News

Contemporary Extensions

Are you looking to improve and extend your home rather than moving?

Many homeowners across Devon are adding contemporary extensions to their home, rather than spending out on moving fees.

Extending the home, can offer the additional space needed and create a more attractive light filled home.

Glazing commonly features quite heavily in contemporary extensions. With the aim for many being to fill the space with light, capture a view or create a seamless transition to the outside space. From kitchen extensions to garden rooms – a contemporary extension is both versatile and beautiful.

Replacing an out-dated conservatory with a contemporary extension

A conservatory originally sat on the back of this traditional property. The conservatory, was dated, with endless sight-lines, interrupting the view and wasn’t usable year round, being too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. The homeowners therefore decided to replace it with a a modern single storey glazed extension. Designed with large glazed lift and slide doors to the front of the room, which frame the views out over the estuary perfectly, with minimal sight lines, as well as allowing a seamless transition to the outside for the homeowners.

The three glazed walls and roof-lights above, help to create a light-filled room that can be used year round.

Bringing daylight into your extension from more than one direction adds multiple layers of light and shade, which will greatly enhance the quality of space. Plenty of light in the extension will also help feed natural light into you existing rooms, which may have had light taken away as a result of the extension.

Privacy is created in this extension through the use of integral blinds, which can be pulled down and closed when needed. Where a window is introduced to increase natural light, but has a view out onto a neighbour, the street, a side alley or directly onto a boundary, consider using obscured glazing, meaning you get the benefit of daylight, without people being able to look in or out.

The glazed gable end helps to create that modern feel. A striking addition to the house.

Single storey contemporary glazed extension

This large single storey extension has allowed the homeowners to extend their kitchen and living space.

The 10 pane bi-fold creates a seamless transition into the garden, allowing the family to extend the living space further, with no boundaries between inside and out.

The downstairs of the property has been reconfigured to make the new extension work, to create a seamless integration between the existing house and the new extension. The reconfiguration allowed for the optimum layout to make the most of access, views, natural light and privacy.

Contemporary extension allow you to make a statement, regardless if you are extending a modern or a traditional property.

As well as adding much needed extra space to your home, they will also add value.

Planning Permission

If your home is not in a conservation area or restricted by Listed Building consent, you may find your rear extension falls under Permitted Development.

This means that you can extend up to 8m from the original rear wall of your property on a detached home for a single storey extension, or up to 6m on a semi detached or terraced home without having to seek planning permission. In either case, your extension must not be higher than 4m. There are further restrictions if your project is to sit within 2m of a boundary, therefore we would always recommend seeking expert advise.

With a minefield of options and alternatives available, choosing the right windows and doors for your extension can seem confusing. We are happy to help you find the right glazing for your project. We have been consulting homeowners in Devon for nearly 40 years. We can help you work through your ideas, advise on any potential pitfalls and the options available to you.

Our Exeter showroom, allows you to see and experience the options you have. In a friendly, and professional environment. Letting you imagine the windows and doors in your own home. With a team of approachable, knowledgeable people on hand to help answer any questions you may have.

Therefore whether its bi-folding or sliding doors you are looking for, to open up your room to the outside. Pocket door or open corner configurations, to create spectacular architectural features. Frameless corner windows or pictures windows, to capture the perfect view. Or slimline contemporary lanterns or flat rooflights, to increase light from above and help to create a sense of space. Our non-threatening, non-salesy, personable team are on hand to help.

If you would like some help and advice on the right windows, doors and rooflights for your extension, call the team on 01392 444233 or visit our Exeter showroom.