Rose Cottage Extension Leicestershire
Rose Cottage, Leicestershire
The Brief
Our clients live in a conservation area in Leicestershire and wanted a way of extending and remodelling their rural cottage to accommodate their whole family. At the same time they wanted their home to compliment the surrounding heritage architecture.
Our Solution
We extended to the rear of the property and combined the retained cottage with the large garden. This created social space for the family and connected the existing space to the abundant nature in the large rear garden.
Heritage Architecture
Working in a Conservation Area
Swain architecture have a lot of experience working in conservation areas and work with local planning officers to achieve planning permission in challenging locations.
Blending Traditional with Contemporary
Appropriate scale of buildings and the materials they are built in are aspects of architectural design we are sensitive to at Swain Architecture. At Rose Cottage we chose a pitched roof to the upper level and specified reclaimed brick and wood façades externally so the new building blended in with the existing. We hope you agree that this is contemporary and sensitive architecture.
A Family Home
Space for Everyone
Connecting to a modest village cottage, our challenge was to create a master suite as well as three bedrooms, including one en-suite. By opting for vaulted ceilings on the first floor we retained the intimate nature of the original cottage and creating an extension that was sensitive in scale and form.
Connected to Nature
At the ground level, full width glazing frames the large garden. This introduces lots of light to the interior as well as providing an amazing view of the large cottage garden.
Do you have a heritage property you’d like to turn into a family home?
Swain Architecture has extensive experience working with planning authorities to ensure sensitive development within conservation areas. Whether you’re raring to knock down walls, or taking your first tentative steps towards a new space, we’d love to hear about your project. Bringing inspiration, robust design practice and plenty of experience with us, we transform spaces into something you can enjoy for years to come.
What did the clients think?
“Izzy understood exactly what we wanted. The old house was tricky with lots of small dark rooms and awkward spaces. Now the flow is so much better and the rooms larger and brighter. There’s a good balance of quirky old spaces and modern new spaces! We have floor to ceiling glass running across the entire back of the house- couldn’t connect any better to nature or be any lighter. It’s a real wow factor in the house.”
The owners of Rose Cottage, Leicestershire
Leicestershire, Extension & Renovation
The Spinneys, Leicestershire
The Brief
Our client had experienced challenges in transforming this (newly listed) Grade II Listed detached home near the National Forest in Leicestershire into their dream home. This rare example of Arts & Crafts Architecture in the rural English Midlands is well loved by local residents.
Our Solutions
As experts in working with heritage buildings we worked closely with a heritage specialist and Charnwood District Council Planning Department to design an exceptional piece of architecture worthy of sitting beside this existing building. When working with old buildings we often believe in complementing the original design rather than running the risk of creating a pastiche. Our solution was a contemporary crafted piece of architecture that satisfies the owners contemporary taste and celebrates the listed building.
Arts & Crafts Principles
The Arts & Crafts movement is known for quality materials and craftsmanship. Our design features some modern-day craftsmanship in respect to the exiting building. White handmade bricks add to the textural quality of the extension by introducing a contrast to the glazing, and a large bronze frame adds a warm depth to the existing house. Our design celebrates the uninterrupted lightweight, effortless glazing, draping internal spaces with picture-perfect views, framing the homes large, wooded garden.
Working Within a Conservation Area
We created a design that returns the existing building to its original design and proportions. We made sure we visually separated the extension from the existing building making it subservient and sensitive. This project presented significant challenges for us to achieving planning consent and our approach of working with the planning authority and within heritage best practices resulted in planning approval being granted.
West Bridgford Extension & Renovation
West Bridgford Extension & Renovation
The Brief
Our client wanted to create more space in their beautiful detached period home. They wanted to open up the back of the property, extending the ground floor and replanning the existing downstairs layout.
Our Solutions
A new large dining kitchen and family room was created as well as a practical and tidy utility room. The family living area not only benefits from floor to ceiling heritage aluminium windows, but also two large roof lights. The property benefited from a large loft which was ripe for conversion to a master bedroom suite with a contemporary twist.
An Eclectic Mix of Contemporary and Traditional
Materials
The new external elevation of this project is particularly striking. Black render on the new ground floor extension contrasts with gold zinc cladding for the new loft conversion. The design of this extension deliberately contrasts contemporary materials with the retained traditional period elevation on the street view.
Framing New Views
Large picture windows in both the new main bedrooms and en-suite make the most of the natural light and create new views over this popular suburb of Nottingham.
