The annexe was a forgotten end of a large property, believed to be of Georgian construction potentially earlier. It was uninhabitable due to being freezing cold and having multiple leaky steel oil tanks inside the building. Internally there was little of historical value, with gypsum plasters and a small steel spiral staircase. Externally, cement renders added to damp issues and the roof was built using asbestos fibre cement.

Our brief was to carry out refurbishment work to bring this forgotten space back into the home and create a staircase that was usable by all the family. We needed to get rid of the asbestos roof and replace cement renders and plasters with lime to complement the existing masonry structure.

The roof was re-slated with reclaimed Welsh slate and new cast iron gutters were installed to replace the old plastic. External walls were lime rendered and the internal walls were cork lime plastered to add some insulation. We milled the client’s timber on site, both for structural timber and joinery timber (flooring, staircase as well as roof trusses and beams). The roof was insulated with sheep’s wool and wood fibre.

The utility, larder and bathroom were designed with the client. The larder was an uninsulated space with Minton floor tiles and a custom made steel framed, slate topped food storage shelf with a unique wall vent to control temperatures. The downstairs floor used slate that was found in and around the property, some of which was believed to be from the local quarries once owned by the property. The utility has a quarry tiled floor, hand built maple kitchen units. Upstairs is a landing and office space and an en-suite bathroom for the adjacent children’s bedroom.

All new doors and windows were made using slimline glazing, installed with putty to match existing windows. The heating and electrical system was extended and renewed and the annexe was fully redecorated.