building an extension is a very constrained exercise, first by the terrain and then by urban planning rules. Here is what you should do for your London house extensions.

An extension, these are square meters more. But that’s not all. If you go for an architect, they will rework the volumes, rethink the circulation in the house, expand and facilitate access to the outside, the terrace or the garden. Thanks to the openings, the light will enter afloat, greatly improving comfort and quality of life.

Identify constraints, make them stronger!

Constructing an extension amounts to juggling a set of constraints, including: urban planning rules and respect for ownership boundaries, land orientation and its environment, the available footprint, the nature of the land or the difference in level. The lights are rarely all green!

The constraints force us to turn and return the project in all directions, until we find solutions that will integrate all criteria. These constraints can be seen as a creative challenge for example the rediscovery of a beautiful stone wall on an old house may prompt the architect to use either wood or zinc to bring forth the natural beauty of the elements.

Read more

What You Need To Know About Listed Buildings

Are you interested in investing in properties and are curious about listed buildings in Essex? You might even have heard the term listed properties thrown around and want to know what they are. Well the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 has provided for old buildings properties to be well protected from any alteration such as extension or even demolition. Since these buildings have been carefully identified, there’s a list for reference and these protected buildings are called “Listed Buildings”.

If you are wondering whether you can get your 100 years old building listed then it is a “No!” There are some parameters which allows a certain building to be elected as “listed building” for example the building should be built before the 1700 and should have had no or minimum alterations so that their original architecture is still visible. But there are times where buildings dating till 1840 will qualify and after that only buildings which are in essence exceptional or have come up from renowned architects will be listed. Buildings with innovative designs can also be listed. While the most common type which are listed are buildings, there are nevertheless other forms of construction which have made it or can make it in the future such as walls, bridges, gravestones or even telephone kiosks.

Depending on the state they are in, buildings will be classified into grades. The grades are as follows:

• Grade l – these buildings are of exceptional interest
• Grade ll* - these types are somewhat more important and can be qualified as more than special interest
• Grade ll - these buildings are said to be of special interest

Read more

What Are The Benefits Of Barn Conversions?

Are you one of the city people who are gradually feeling off about the haste of city life? If you want to move out of the city and find yourself a quiet place to live then you will probably be interested in barn conversions. Barn conversions are just what its name suggest, barn which have been converted into home. It comes with all its advantages and also modern looking which is quite appealing to the younger crowd. If you are looking into the potential of owning a barn conversion in London then these advantages listed below will help you.

The space factor – A barn converted into a home does not lack space for sure. And the atypical design helps in making it both practical and also modern looking.  You will also have a ceiling with the like of kings since barns usually have high ceilings which sometimes come bolted.

Merging traditional with modern – You will get the best of both worlds with barn conversions. With the architecture of wooden doorways and also high arched ceilings you will get the look of a traditional architecture but the insides are a whole new level since the space gives you the opportunity to explore modern interior decor.

The countryside factor – who doesn’t want to wake up to a beautiful countryside which is peaceful and offers a much needed relaxation time? Well, barn conversions come with all of these and not only for your holidays but everyday as a main home.

Read more

Build House Extensions Only With Professionals

When family members increase in count, we need bigger house to accommodate everyone. It can be done by extending a section of the house. We might also need to change the settings when the lifestyle of the family or a certain member changes. Your kids, for example, need own rooms when they grow up. The new furniture of the house might need extra space as well. Sometimes, a member of the family might lose the ability to walk after an accident and you need to accommodate a wheelchair and a passage for the free movement of the wheelchair. There might be so many reasons why you might need a house extension in London. Whatever your reason might be, you can always find professional help in rebuilding certain parts of your house.

While house extensions are simple, they surely require professional help. You need to extend your house without harming the structure of the house. The extended portion and the original house, both, should be stable and firm and not weak. Thus, a house extension needs proper planning from the professionals. You need someone who can visualise the extended portion and build the same in such a way that it is usable and safe. In fact, they will first evaluate the condition of the house to determine whether building an extension is at all possible or not, in the first place. If yes, then they will build an extension which is stable and can withstand even the harshest weathers.

