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Period Farmhouse Renovation |
Norma Congreve and Mark Burley waited seven years for planning permission to double the size of their rural cottage overlooking a natural lake.
Gaining planning permission to double the size of the old cottage on a greenbelt site was to prove extremely difficult, however, and Norma and Mark were unprepared for the expensive procession of architects and planning consultants who worked on various elaborate designs with little success. They considered every option, including building underground on the sloping site (“that particular architect disappeared off the face of the planet never to be seen again,” laughs Norma). Years passed and, after several refusals and appeals, the couple employed an architectural technician whose common sense approach finally won the day.
 Replacing the old central heating system was a major concern, which was solved by a visit to friends who had installed electrical heating under a stone floor. Mark and Norma had chosen to lay Indian sandstone throughout the ground floor rooms, and were impressed by the uniform warmth of this option. It also solved the problem of marrying different floor levels, as the system is only a few millimetres deep and could be designed in conjunction with varying depths of insulation below screed for a level finish – seamlessly linking the old cottage to the new beam and block floors.
Not only have the heating bills been reduced by one third but, with no radiators to consider, it has been easier to create traditional interiors which have a strong Arts and Crafts influence. Organic pigmented paints cover the lime plaster, and the authentic looking wall panelling was actually made by Mark using painted MDF to match the dado rail and boarding which features in the new kitchen.
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Speedheat & Amtico.
The perfect combination.
Renovation and new build.
Great with stone, tiles or
wood.
Superb in conservatories.
Use them all year round.
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