With extensions, you can add space to your house and at the same time, add interest to it as well. You can buy a place that suits your style and extend it into a big space. Historic houses have a character of their own and with proper planning; you can create extensions that will enhance the look of your periodic home. A lot of care and planning is involved with period extensions and designs due to a number of reasons. Older buildings have soft materials and different design and building methods. So, you need to consider a lot of factors before designing the ways to merge these two structures together without hampering the historic one.
Designs |
Dos and Don’ts of Extension of A House
- The most important thing that you have to consider before planning period extensions and designs is to ensure you have all the permissions for the same. You have to take consent for extending if you live in listed building or conservation area and also obey the building regulations.
- You have to hire right architects and surveyors when you are planning the extension of periodic homes. Make sure the people you hire have experience with working on older buildings and can help plan spaces as per your style and liking.
- You have to be sympathetic to the original design and style of the house while extending so that the value of the property increases.
- Never use materials that can damage the original building. If possible, try to source traditional materials to be used in the new extensions.
- Never overlook the maintenance of the house that will be done in the future. Make sure the older building’s parts are accessed in the right way even after the new portions have been added to it.
period extensions and designs |
Some Design Concepts That can be Followed
- One of the best ways for designing period extensions and designs is by giving a modern contrast to the historic style house. A vintage house can be made useful by adding more rooms that are contemporary in design. Like adding a big kitchen or living space in painted steel sheets and sliding doors to the garden is a modern look at the classic design of the house.
- Another great idea for designing the contrasting extension for the periodic home is to add a glass box. Get a wow factor to the house with a glazed extension of floor-to-ceiling glass or glass roof. Choose the right type of glass and make the design appropriate to fit the existing structure of the house.
- You can match the actual structure of the building and create the extension using stonework. It is possible to restore and renovate the old home and add big spaces with seamless stone extension.
- Add extension like a big spacious kitchen to the Victorian home with a copper roof. This minimal design with glass sliding doors to the backyard can look classy with the actual style of the building.
- If you have a traditional small cottage with small windows, you can add a sunroom or conservatory. This can add space and bring light into the area too. The Oak frame for the extension can be good to the original brick and thatched-roof home.
- Use materials that can be in harmony with the original house structure. Softwood windows and doors, Larchwood cladding, oak frame, bricks and handmade tiles, etc. must be used for the extension.
One thing that must be kept in mind while designing the extension is that the new construction cannot be built in the way the original building was made. Building regulations have to be followed and so the foundation has to be deeper than the older structure. So care must be taken to make sure there is a settlement in the junction of the two structures.