“We really wanted to do something different with our loft conversion. The house, although Edwardian from the front, was not as pretty from the back. We absolutely love looking at our brass coloured loft extension when the sky is blue and the sun glints on it, the colour is beautiful”
The owners of Florence Road, West Bridgford
Nottingham Contemporary Extension & Renovation
Nottingham Contemporary Extension & Renovation
The Brief
For this extension in Lady Bay, our clients wanted a contemporary cedar-clad addition that complemented their Victorian home while making a modern architectural statement. The result is a head-turning contemporary architectural building that talks to the Victorian building at the same time as being authentic to its time.
Our Approach
When planning a home extension, one of the biggest architectural decisions is whether to blend with the existing structure or create a striking contrast. At Swain Architecture, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach, every project starts with our clients’ vision.
Connecting Old & New
A good architectural intervention does more than add floor space. It has to work with the existing home, spatially, aesthetically, and practically. This project links a cedar-clad contemporary extension to a Victorian terrace. It facilitates natural light and privacy while preserving the period frontage that gives the street its character.
Layout
When you add a new building to an existing layout it’s really important to make sure the layout of the building works. This hallway blends the new and old perfectly at the same time as providing light and privacy – two things that don’t usually combine well.
Open-plan Living Built for Real Life
The heart of this new extension is a bright, open-plan kitchen and dining space. Floor-to-ceiling Crittall-style glazing floods the room with natural light, creating a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors.
With views of the garden from the dining table, kitchen, and breakfast bar, this layout is designed for modern family life.
Built for Modern Life
Attractive interiors and practical living aren’t mutually exclusive. We believe great storage is one ingredient to a well-designed home. This kitchen and utility space is planned to make daily life easier. With smart layouts and carefully chosen materials, every detail works together to make everyday living easier and more enjoyable.
Space to Retreat
Good design doesn’t stop at the ground floor. Upstairs, large windows are carefully positioned to frame residential views while maintaining privacy. In this space a pop of colour adds personality to the space. The result is a floor that feels bright and open throughout the year, without compromise.
Indoors Outdoors
Stepping outside, this extension has created the perfect outdoor living space. A new south-facing terrace flows seamlessly from the family kitchen, making it an ideal spot for al fresco dining and summer evenings. We design homes in the round. Indoor and outdoor space should work together, and this project is a clear example of how the two can reinforce each other.
A Great Result
We couldn’t be happier with how this project has come together. The combination of cedar cladding, red brick, and carefully placed glazing creates a layered, characterful extension that feels both modern and timeless. Most importantly, it’s now a beautiful, functional family home. Hopefully our clients are enjoying living in it.
Planning Your Own Renovation?
Swain Architecture has extensive experience working with planning authorities to ensure sensitive development within conservation areas. Whether you’re raring to knock down walls, or taking your first tentative steps towards a new space, we’d love to hear about your project. We transform spaces into something you can enjoy for years to come.
Get in touch to discuss your project.
Farmhouse Extension, Leicestershire
Farmhouse Extension, Leicestershire
Background
Nestled in the picturesque Leicestershire countryside, this period farm building needed a new lease of life. The Swain team created a package of interventions that honour this rural building’s rich heritage while seamlessly introducing modern touches to create a contemporary living space.
Our Solutions
The existing building is built from local ironstone and we wanted to ensure that the new entrance porch knitted effortlessly into the main façade. The extension not only enhances the aesthetic but also improves functionality, offering a modest boot-room and retaining more heat in the main entrance hall of the house.
Externally, all windows and doors have been replaced. We specified cool grey frames, introduced a sleek, modern contrast to the rustic ironstone. These upgrades not only elevate the building’s appearance but also greatly improve its thermal insulation.
The Heart of the Home
The heart of this home is its Shaker-style kitchen, where classic design meets contemporary family living. Heritage green cabinetry, an island unit and Aga come together to create a space that feels as welcoming as it is practical. Fitting in with the farmhouse’s historic character the new kitchen embraces modern comforts. The dining table, overlooks lush, green countryside, providing a connection with nature as a backdrop for family meals and gatherings. The large full-height windows flood the space with natural light, blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors.
Materials
We specified dark timber extensions at the rear of the property. The striking contrast between the warm, textured timber and the crisp white walls brings depth and character, while the light grey windows and classic red brickwork tie everything together in perfect harmony. This project was all about blending tradition with contemporary design to create a home that feels timeless yet modern.
Trent Lock Commercial Offices, Long Eaton
Trent Lock Commercial Offices, Long Eaton
The Brief
The brief for this project at Long Eaton Lock was to extend an existing office building in a cost effective way, to provide more lettable space and add value for our client. We added a new arrival area as well as an additional floor by creating a mezzanine level open plan space.
Considered Architects
At Swain Architecture we’re always considering usable space and how storage makes this commercial premises ready to use for any business.
