Nappyvalley design & build guide 2016

NappyValleyNet DESIGN & BUILD GUIDE 2016 PLU

Sour S c Boo k of e supp top liers

DREAM HOMES in Nappy Valley

RENOVATIONS

how long, how much, how sensational!

30 PAGES OF STUNNING ROOM MAKEOVERS

GORGEOUS GARDENS

PAIN-FREE

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

THE ESSENTIAL INSPIRATIONAL GUIDE FOR YOUR HOME nappyvalleynet.com /homes

Make more of your space >

London’s Leading Design and Build Specialist A professional and dedicated building company turning people’s homes into beautiful spaces.

Keep your entire building project managed by one company with Simply Construction Group, the loft, extension and basement design and build specialist. We provide a comprehensive, all in one service and oversee every step of the process from design, planning and approval through to the actual construction of your project, which is covered by our ten year warranty.

From extra bedrooms, a new kitchen, bathroom or a playroom, Simply Construction Group can help turn your dream home into a reality.

www.simplyextend.co.uk info@simplyextend.co.uk

www.simplyloft.co.uk info@simplyloft.co.uk

www.simplybasement.co.uk info@simplybasement.co.uk

Get In Touch If you think the Simply Construction Group could help you transform your home into something truly special, then why not get in touch with us today?

Freephone:

0800 917 7571

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CONTENTS Last year over 330,000 of you visited NappyValleyNet and one section of our website received more visitors than any other: homes and gardens.

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The questions you asked were as varied as the subject is broad.

Can anyone recommend an architect?

How much does a basement conversion cost? Who are the best interior designers?

And many, many more.

We have created this guide to expand on these questions.

On the following pages you will find homes to inspire you, interviews with architects and designers to empower you and suggestions from finance professionals and contractors to make those dreams a reality.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the businesses and individuals who have contributed. Their expertise, advice and support have been invaluable.

Finally, thank you to Marsh and Parsons, Rampton Baseley and Hamptons International whom regular users will recognise as our long term property partners. Their insight and local knowledge shaped a great number of the following pages.

Hub Kitchens

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4 Introduction

We hope you find this inaugural Design & Build Guide a useful companion on your home ownership journey and, as ever, do please let us know how we might improve next year.

7 Trophy homes in Nappy Valley

Warmest Wishes

31 Finance: Money matters

14 Housing stock: Living in Nappy Valley 20 Selling your home: Max it out 24 Renovation: Countdown to success 32 Renovating: Planning 37 Room makeovers

Founder, The London Magazine Company

46 Local supplier: Simply Construction Group

Clara Bee

NappyValleyNet’s Design & Build Guide 2016 is published by the London Magazine Company.

Company number 9965295 Editor Gillian Upton Contributors Georgina Blaskey, Zoe Dare Hall Sub editors Antonia Swinson, Charlotte Peterson Listings Danique Hayden Design and artwork eighthouse.co.uk Sales and marketing Clare Sheta Publisher Susan Hanage While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the London Magazine Company cannot be held responsible for any errors or emissions.

Printed by Elanders Polska Sp Published by The London Magazine Company info@thelondonmagazinecompany.co.uk

58 How to create a child’s space

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61 Local supplier: Paint the Town Green 62 Floor plans 64 Selling your home: 15 top tips 67 The hot list 70 Gadgets 72 Local supplier: Kitchen Connections 73 Insider’s Guide to local shopping 77 Outdoor living 82 Sourcing: How to find the right supplier 83 Source Book & Resources

Domus

Cover photograph courtesy of Ensoul Interior Architecture

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INTRODUCTION

WELCOME TO THE CLUB

SEE OUR Source Book of top suppliers on page 83

Thanks to owners with big ambitions for their homes, Nappy Valley is a hotbed of cutting-edge properties. Words: Gillian Upton.

The correlation between home ownership and wealth is self evident.

What else could you invest in and enjoy such magnificent returns? Property prices in London have been rising steadily for the last decade and South-West London has been a particularly high area of price growth. Anyone who has bought a home in the capital over the last decade will now be sitting in a property worth three times what they paid for it.

And we do like to like to buy our homes.

Compared to some of our European neighbours, we really do have a predilection for home ownership. In a comparison of 18 EU countries by the OECD a few years back, Switzerland and Germany ranked lowest at 38.4% and 41% respectively, compared with 6th-placed UK at 70.7% of homes owned outright or with a mortgage. And south of the river is no different.

NAPPY VALLEY IS FULL OF YOUNG PROFESSIONALS AND YOUNG FAMILIES BUSY MAKING THEIR MARK ON THEIR NEW HOMES Nappy Valley is full of young professionals and young families busy making their mark on their new homes. Of all the projects undertaken by UK homeowners, it is living rooms and kitchens that get the most attention, as is testified by the rash of basements and side-return infills being built in the area to create large spaces for a new way of living.

Cooks no longer have to be cut off from the rest of the family in the living and entertainment areas of the house as these spaces are integrated into one multi-level area. There is even a new word in our lexicon to describe it: “broken-plan” living, as opposed to open-plan living.

Money may be “cheap” right now to fund these renovations but budgets need to be sensible to ensure that homeowners don’t

over invest in their house, particularly if a move to the country is envisaged in a few years’ time.

Nonetheless, money is worth spending on quality finishes, be it flooring, kitchen cabinetry or appliances. Transformations can be dramatic – as the following pages will illustrate. The popular maxim, an Englishman’s home is his castle, couldn’t be more apposite.

DID YOU KNOW? …that in London, 4.5% of the housing stock is detached, 15.1% semidetached and 32.3% is terraced; or that 38.7% are purposebuilt flats or maisonettes and 9.4% have been converted into flats or maisonettes? Source: Office for National Statistics …that nine out of ten owners hired a home-renovation professional in 2014: 66% sought help from an electrician; 59% called in a plumber; 34% went to a builder; and 23% consulted an architect or designer? * …that regardless of age, wanting to put your stamp on a newly purchased property was a big driver for all homeowners last year?

For those who renovated, 44% identified wanting to customise their new home as the primary reason for the works

…that there has been an increase of 540,000 households in the capital over the last ten years, but only 430,000 new homes built, according to London Councils? …that 42% of homeowners nationwide identified being unable to find the right service provider as the most common challenge to renovation, whereas staying on budget was the most common challenge for 32% of you* …that good reviews are the most important factor for homeowners looking to hire a professional?

86% of you based your selection on positive reviews, while 48% of you looked at previous experience with projects of a similar style and scope* * Source: The Houzz & Home Renovation Survey

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House in Crockerton Road (top left, top right & above), designed and built by Giles Pike Architects

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TROPHY HOMES IN NAPPY VALLEY

GRAND DESIGNS A perfect storm of money, housing stock and creativity can deliver incredible properties.