Read more

Visit the Exhibitions to Pick an Interior Designer

Whatever your taste might be in interior design, you can always find a designer to meet your taste, in Essex.  You might be someone looking for innovative ideas for your own home or you might also be an interior designer yourself and promote your designs, you might be a student of interior designing, you might want to hire an interior designer for your housing project; no matter what your need is, you will always find a matching fit, a suitable agency who is providing interior design in Essex. There is no better place to find a better designer in UK than Essex, the interior design capital of the country.

You can always start by attending the exhibitions in the area. Essex holds a number of exhibitions every year and some of those focus on specific aspects of interior design while the others are more holistic in their nature. These exhibitions serve many purposes. They can showcase new talents and bring forth fresher interior designing ideas. They can promote the works of new designers along with the industry veterans. They bring forward the latest trends and styles in interior design. These exhibitions also spark new ideas, fuse two existing ideas together and provide you with ample opportunities to get in touch with the designers from this area. You get to see the best of interior design in these exhibitions. You can make your pick from what you get to see in these exhibitions.

Read more

The Basic of Barn Conversion

Barn conversion is not a new method of building a home but it has gained renewed popularity in recent time. The biggest problem faced during the barn conversion process is the lack of information on how to get it done.

Barns of different shapes and sizes are found all over the country and many of those are in bad shape. Buying a barn which carries the label of a fixer upper is actually a mistake. If the barn is in such a condition that the boards are falling off from the sides, it would be foolish to invest in it. You can buy it only if you are planning to use or sell the parts. When boards start to fall off from a barn, it is majorly damaged. The nails are turning loose and the girts are rotting away already.

Previously, no documented guides were available for converting a barn. Many of the contractors didn’t even know what I was talking about. Fast forward today, you will see dozens of firms offering barn conversion in Essex. However, some of them are in this specialised trade of barn conversion for decades and they know how to properly get it done.

One of the most difficult tasks would be the removal of dirt which has accumulated for years, if not decades, and to repair the weather damage. Many times, barns are used for animal alone and thorough cleaning is needed before it is usable again.

Read more

Interior Designer Vs Interior Stylist

If you are not sure of which designer you need, finding an interior designer can be pretty overwhelming. The scope of the project has a lot to do with it, whether you are building, moving in or renovating the property? Or, are you selling your house and you have no idea how to get it ready for the first inspection.

We will try to find some answers for you in this blog, regarding interior designing, interior decorating, colour choice and property styling. You can, thus, create an individual style for your home.

How to differentiate between an interior stylist and an interior designer in Essex?

You might have asked yourself this question multiple times, especially while building or renovating a project. Who do I really need? The simple answer would be that it depends on the project really.

An interior designer is a professional who can design the interior of your home according to your ideas. The interior designer will modify the existing setting and design and will give your project a completely new look. The interior designer works closely with the architect so that his inputs can be used during the early stages of the project. They can be found working alone as a consultant or as a part of a larger team.

An interior stylist, however, is a professional who can change the style, especially the fashion or the interior decoration.  They allow you to inject style into your residence by finding, keeping and collecting beautiful ornamental objects.

Read more

3 Golden Rules of Barn Conversion

Barn conversion is an idea often chased by the home owners. They want to utilise the old, existing barn and make good use of it. When done properly, a barn can not only add value to the property but also gives a better look and much more space in the house. But how to do a proper barn conversion in London done? Follow these three rules for the best result.

Reuse the timber and other wooden materials.

The barns were made for a specific purpose and less attention was put in the aesthetics of it. However, the timbers which were used can be reused for the antique value they carry and they will last for a lifetime. In fact, many home owners are using this idea to add more value and appeal to their home. In short, let the exposed wooden columns of your interior stay exposed and the roof remain sylvan.

Use large, expansive windows.

As you are doing a barn conversion, you can afford to have a large and grand outdoor view. Allow the sun to be your guest and consider using large and expansive windows. This will add to the aesthetics of the converted barn while also presenting a great panoramic view from the inside.