Location, Location, Location
When contemplating a project you’ll sometimes hear an architect talk about ‘sense of place’. By this we mean how the building fits into its location; how does the buildings visual language tie in with the surrounding buildings and landscape. This office extension project at Trent Lock instantly makes you think of a slower pace of life and times gone by. The setting of this office project couldn’t be more tranquil and that has an inherent value to potential buyers and renters.
Holme Road, Lady Bay, Nottingham Extension
Holme Road, Lady Bay, Nottingham Extension
The Brief
Our clients owned a beautiful three storey detached property in the Lady Bay area of Nottingham. They wanted to create more space for their family while retaining the period character of the property.
Our Solutions
We opened up the house to the back of the property by extending the ground floor to take full advantage of the garden. We extended both the upper floors creating a palatial master suite with far reaching views toward the river. The additional floor space also allowed for a home office and evenly sized large bedrooms for the younger members of the household – aiding family harmony. The reconfiguration of the layout ensures plenty of storage (in ‘back of house’ areas) ensuring the functionality and flow to create the perfect family home.
The Heart of the Home
The kitchen in this West Bridgford home is part of the large family main living/dining area. The layout, with a kitchen island, allows views of the whole room and beyond to the bottom of the garden and even across the water to Colwick and north bank of the River Trent. Roof glazing bathes the work area in light. The owners taste and personality shine through and the fixtures and fittings breathe an air of quality.
TANK Nottingham Office Headquarters
TANK Nottingham Office Headquarters
The Brief
Our friends, the PR agency Tank wanted their new commercial office design to delight both their clients and team in equal measure. Tank’s owner Trevor, a heritage enthusiast, asked us to assist them in restoring this important Victorian building, whilst making it ‘work’ for their fast growing and dynamic business.
Our Solutions
The removal of the unattractive partitions on the first and second floors helped reinstate the original large, bright open-plan spaces in this historic period building. We created flexible studio spaces to allow for the flexible expansion of the company as well as the transformation of other rooms for use as small event spaces.
Mad Men Meets The House of Elliot
A Contemporary & Sensitive Restoration
On the ground floor we transformed the space, creating luxurious meeting spaces and even a multi-purpose reception bar for client events and team breakout space. The décor was carefully considered and reflects the building’s history. Even the toilets have had the glamorous treatment with old Victorian washstands transformed to create sink units, with a rich, deep heritage colour palette used throughout.
Interior Architecture
This has been a fascinating project for Swain Architecture and has allowed us to venture into the interior design. Working closely with our client who has a strong sense of style and passion for heritage buildings. We specified everything from décor and lighting to furnishings and materials.
Extension & Remodelling, Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire
Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire Extension
The Brief
Our clients wanted to extend and remodel their property in a popular village on the outskirts of Nottingham.
Our Solutions
Using local red brick in a contemporary way, we contrasted the new and old in a way that looks like it was built that way. Add in some of the owners’ green fingers and it’s a seamless extension.
Often, internal glazing doesn’t match the external glazing that you’ve spent so much time choosing and money paying for. With this cottage extension our client chose to match the glazing for internal divisions between new and old too. This not only unifies a home that has had an extension, but it also breathes light into a cottage that might otherwise struggle to feed enough light into the main living spaces. We love them.
The material chosen for a building is always one the key decisions, both in terms of aesthetics and quality of build/sustainability. I’m this Nottinghamshire village we used reclaimed red brick for that country cottage reference and then used it in a more contemporary way by designing a flat roof extension. The extension was able to feature insulation to modern standards and the deep return to the windows will provide great solar shade in summer to avoid heat gain through the glazing. These days we want our buildings to do quite a bit – in summer they need to remain cool and in winter keep all the heat in possible.
Ivy House Bottesford Leicestershire
Ivy House, Bottesford, Leicestershire
The Brief
Swain architecture designed this project to convert an unused two-storey outbuilding and link it via a new ground floor, single-storey family room to a detached Victorian home in a Conservation Area.
Background
The owners of this beautiful rural property felt they weren’t making the most of the interior space they had with their unused two storey outbuilding being located in between the main living space and the large garden.
Our Solutions
By adding a modest single storey link from the main house to the renovated two storey outbuilding we connected the house to the garden. The new link created a large kitchen-dining-lounge space with views across the picturesque garden.
Connecting to a Better Lifestyle
It is often thought that the more space in a home the better. At Swain Architecture we believe that well planned usable space is even more important. The benefit of employing a good architect, (like Swain Architecture!) is that the entire building is considered, even if the additional space is relatively modest. Connecting well-proportioned rooms in a way that suits a client’s lifestyle and needs.
New Accommodation
The single storey link building has created a private walled courtyard centred around an original antique water pump. The new family room has connected the house with the garden with sight lines through to the very bottom of the garden which overlooks this picturesque town within a Conservation Area. New rooms include a guest bedroom, home office and room to accommodate a growing family.