Here is the cream of the crop This is the trophy home other trophy homes secretly want to be. Cochrane Design created the high-spec interior of a grand detached Victorian villa on Clapham Common Westside with developers Shandon Property Investments. Originally 6,472 square feet, it was stripped back to the brickwork and extended to over 9,500 square feet over five floors, providing seven double bedrooms (four ensuite), four reception rooms, a two-bed annexe, cinema, gym, walk-in wine cellar and triple garage. Inside, twenty-first-century living blends with restored period features. Intricate cornicing overlooks driftwood parquet flooring. A handmade marble kitchen and French crystal chandeliers contrast with an audio distribution system via Bower & Wilkins speakers, a Lutron Homeworks Lighting Control System, Cat 5 and 6 cabling, a sixperson lift, zoned underfloor heating, electric gates and Lefroy & Brook sanitary ware.

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This detached Victorian house in Honeywell Road has been transformed with an open-plan 27-foot kitchen and family room featuring a stainlesssteel-topped island, overlooked by a mezzanine reception room and acres of glazing to flood light into the back of the house.

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Ensoul Interior Architecture is a relatively new company but is already making waves with dramatic projects. Director Viki Lander calls herself “a colour rebel” and fights against too much grey, which she believes depersonalises interiors. “You end up with these soulless properties which have no interest,” she says. “To get the wow factor and put soul into it you need to pay for interior design and then the space is considered, in terms of colour, the flow and how it’ll work for you. Furniture can make a bold statement and the decorative extras take it up another gear.” Seen here is asymmetric lighting in the shape of seven dimmable pendant lights, and Sonos speakers in the ceiling in a bathroom.

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Long-time South-West London architect Tom Pike at Giles Pike Associates says gone are the days when clients wanted to recreate a smart country home in the city, with traditional interiors and period features. “That type of client has disappeared and now corporate lawyers who work in smart offices, travel a lot and stay in luxury hotels want a more sophisticated solution. That frees your imagination.

Today’s client is much more turned on by modern design.” Just look at what the company has created at a home between the Commons…

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Previously a spice warehouse, and then Victoria Beckham’s design studio, this warehouse flat in Ransomes Dock in Battersea’s fast-expanding “creative district” around Parkgate Road has been given a designer overhaul by bespoke developers CLPD. The look is “industrial organic,” with polished concrete floors, distressed metal worktops in the Minacciolo kitchen and marble surfaces. In the vast living area, there’s contemporary wooden panelling and furniture from Vitra and Carl Hansen.

Architectural designer John Osborn built his own home, in Abbeville Road, and incorporated clever architectural tricks and smart solutions to maximise space. The five-bed house is spread over four floors and includes an electronic hatch in the kitchen floor which reveals a hidden staircase into the basement. Here, the sloping walls are covered with stepped and illuminated recycled scaffolding boards (pictured). Among other features are a secluded rooftop terrace which opens from the master bedroom, laundry chutes on every floor and photovoltaic panels that generate electricity so the house has green credentials, too. See page 24 for a potted, pictorial history of John’s house build.

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Granit Architecture is busy creating homes for a new way of living, explains Director Robert Wilson. “The phrase is ‘broken plan’ as opposed to ‘open plan’,” he says. “That’s the biggest shift. People want living rooms and kitchens interconnected with bookcases or glass or furniture so you don’t necessarily see all the areas in one go.” The company transformed a Victorian terraced house in Clapham’s Briarwood Road over a 14-month period and entirely reconfigured the layout. The cellar became a full basement for a cooking, eating and entertaining space and this has been galleried into the ground floor, which is a library and living space. There is a double-height lightwell at the back and a double-height Crittal wall to access a courtyard and terrace (see page 62 for the floorplans).

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HOUSING STOCK

OUR HOUSE, IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR STREET...

Is it an elegant Georgian or well-proportioned Thirties home you’re after? Houses across South-West London boroughs tend to be terraced Victorian but that doesn’t stop energetic homeowners turning them into something bigger and brighter.

Drive around Wandsworth and mostly all you will see are streets of terraced Victorian houses. Arguably, Lambeth has more variety of architectural styles, from beautifully proportioned Thirties homes and much larger semidetached Edwardian villas in the south of the borough to Fifties housing stock, grand and elegant Georgian homes and a smattering of contemporary builds.

Certain streets stand out for their substantial family homes – such as Routh, Loxley and Herondale around Wandsworth Common, Thurleigh Road (which snakes up behind Nightingale Lane), the Heaver

Estate edging Tooting Common, The Chase and Rodenhurst Road near Clapham Common. Not only are the houses here architectural gems, they also command high prices, in the £3.5 to £5 million bracket.

Elsewhere across Nappy Valley the average homeowner won’t get much change from £1.5 million for a family home. Soaring house prices in the capital have seen to that, coupled with a housing shortage not helped by developers “land banking” (sitting on land with planning permission) until land values rise.

Housing is dense whichever borough

you choose, with very little scope for new building. Developers do find the odd small infill site and squeeze in a modern dwelling

“BE SURE TO DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND GAIN REFERENCES WHEN CHOOSING A CONTRACTOR TO UNDERTAKE A PROJECT WHETHER SMALL OR LARGE” MULTIServe Construction & Refurbishment

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DID YOU KNOW… THAT THERE ARE A RECORD 110,000 HOMES IN LONDON WITH PLANNING CONSENT THAT HAVE NOT BEEN BUILT? THAT FIGURE IS UP 22% ON FIVE YEARS AGO Source: Local Government Association

but for the most part, the housing stock is period and there is very little purpose built. What lifts the entire area are the vast expanses of commons and parks that punctuate the tight grid of streets.

The standard three- and four-bed Victorian terraced houses in Nappy Valley are perfect starter family homes. A side return, loft conversion and basement follow later, once baby number one is on the way.

No street is complete without a builder’s hoarding advertising that one of those three building projects is underway.

Jonathan Dyson, Area Sales Director of Hamptons International, believes that those wanting to live south of the river fall into three main groups: people upgrading from a flat in Pimlico or Chelsea to a house; a similar number of predominantly French and Italian residents; and locals upgrading, who account for around 60% of purchasers.

“There’s never enough stock,” he says.

There is also a new phenomenon, cash-rich parents and grandparents buying one- and two-bed flats for their children. With the average deposit for a house being £78,000, it’s no wonder that purchasers often need a helping hand.

Of course, no-one would stay unless the area was pleasant to live in, and it is. Edged by the Thames at its northerly reaches, shopping parades, eclectic shops, a huge range of bars and restaurants, fantastic

A six-bed detached house on Ramsden Road with a beautifully illuminated façade

Bellevue Road is in the heart of Wandsworth Common.

Painting by James Scudamore. www.james-scudamore.com

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Nappy Valley illustration by Nigel Turner www.facebook.com/NigelTurnerDesign nigelart@hotmail.co.uk

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transport links and good schools make it ideal for singletons and families alike.

Impressive period homes are interspersed by large green spaces: Battersea Park, Clapham Common, Wandsworth Common and Tooting Common. “The quality of life in the area is good,” asserts Joel Baseley, a Director with Rampton Baseley. “People are buying their principal residence here.”