Utilise wooden slider doors.

If you install these doors, you can actually save lot of space and that will give your home a spacious look without disturbing the rustic look of it. This is a very new idea which is becoming rather popular with the homeowners.

Read more

Use 3D Laser For Best Possible Barn Conversion

Preparation is of paramount importance in barn conversion, as it might be the case with other construction works, as we would be working with an older, perhaps fragile, building. It is very tempting to start building as the overall structure is intact. However, to be safe, you need to check a few facts first. One should get a survey done to establish detailed dimension. That drawing will help you to be ready when you start to work on the structure and add additional materials.

3D Laser scanning is one of the best ways to get the survey done, an extremely inexpensive and fast way of gathering every data you need. The survey gathers highly detailed data and all the data can be collected and accessed remotely. Thus, no damage is done to the building structure.

One of the things to consider while starting your barn conversion is the timber frame and how much out of crooked they are. The Laser scan comes handy as it is accurate to the millimetre and any irregular timber spacing on the ceiling would be easily captured. Conducting this survey, especially with a gap of couple of months in between, would reveal the movement of the building as well. This will tell the builder of the subsidence. Agencies doing barn conversion in Essex employ this technique often.

3D Laser scanning is a great way of ensuring that the existing brickworks or ornate details can be maintained so that the builder can restore the property like it originally was.

Read more

How Barn Conversions Help in Offering Seamless House Extensions in London?

As the Internet is transforming the entire world into a Global Village, most for the users are studying about different architectural styles and are trying to replicate them in their countries. Nowadays, house extensions in London is one of the most discussed topics amongst the youth and commercial architects because people are adopting British countryside architectural styles to add sheer elegance to their age-old properties. Since barn conversions are a perfect blend of old and new architectural styles, read the section below to know how it can help in adding extra space to your properties:

Transformation of Your Barn to a Beautiful Property

If you’re looking for solutions to house extensions in London, then converting your home to a barn could be the best possible solution available for you. Decorating a barn can be a big task for beginners, but if you have funds and are emotionally ready for the same, then the completing the task will not be a challenge for you. Before you start, your prime focus should be to accentuate the property’s space. Some barn conversions to conventional homes can make your final outcome appear as cramped and oppressive.

Make the Most of Your Outside Space

If you’ve made up your mind and wish to convert your barn to a conventional home, then it is important to consider the outside space while making out the construction plan. Try to make most out of your outside sceneries and incorporate interiors and decor that can help in adding value to your rooms and inner space. Deploy large windows, get a bespoke conservatory, put in bi-folding doors, or get ceiling glass windows to add more excitement to your dream homes.

Read more

Tips for Finding the Best Architects for Constructing Your Dream Home

Finding the best architects for constructing your dream home could be a difficult task, but making them understand about your exact requirements and specifications is something that you can only expect from experts. Getting your dream home enlisted in listed buildings London is a matter of proud and it becomes quite astonishing when your friends, relatives and colleagues congratulate you to owing such a beautiful home. If you wish to get your home featured in listed buildings London, then following are the quick tips to find a reliable constructor:

1.    Look Out for Practical knowledge
One of the biggest cues to win the battle against getting your listed buildings London constructed is- finding an architect with relevant & practical knowledge. Starting your dream project with beginners may end up talking more time to understand the requirements and then making an action plan as per the provided suggestions. Therefore, look out for people with expertise in the domain and start your dream project with utmost perfection.

2.    Check Accomplishments & Qualifications

Another major factor responsible for timely completion for your construction projects is – builder’s accomplishments and qualifications. It is highly imperative to check all of that a builder has delivered in his entire work tenure and how far it has met the customer’s expectations to ensure that you’re handing over your hard money in right hands.

3.    Ask for Detailed Cost Plans and Delivery Timelines

If you wish to avoid all the confusions and missing and misconceptions, then it is important to ask about the cost delivery timelines in the very beginning of the project. This not only prevents you from getting over billed, but also helps in tracking the progress of your project.

Read more