High demand and insufficient supply has led inevitably to price hikes, which spiked in spring 2014 when, Hamptons’ Jonathan Dyson recalls, 20 buyers would fight to buy every house that came on the market. That ratio of buyers to property has settled to

DID YOU KNOW… THAT ABBEVILLE VILLAGE IS ONE OF CLAPHAM’S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER ADDRESSES? ITS HANDSOME VICTORIAN TERRACES, ECLECTIC NEIGHBOURHOOD SHOPS, COMMON AND TUBE STATIONS MAKE AN APPEALING PACKAGE

WHAT WILL £1.5M BUY YOU? BALHAM: A five-bed period house in good condition, over 2,200 square feet and a medium-sized 35-foot garden CLAPHAM: A four-bed terraced house in the heart of the village, over 1,600 square feet, but not all modernised and a bigger, 40-foot garden.

EARLSFIELD: A four- or five-bed terraced house, over 2,100 square feet, unmodernised with a mediumsized garden near East Hill or 1,900 square feet with a larger garden in the Magdalen Estate.

NORTHCOTE: A four-bed terraced house, over 1,850 square feet, with a small 30-foot garden.

Source: Hamptons International

Battersea Power station will soon become a new place to live. Painting

by James Scudamore. www.james-scudamore.com

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Northcote Road is the core of Nappy Valley. Painting by James Scudamore. www.james-scudamore.com

DID YOU KNOW… THAT LONDON HOUSE PRICES HIT A NEW RECORD AVERAGE OF £525,000 OVER SUMMER 2015 DESPITE A FORECAST THAT HIGHER STAMP DUTY WOULD BRING THE MARKET GRINDING TO A HALT? THE AVERAGE NOW STANDS AT £537,000 10:1 today. The steam has also gone out of the overheated prices. These shot up by 21% across the borough of Wandsworth between January 2013 to April 2014, then dropped by 8% in the six months following.

Last year prices were static due to the uncertainty over the election.

Today, the market is bouncing back. Of the Northcote Road area alone Jonathan says, “This area is as solid and bankable as Chelsea; it’s as bulletproof as it gets.”

A lack of supply has also turned neighbouring areas into equally costly places to live. Who would have thought that Balham would become gentrified, be so sought after and command top prices? A house here bought a dozen years ago for under £500,000 is worth almost £1.5 million today. “We get a lot of City professionals in their early thirties and married couples with a young child,” says Laura Wilcox-Chandley, Associate Director of Marsh & Parsons in Balham. “Balham still offers more value than neighbouring areas such as Northcote Road.”

She also flags up the positive impact of Crossrail 2, which will augment an already robust transport system in Balham. “People are investing here for that very reason and it will put prices up,” predicts Laura. In

the short term, however, it won’t be much fun for those living opposite Wandsworth Common along Bolingbroke Grove (if that is the confirmed site of the vent shaft for the project). “It will be difficult to sell houses there with construction going on for five to ten years,” says Joel Baseley.

A similar dampener will be the Chancellor’s 3% tax on second properties coming into force on April 6th. Aimed squarely at stopping buy-to-let investors, it could have a significant impact on multiple ownership. The silver lining, Laura WilcoxChandley believes, is that the new tax will release much-needed stock onto the market.

If Balham is better value than Northcote Road, better value still are Streatham and Tooting and even Colliers Wood, although “Tooting prices are going up,” confirms Laura. A five-bed family home in Streatham in need of refurbishment might have a price tag of £1.1 million; further north in the borough such a house would easily set you back £1.5 million. Moreover, Balham’s premium price tag is almost halved further down the Northern Line in Colliers Wood.

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There are no such bargain prices for the bigger houses that make up what is known as Abbeville Village in Clapham. Most are four-bed Victorian houses on roads set further apart and often with larger gardens. “We’re not just prams here,” says Thomas Crabtree of Marsh & Parsons.

“The demographic is cosmopolitan, from international money to first-time buyers for flats in Victorian conversions,” he says.

His prediction is for homes in Clapham Park to rise next. “It’s an area to watch,” he says. “It’s between Abbeville Village and Brixton, is really central and relatively good value.”

The stamp-duty-hike in 2015 negatively affected the £2 million-plus housing market in the area and, Thomas comments, “More people are digging down into basements to extend what they’ve got rather than move.” This is something keenly felt right across Nappy Valley. One builder dryly noted that the Chancellor had given his industry a lifeline.

IN WITH THE NEW… ALTON ESTATE, ROEHAMPTON: redevelopment of this council estate is on the cards and a masterplan has been agreed.

BATTERSEA POWER STATION: Some 800 luxury apartments, plus offices, shops, gym, spa and theatre.

IPSUS 3: A new development on Balham High Road.

NINE ELMS: The Royal Mail building will be turned into 1,870 new homes.

RAM BREWERY: A three-phase scheme of over 650 apartments across a 7.7-acre site dubbed Ram Quarter. Includes a museum and shops.

ST JOHN’S WAY: The 500-unit Peabody project of one-, two- and three-bed apartments.

Handing over summer 2016. Over half of the units will be kept for Peabody.

SOUTH THAMES COLLEGE: The Seventies extension in Garratt Lane will be redeveloped.

SPRINGFIELD HOSPITAL: 839 units are being created alongside a public park. The golf club will close.

WINSTANLEY ESTATE: Some 2,000 homes will be built on the 32-acre site as part of a £1 billion regeneration scheme.

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SELLING YOUR HOME

MAX IT OUT What can you do to make your house stand apart from all the others with sale boards? Here’s our top 10 must-haves. Words: Gillian Upton.

3. A doubleheight basement The right kit: from Finite Solutions

There are basements, and there are basements. The next generation cleverly connect the basement with the side or back extension on the ground floor to form a double-height rear elevation.

1. A home cinema Increasingly, basements are including a home cinema but you’ll need the right kit to recreate that full-on experience. “Architects and designers need to work with specialists from a project’s conception for a super-tech-enabled space,” says Finite Solutions, which has created home cinemas costing up to £250,000.

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR SALE PRICE WORDS: ZOE DARE HALL Loft: potentially adds an average of £160,000 across London, according to James Gold, founder and CEO of Landmark Lofts.

Basement: adds 10-15% to your property’s value, says Nick Upsher of Upsher Harrison, “and buyers will love the fact that the hard work is already done.”

Bifold/sliding doors: they give a light, modern feel that buyers will pay over the odds for. Crittall-style doors are the next big thing…

Side return and extension into the garden: will add 15-20% to your home.

“Even just taking out a wall to create more room for a kitchen will increase your property’s value,” says designer Anna Sadej from Kitchen Connections.

5. A concealed kitchen Now you see it, now you don’t. Conceal your kitchen behind walls of beautiful wooden doors so that it’s integrated with the living space in an open-plan room. “It needs to look more slick and less like a kitchen, with handleless cabinets and integrated appliances,” says Sadia Afghan, Director of Lifestyle Design & Build.

2. A walk-in wine cellar A wine fridge under your kitchen island is one thing; connoisseurs need something more substantial. Basements are ideal places for the cool, dark space wines need. Giles Pike Architects included a walk-in, glassfronted, air-cooled wine cellar in a project between the commons recently.

Giles Pike designed this glass double-height rear elevation

4. Glazing Walk-in, glass-fronted, air-cooled wine cellar from Giles PIke

The arrival of frameless glass doors has been revolutionary. Where there were once brick walls there can now be expanses of glass, creating a seamless flow between house and garden. “Glazing adds a wow factor,” says Helen Wood from the Simply Construction Group.

Concealed kitchen from Hub Kitchens

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6. A smart home

Private roof terrace by John Osborn Design

Control all the technology in your home - lighting, heating, blinds, music, TVs, door entry and home cinema - by smart phone, iPad, Apple Watch or in-wall touch panels. “The ideal is to get a hard-wired infrastructure in place as a backbone, then the controls can be wireless,” says Dan Hart, Technical Manager at home-technology specialist Finite Solutions.

Hand-held home controls by Finite Solutions

7. A roof terrace A terrace off the master bedroom offers privacy and somewhere to sip those sundowners in summer. Construction is easy if the bedroom is in the loft; alternatively, copy architectural designer John Osborn’s own home and knock down the exterior walls of an adjacent bedroom to create a space open to the sky.

DID YOU KNOW… that the average household is predicted to contain up to 500 connected devices by 2022? Homes of the future will require central hubs to integrate technologies in a cohesive ecosystem.

9. Lighting This is a relatively inexpensive way to make a property stand out.

Inside, an LED-lit recess around your living room can change the mood from practical to party in an instant. Illuminating the façade will give an instant uplift and set the house apart. Companies such as Lutron have systems to control the light levels in a single room or throughout your home using a hand-held remote, wall-mounted keypad, iPad or iPhone.

Effective ceiling lights from John Osborn Design

A grand garden room in Wandsworth Common

8. A room in the garden If you’ve gone down, to the side and up, the only place left is your garden. An extra room can have multiple uses - teenage pad, office, extra bedroom, gym - and can cost as little as £6,000 for something off the shelf. Grander, bespoke spaces can set you back between £30,000 and £50,000. Regulations may apply depending on size and planned usage, so although planning permission is rarely needed, do check.

10. A dressing room Dressing rooms are highly desirable – remember how we drooled over Carrie’s in Sex in the City? They are easy to create in loft conversions under the eaves or by knocking down a wall between a main bedroom and box room.

Oyster Wharf 20 Lombard Road Battersea SW11 3RU

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RENOVATION

COUNTDOWN TO SUCCESS How to begin and manage a renovation programme is a moot point. There are many potential pitfalls, so read our foolproof guide to bringing the project in on time, on budget and exceeding expectations.

Words: Gillian Upton.

If you’re planning a major design and build project in your home, the one thing you cannot afford to do is waste time. In an ideal world, planning permission is approved first time round so your builders can get cracking, the bifold doors arrive just when the opening is finished, and the Italian porcelain flooring arrives just when the screed is dry.

Of course, we all know that deliveries are often delayed, Eastern European bifold doors and German kitchens take an age to arrive in the UK, wrong items turn up and have to be returned, planning permission is declined, then you change your mind and the builder and architect fall out over the variation of works.

A home design and build project can be as stressful as moving house, but there are a few golden rules that can be followed to smooth the way. First of all, understand the process.

STEP 1: Preparation and Brief This is the most important part of the project and where an architect adds value.

He or she will survey the site to assess the feasibility of the project and decide the best way forward, and will identify the need for any approvals and other consultants, most commonly a structural engineer.

STEP 2: Concept Design The architect will develop outline proposals and present a number of initial concepts for you to choose from, liaising with local planners as a matter of urgency. A final design brief will be developed.

STEP 3: Developed Design The final design brief will be turned into something that can be built and the design proposals submitted for planning approval, if required.

STEP 4: Technical Design Technical drawings will be prepared, with detailed specifications and a schedule of works so you can approach builders to quote for the job. Get at least three quotes from established firms, and try not to go for the cheapest. The architect can appraise the tenders, appoint the chosen firm and then manage the building contract on your behalf. Alternatively, you can turn the project over to the builder at this stage.

STEP 5: Construction The architect or builder can manage the construction phase to ensure it is developed on time and on budget.

MORE HASTE, LESS SPEED “The more preparation and planning that can be done before the project starts, the more smoothly the project goes,” advises Will Gardener, MD of Battersea Builders.

“It’s important not to rush the job as otherwise you may get off on the wrong foot and can struggle to get back on track.

“Both client and builder want smoothrunning projects so we can be out of the house as soon as possible.”

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STEP 6: Handover and Close Out The architect will carry out a snagging inspection and once those have been done, he or she will give you the final certifications (issued by Building Control), and formally hand over the building to you.

Do you need an architect? Definitely for the drawings and for planning approval. “We can often improve on the client brief but they usually know what they want,” says architectural designer Mike Scudamore. He is content to do the drawings and walk away, leaving a project manager to supervise the works, but can return to problem solve.

Size and complexity of project will dictate whether you need one. Arguably, a simple extension, side return or loft project doesn’t require their services full time, and it will avoid added cost too.

“Architects add value, whether it comes from maximizing impact or functionality, bringing about change of use, increasing capacity or marketability,” says RIBA. Architects begin to offer a full service for projects over £30,000. Their fees are a percentage of the renovation cost, normally in the region of 10-15%, less if there is no supervision.

One Wandsworth resident living on the Tooting Common/Streatham borders shared his experience of a major renovation costing £100,000 to his five- bedroom house. He relied on architects’ drawings and calculations, then used his builder to project manage. He does concede, however, “An architect/project manager would have made my life easier if there was more of a step-by-step guide.

“Cost is one of the main factors, as

once architects and project managers are appointed, costs do ratchet up quite considerably. If I were attempting some ‘Grand Design’ then I would definitely use an architect through the whole project.”

They gutted the ground floor, added a side return, changed the garage into an office, extended the back and loft (with two new dormers) and added 600 square feet.

Unfortunately it fell foul of the planning authorities. “As a result [our builder] was held up with men on site and ended up doing things in slightly reverse order. Nonetheless, the builder brought the project in on time, after four months.

“We were lucky [the builder] was so relaxed and willing to be flexible, I guess. Once Lambeth produced the paperwork it was full steam ahead, but only after some stressful moments.” (For guidance on smoothing the planning process, go to our feature on page 32).

Rob Wood, Director with Simply Construction, says, “Builders can pay a project manager to coordinate all the tradesmen and liaise with the client, so I don’t know what an architect would be paid for. A good builder can manage their team themselves.”

Moreover, builders and architects can rub each other up the wrong way. Mike Scudamore concedes, “Builders can come up with better ideas on site. Don’t forget we just sit at a drawing board in a clean, dry office but builders work in the thick of it.”

This is an opinion echoed by James Gold, CEO of Landmark. “If you ask a separate architectural firm to design your loft, for example, they may draw up plans that appear fantastic. However, the cost to build it may be outside the client’s budget. Our in-house

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT EXPERTS “Get a good pre-build team together,“ advises Rory Gordon, MD, Good London Builders. “This doesn’t need to be an architect; sometimes they overcharge, especially for the planning phase. If it is a relatively simple project say, a side return or loft conversion, where there is a limited amount of creative scope, I would advise working with a planning consultant and building surveyor. This will reduce pre-build costs by about 50%.

Work with the surveyor’s recommended structural engineer.

“We now have to put together Health and Safety (HSE) proposals within the tender package and as part of the build process. This has come into effect in 2015. Work with your project management company to advise on this as it can trip you up before you start work and during the build.

“Make sure the contract is just, the payment schedule is sensible and fair to both sides and make sure the timing schedule is realistic. It is hard to know, but take advice from anywhere you can usually your project manager is the best point of reference!”

architects provide solutions that fit a client’s personal budget.”

Builder Tele Kyriacou of Telemark Construction can see both sides. “Those [architects] that do their job properly are fantastic, with the right detailed drawings 10

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1. The vacant plot on Abbeville Rd that became architectural designer John Osborn’s 5-bed, 4-floor home. 2. A specialist contractor starts work on the basement structure 3. The soil is dug out. 4. Steel mesh reinforcing for the concrete lining. 5. Work starts on the first part of the build. 6. Structural walls built to divide gym, bedroom and stairwell. External walls have been brought to ground-floor height.

7. Ground-floor joists are in and the walls have started to go up. 8. First steels are in to form the opening for the ground-floor folding door.

9. First-floor joists are in. 10. Scaffolding goes up another “lift” ready to build the 2nd floor.

11. Roof structure is going up.

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and the right spec.” But he warns that when their work is less than comprehensive, it can lead to a breakdown in the project between the client, builder and architect.

He cites inaccurate initial surveys, not acknowledging variations which should be incorporated into drawings with new costings, and younger architects with insufficient technical knowledge of building products.

Clients aren’t blame free either, because they change their minds once the project has begun.

It’s usually where arguments begin between client and builder/architect, as the client often won’t accept the resulting additional costs and delay. “We allocate manpower to each stage of the job so if the plan changes, so will everything else. The architect should head them off at the pass and explain that there is a serious cost implication to any change,” says Tele of Telemark Construction.

Dermot Steedman, owner of Dermarta Construction says variations occur in 50% of jobs. He advises “to be clear and upfront at the start” and stick to it.

Be sure to get an itemised costing so if you are going over budget, you can see immediately what can be saved and where.

Ensure the contract with your builder is watertight, stipulating level of deposit,

phased payments, a retention for snagging and penalties for delays.

Lastly, be realistic about timescales.

“Everyone wants their project done quickly,” says Rob at Simply. Allow four months from appointing an architect to starting on site.

See below for our more detailed guide to costings and timings.

NB. Turn to page 82 for our feature on how to find the right supplier, and to page 83 for our exhaustive guide to suppliers across the Nappy Valley area.

WHERE THE TIME AND MONEY GOES HALF BASEMENT Digging under front bay window to create space for a playroom/living room, bedroom/ shower room and utility room.

Average time taken: Allow 15 weeks for the structural dig, then a further 12-15 weeks for fit-out and finish. Total = 27-30 weeks.

Average cost: Anywhere between £130,000 £200,000 + VAT

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FULL BASEMENT Media room/playroom, wine cellar, utility room, bedroom & bathroom.

Average time taken: Allow 32-40 weeks, depending on size and spec.

Average cost: £250-£400,000 + VAT NB. Allow 3 months between signing a contract with a builder and getting planning permission, so plan on a year to build and finish a basement.

KITCHEN EXTENSION Average time taken: Allow 10-12 weeks (plus or minus 2 weeks) to construct and decorate.

Average cost: Anywhere between £35,000 £55,000 + VAT Plus cost of fit-out

LOFT WITH REAR DORMER Average time taken: Allow 8 weeks (plus or minus 2 weeks) to get to a plaster finish, snag and decorate.

Average cost: From £32,000 upwards + VAT Source: Simply Construction

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JARGON BUSTER Unpacking the terminology that goes hand in hand with a build is your first step to a smoothrunning project

Architect: The most senior of the project team, the architect will provide the blueprint and framework for the project.

This includes listening to your brief, surveying your home, creating initial drawings showing existing and proposed works, employing all necessary trades (from structural engineers and surveyors to interior designers) and overseeing the build to satisfactory completion. They charge a fee based on a percentage of the cost of the works Building Completion Certificate: Given by Building Control on completion of the work and after sight of damp proofing, gas, electricity and any other relevant certification Building Regulation Drawings: Detailed architectural drawings, specifications and calculations to show that the construction will comply with UK building regulations CAD: Computer Aided Design, or CAD, is used for existing elevations, plans and 3D models CDM: Construction Design Management, or CDM, is a regulation concerning the health and safety for the project site, to be adhered to by the builder and administered by the architect or designated officer Conservation Area: Designated by the council as areas of special architectural or historic interest. Wandsworth has 45. Check whether you are in one via their website. If you are, it will impact on what extensions you can do without planning permission, and also what permissions you are likely to be granted. www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/200130/ conservation_areas/228/conservation_ areas Contract Administrator/Project Manager: The working title of an

architect managing both the project and the client/builder relationship CIL: Community Infrastructure Levy, or CIL, is a fee charged on developments by local authorities and the Mayor of London to fund infrastructure in the local area. It’s payable on all work which is granted full planning permission by the council that involve an increase in net floor space of over 100m2, or that create new residential units Lawful Development Certificate: You may wish to apply for this if you are considering works that are permitted development, both for peace of mind and to avoid any issues if and when you decide to sell. This is not the same as planning permission but is proof that your household building work is lawful Listed Buildings: Buildings of special architectural or historic interest, listed by the government. Wandsworth has around 500. Listed Building Consent is required to carry out works of alteration or demolition on listed buildings, both externally and internally Party Wall Agreements: If you live in a semi-detached or terraced house and share a wall/s with next door, you may need one of these. This area can delay builds and cause conflict, particularly if a neighbour is against the development. It is a civil matter and a surveyor can help settle disputes. Wandsworth Council’s website has some useful advice and documents in the planning section, and RICS has a consumer guide. www.rics. org/uk/knowledge/consumer-guides/ party-walls-guide Permitted Development: These are extensions and alterations undertaken without permission and can include rear and roof extensions and even some basements. However, it is advisable to get confirmation that planning permission is not required, and not to start work until you have done so. There is a formal process called a Lawful Development Certificate (see above), which is an application to the council.

Permitted development does not apply to flats (including converted houses) and is restricted for listed buildings and those in conservation areas Planning Appeal: You have a right to appeal if an application you have submitted is refused, if a decision isn’t made within a set period (usually eight weeks) or the permission has been

granted with conditions that you find unacceptable. The Planning Appeal is made to the Planning Inspectorate.

Talk to your local planning authority before appealing, as there may be an opportunity for a revised scheme that overcomes the reasons for refusal. There are no third-party rights of appeal for an objector once a planning application has been granted. For more information visit www.gov.uk/appeal-planning-decision/ how-to-appeal Planning Application Drawings: Drawn up by the architect for planning approval to illustrate the outline brief Planning permission: Wandsworth Council’s planning portal contains advice on what does and doesn’t need planning permission. It includes an interactive house to help clarify the general guidelines of permitted development. www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission Professional Indemnity Insurance: Covers the architect and builder for compensation claims arising from mistakes or negligence on the project, including the cost of legal advice Programme of Works: A chart for all parties to work from showing the jobs to be undertaken and the timeline of the project Structural Engineer: Specialists who create drawings, specifications, calculations (to cost the project), review the work of other engineers, write reports and evaluations and observe construction sites Surveyor: Building surveyors work mostly on site to monitor the performance of structures, find ways to improve them and/or correct flaws in their design. A quantity surveyor manages all costs relating to building projects, from initial calculations to final figures Tender Package: Submitted to chosen builders who are pricing the project Variations: Changes to the project by the client or the architect during the course of the works, after drawings and costings have been approved Working drawings: Used on site to construct the house or renovation project, to include a Schedule of Works.

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BESPOKE PROMOTION

WINDOW ON THE WORLD According to Robert Ditcham, founder of Ayrton Bespoke, the fact that “London is full of beautiful but sadly deteriorating windows and doors,” was what inspired him to change his building business a decade ago into one that manufactures and fits period timber windows and doors.

Walk along most streets in the capital and all you’ll see are single-glazed windows way past their best. “I realised that there was a real market there,” he says.

Inside the neat showroom on the borders of Southfields – soon to be joined by the company’s first foray north of the river, in Crouch End – are the pristine showpieces of Robert’s trade. There are a dozen beautifully turned horns in all shapes and sizes to add interest to a new sash window; eight different architraves; any number of door handles in different finishes – polished or satin chrome, brass or antiqued? – and shapes. How about monkey tail?

Then there are the multi-point locking systems; fitch fasteners; glass options; different paint treatments for the wood; a vast array of colour choices; and stateof-the-art home security features that will disable locks to enable a delivery or alert you to an open window. The place is a veritable cornucopia of choice.

Robert is keen that homeowners visit the showroom to source every single last item relating to their door or window purchase.

“The reality is that you don’t often buy windows so I encourage people to visit the showroom and look at all the constituent parts. The number of variables is amazing.

“I recommend active involvement in any big refurb. Your architect will have a broad overview but if you want to get the best out of the refurbishment, come and talk to the experts.”

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“WINDOWS KEEP WEATHER AND UNDESIRABLES OUT SO THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT THE QUALITY AND STURDINESS OF THE PRODUCT YOU’RE BUYING”

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A visit will mean that you can decide on the glazing spec, the ironmongery choice and even the sash stops spacing, and be able to play with the elegant multifold sliding doors.

Replacing windows is not an inexpensive exercise. Ayrton Bespoke’s average order value is £8,000 and if you’re looking to replace the front windows of a house, say a bay window and two other windows, the bill is more likely to be in the region of £10,000 to £12,000. A front door could cost around £3,500 plus VAT depending on size and can soar to £10,000.

“It’s simply not worth buying the cheapest windows,” he says. “As they say in Yorkshire, ‘When you pay too little you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.’ Windows keep weather and undesirables out so think carefully about the quality and sturdiness of the product you’re buying,” he advises.

“We’re up against builders who might have a supplier under a railway arch who will knock up some windows for them,” he says.

“Builders build, they don’t make windows, so save yourself a lot of money by sourcing your windows and doors yourself. There are a lot of cowboys out there.”

“Manufacturing in Eastern Europe and in more affordable pine means that we are able to produce something built to last at a competitive price,” he says. Ayrton Bespoke products are guaranteed for up to 30 years.

Trucks drive their delicate load to London over a two-day period. Cocooned in multiple layers of bubble wrap, the windows and doors are ready painted and fully finished, ready to be fitted in a Nappy Valley home.

The wood will have been spray painted for a perfectly smooth finish or hand painted for an “artisan” look showing the brushstrokes.

Fitting is the last piece of the jigsaw.

Ayrton uses its own skilled fitters, who are used to minimising disruption when working in customers’ homes.

Ayrton Bespoke’s craftsmen can replicate any period window or door. They can encase fragile stained glass into a double-glazed unit, copy a pretty tulip motif in coloured glass, create a Thirties double-glazed leaded light or replicate a casement bay in an Edwardian home.

Ayrton Bespoke claims to solve most challenges thrown at it, ensuring a perfect fit, a quality item and a quieter home.

You can say goodbye to noisy planes and condensation in one fell swoop. Robert

Robert recalls having to replace windows that were only three years old, and French doors warped out of shape and leaking.

Ayrton Bespoke is proud of the company’s wood-sourcing strategy, which is to purchase pine from the cold climate and sustainable forests of Latvia and then manufacture in Lithuania by skilled craftsmen in its factory.

The average turnaround time is 10 to 12 weeks. “Something that’s good takes a while to make,” he quips.

He explains that the Victorians built with pine. “95% of UK windows are made with laminated soft wood glued together, plus a hardwood sill as that’s where damp can lurk.

can’t resist adding: “Most criminals will walk past double-glazed windows so that’s a big step forwards.”

Shatter-proof glass is a popular choice for the outer pane of a double-glazed unit, as well as sash bolts, lockable fitch fasteners that will lock sash windows together and myriad other anti-burglar devices. ”Everything we sell has a security angle to it,” says Robert. Ayrton Bespoke windows and doors may hark back to traditional styles but the company is bang up to date when it comes to security. www.ayrtonbespoke.com | T: 020 8877 8920

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FINANCE

MONEY MATTERS Arranging finance for your renovation or build can be an intrusive and lengthy process if you’re to pass the ‘affordability’ test. Words: Gillian Upton.

Planning an extension to your home is one thing but securing the funding for it is another. The hoops you have to jump through can be as stressful as waiting for planning permission and the more you want to borrow, the larger the hoops.

Arguably, that’s how it should be and had the checks been that rigorous back in 2008, the financial meltdown might not have been as dramatic as it was. But that’s another story… It does mean that today, lenders are not keen to lend for home improvements, so the options are to remortgage or take out an additional mortgage. It all depends on the amount you need to raise.

If it’s a small kitchen extension or loft

LET YOUR PENSION TAKE THE STRAIN In the last budget George Osborn effectively unlocked the UK’s pension pots: hit 55 and you can take as much or as little out of your fund, even if you’re still working, tax considerations aside. A recent Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association study found that home improvements were the top spending choice for those accessing their funds, ahead of holidays and cars, but the decision to deplete today what could be tomorrow’s invaluable pension capital should not to be taken lightly. Ask your adviser how to fund that triple-height basement within the context of your whole wealth planning.

conversion you’re funding, a personal loan is the most competitive and you can look at the major high street providers such as Metro Bank and Tesco, which will ask for three, four or five times your income to calculate how much they will lend, and check your credit worthiness. “An unsecured loan is the most cost-effective route,” says Jenny Tozer, Partner and Investment Manager at wealth-management company Vestra Wealth. “The APR [annual percentage rate] will be reasonable if the loan is up to around £30,000,” she says.

But if you need £200,000 or £500,000 to dig out a basement, you’re looking at secured lending against the property.

And be warned that the provisions for an additional mortgage are much more rigorous. Five or six times your salary is the standard ratio applied but be prepared to bare all to show disposable income, in the form of a detailed monthly budget of expenses and outgoings. “They’re trying to find out how much fat you have in the system,” explains Tozer. “The new buzzword is the borrower’s ‘affordability’.”

Loan to value ratio (LTV) is another criteria used, which checks the ratio of a loan to the value of the house. The higher the LTV ratio, the riskier the loan is for a lender. For example, if you have a £120,000 mortgage left on a house worth £1.2 million, the risk would be minimal to a lender as you own 90% equity in the property and your LTV is 10%. You’ll be penalised on the rate if your LTV is above 70-75%. “It comes back to affordability,” says Tozer.

Moreover, while a personal loan is fully distributed, a retention can be made on a remortgage until the work is completed so you might not receive all the money up

front. First-time buyers will find this process challenging to say the least, particularly if they have no credit history, which is why parents and grandparents are stepping in to provide a permanent roof over their heads.

Tozer’s advice is to ensure that bills for items and services such as phones and utilities are in first-time buyers’ names so that a credit history, upon which a loan may be granted, can be established.

Overall, Tozer advises caution on any borrowing. “If you have secure employment it’s a good time to renovate and invest in your property,” she says. “But it’s not prudent to borrow to consume. The houseprice hike cannot continue at the same rate and South-West London has been an area of particularly high price growth. Caution is the message.”

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RENOVATING: PLANNING

BEST-LAID PLANS Waiting for planning permission can cost time and money but knowing what your local borough will permit and testing the water will expedite the process. Read on for our essential guide to hassle-free planning. Words: Gillian Upton.

If your project needs planning permission it need not be a nightmare process. It’s something that needs to be applied for as soon as you have agreed drawings and your architect will liaise with the appropriate planning office and submit plans. Experience will tell them what is likely to get passed.

Trying to get a basement passed near the Thames or Wandle rivers, for example, will be impossible, so too a double-height basement anywhere in the borough of Wandsworth.

Mega basements may be de rigueur in Notting Hill but not on this side of the river.

The borough can only recall one multi-level basement, in Roedean Crescent in the far west of the area. Houses in Wandsworth Common and Balham are busy digging down for single-level basements to extract the last remaining area of unused space. Reflecting the increased popularity of basements in the area, Wandsworth updated its guide on them last year, but has stayed firm on only allowing single-level basements for the time being. However, Nick Calder, Head of Development Permissions, Wandsworth Council, says: “We will get that pressure from residents in the long term.” So never say never.

PARTY GUIDELINES Avoid a £10,000 party wall bill by taking care of your neighbour and their garden, advises Kevin Kew, Director of Simply Extensions. “If your neighbour decides to get their own surveyor in then your start date will go out the window,” he warns. “Neighbours can be awkward so just knock on the door and nurture a good relationship with them.”

Both Wandsworth and Lambeth have departments of 30-plus planning officers dealing with applications, which usually take eight weeks to be processed and approved.

Typically, each officer has a caseload of 6070 at any one time. Householder applications cost £172, a figure set by government.

Mascot-built basement; doors from Cedar Bifold

Some 90% of applications are approved first time by the planning officers but, nonetheless, their job would be made easier if all applications were completed correctly first time round.

The best advice is to check the guidance in the Supplementary Planning Document on the Lambeth and Wandsworth websites.

“The worst problem is invalid applications because the drawings are not complete,” says Nick Calder. “They miss out the side extensions, or don’t fill in the CIL form [Community Infrastructure Levy, see definition on page 27]. 30% of applications are invalid and have to be thrown back at the applicants. Residents blame the council but it’s not our fault, it’s the fault of the person they employ to do it.”

Tracking an application is easy online and

any invalid application will show as such on the website within days of applying. What’s permitted within each borough is listed on the borough websites (see addresses on our Resources listing, page 98), and rejections are usually due to the height of the boundary wall, too big a basement or the front lightwell being too large.

If your architect is in any doubt about what’s permissable, Wandsworth offers a free, 20-minute pre-application advice appointment with a Duty Planning Officer.

A more formal hour-long meeting can follow, costing £135 (more if the building is listed).

Both can be booked online. “Not enough people do it,” says Nick. “If you think how much basements cost, the price of a meeting is a tiny percentage of that.” In-between is

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Hub Kitchens

“Create a relationship. It’s a good way to get to know them, in case there are problems during the build.” Sadly, this does not often happen and planning officers spend half their time undertaking conflict resolution.

One other contentious area is building control, which confirms satisfactory completion of all work. Residents can use the council’s facility or an independent provider. The council promotes theirs as upholding higher standards rather than an unknown third party that your builder has sub-contracted. “If a building falls down it tends not to have been approved by the council,” cautions Nick.

Sheree Bennett flags up the fact that the council’s building control section is part of the planning department, is located in the same building and that officers can easily talk to each other for seamless communication on a particular project.

However, Rory Gordon, Managing Director of Good London Builders, takes a different view: “It costs a little more than the council route, but the private guys will come to you within a matter of hours to sign something off, as opposed to weeks with the council - this can dramatically affect your build process and costs.”

Forewarned is forearmed and projects will go more smoothly when you have a good grasp of all the facts.

Did you know... that Southwark, Croydon and Lambeth outpace the rest of London when it comes to granting planning permission for new homes? Source: London New Homes Monitor from Stirling Ackroyd a service online offering written advice for £70, but Nick says that he’d always advocate a face-to-face meeting. “For a major development, you need it,” he says.

Sheree Bennett, a senior planner at Lambeth, which also offers a pre-planning service, says, “It gives absolute certainty,” yet only 11% of applicants used it in her borough last year.

If an application is refused, Wandsworth offers the pre-application meeting afterwards, at half price. Appeals are dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol.

It can take up to three months and generally it’s not worth appealing as the planners have rejected the application in the knowledge that there is no reason for appeal, so don’t waste your time and money. Revise the plan!

“Come back and say, ‘What can we do and how can we overcome it?’” suggests Nick.

If a Party Wall Agreement is needed, which is a civil affair, Nick advises taking a bottle of wine and going to talk to the neighbours.

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ROOM MAKEOVERS

Planning a house overhaul is exciting, but with so many options, styles and resources in play, it’s often daunting knowing where to start. Words: Georgina Blaskey.

CHANGING ROOMS When choosing what you want to do with a space, the first step is to have a shopping list of your requirements. Do you want a walk-in shower or a bath? Should the kitchen have an island? Is underfloor heating essential? Once you know your must-haves, then you can move forwards.

That list will determine how much you spend. When it comes to renovations, budgets and time are the biggest factors.

Consider how the makeover will sit with the rest of the house. Do you want a dramatically stark contrast to the original style or a smooth transition to a space that feels like it’s always been there? Thoroughly research your architect and designer to ensure your taste and ambitions are well matched. Then buy a heap of interior magazines, gather word-of-mouth recommendations and you’re ready to start changing rooms, without a hint of Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.

Floor and wall tiles from Domus

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PROJECT:

SIDE RETURN 1

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Open up a poky kitchen by knocking through into the side passageway and you will transform your groundfloor space. Whether you put your kitchen or dining table in there, there’s no right answer - every conceivable layout has been tried and tested - but consider what works for your family. Do you want roof lights over a table or a sink, an extractor fan over an island unit or all cooking areas against a wall? This is where Pinterest really comes into its own. Start a mood board, think about your family’s daily routine and build from there.

A side return and kitchen will take three to four months and cost anywhere between £35,000-£55,000, plus your kitchen of choice. The price is influenced by variable elements such as bifold doors and underfloor heating, so you can compromise where you need to and still do the work.

1. Elevated horizontal windows bring another light source into this wellplanned side return and kitchen from Eclectic Interiors. 2. With a kitchen spanning the width of the house, this Eclectic Interiors design feels spacious whilst freeing up room elsewhere for relaxing. 3. By putting the sink in the central unit, Simply Extend has ensured whoever is in the kitchen can still interact with their guests. 4. The Good London Builders has made the most of the roof lights here to flood the dining area with natural sunlight.

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AT H O M E W I T H Q U A L I T Y

KITCHEN & DINING LAUNDRY & UTILITY HOUSEHOLD ELECTRICALS G I F T WA R E

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PROJECT:

KITCHEN The industrial trend is not going away, with exposed brick walls, stainless-steel worktops and pendant lights (even better if the filament bulb is a feature) still popular. Bold colour and under-shelf lighting were made for this room, so be brave. Also trending for 2016 is modern Shaker style and minimal matt-white cabinetry.

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1. The bright blue pendant lights and Smeg fridge pop in this neutral, modern Shaker style from Ian Dunn. 2. Zesty green accents contrast with clever shelf lighting from Good London Builders. 3. Stylish, minimalist matt-grey cupboards complement Kitchen Connection’s concrete island worktop. 4. Lifestyle Design & Build have mastered the industrial/modern combination with this kitchen, incorporating exposed brickwork and clean, white cupboards. 5. Extending your island to the full length of the room by adding a dining counter on the end saves space elsewhere, as cleverly designed by Eclectic Interiors.

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PROJECT:

1. Because Landmark have aligned the table across the doors which fully open, there is no need for a garden table. 2. An unusual fireplace or free standing stove, such as this one from Places & Spaces, creates a cosy space in a large area. 3. Classic French windows by Ayrton add a stylish, clean look for this kitchen-cum-family space.

4. Upsher Harrison completely removed the internal walls in the ground floor of this house to create free-flowing space.

OPEN-PLAN LIVING 4

Side returns and the space that flows isn’t just for kitchens and dining tables. Now the laid-back family room is moving in too. Replace a garden door and small window with expansive glass doors, be it bifold, Critall or sliding, and you’ll open up your house to the outdoor room beyond. Even heat sources and media hubs can create focal points.

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Take a wider view...

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ROOM MAKEOVERS

PROJECT:

BASEMENTS 1. A basement extension is by its nature a blank canvas, lending itself to modern furniture, clean lines and interesting lighting. Leave period decoration to other parts of your home and embrace the freedom to do something cool and contemporary, as in this stylish room from The Oxford & London Building Company.

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Digging down is the only way to add square metres to your home once a loft and kitchen extension have been done. Remember that adding a basement takes the longest time of all renovations - up to a year - and costs anything between £180,000 to a staggering £400,000.

Important considerations are your light source - you’d be amazed how bright and airy a well-designed basement can be - and ceiling height (2.4m is standard so don’t go lower).

The biggest issue will be the budget because this is an excavation project which requires specialists (if you don’t want your house to collapse!), so don’t cut corners.

FOR LONDON’S BEST BUILD TEAMS AND EXCEPTIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT 0207 978 5097 INFO@GOODLONDONBUILDERS.COM WWW.GOODLONDONBUILDERS.COM

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PROFILE: LOCAL SUPPLIER

UP, SIDE AND DOWN Planning a basement, loft or side return? One company does them all: Simply Construction Group. Words: Georgina Blaskey.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN RENOVATING OR BUILDING Lofts: disruption minimal as the work is confined to the loft space.

The heavy work can often be carried out from scaffolding outside your property.

Basements: not too dissimilar as the work tends to be confined underneath your home but expect more noise and dust due to the excavation work and structural changes.

Robert and Helen Wood are the husbandand-wife team behind Simply Construction Group, the London-based design-andbuild firm. With Rob’s background in infrastructure project management following an engineering degree at York and Helen’s in consumer marketing after reading languages and business at Lancaster, they don’t fit into the traditional contractor mould, something that could be said of almost everything they do.

They needn’t have worried. Demand soared, they quickly branched out into lofts with Simply Loft and basements followed soon after. All three divisions share the same ethos, putting the client firmly in charge.

“Building work is stressful,” explains Helen.

“Your home is probably your most valuable asset and anything that involves trusting other people to make wholesale changes to it is naturally going to cause some anxiety.”

Helen therefore places communication at the

Side returns: the most disruptive,

As Rob explains, “In 2007, I left my job as a project manager and decided to apply the skills I’d developed working for Network Rail to the domestic, building world. We’d just completed the refurbishment of our own home in Twickenham and the whole experience was so unpleasant that I felt there had to be a better way.”

So Simply Extend was born, though it almost didn’t happen. “We were deciding whether to take the plunge at the same time as we were, quite literally, getting married, so we spent our honeymoon sketching out business plans and wondering if it would be the last holiday we’d have for a long time.”

heart of the Simply experience. “We have a dedicated customer-service team backed up by an online ‘dashboard’ that allows customers to monitor the progress of their build and, if necessary, to request amendments as the job develops,” she explains.

But that’s not all. “Our fixed-price promise ensures that customers never experience ‘bill shock’, so client meetings revolve around progress and improvements, not why someone is being charged more than they budgeted for.”

Combine all that with the tight quality control inherited from Rob’s transport infrastructure days and it’s easy to see why

the company is expanding from Nappy Valley into Kensington and beyond. This can, of course, bring its own challenges. So how are they coping with the headaches that running a much bigger enterprise can entail? “From the very beginning we designed a business that could be scaled up,” explains Rob. “Right now, we work with over 200 contractors, ten head-office staff and, to be honest, managing multiple domestic builds is a lot less complicated than the work we used to do.”

And did they ever get another holiday?

“Not yet,” laughs Helen. “We now have a little one of our own so if the hotel doesn’t have a crèche at least I know Rob could build one.”

as it involves opening up the one room the whole family probably uses the most and, unless there is side access, using your front door.

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2. A basement gives you the opportunity to surrender space to rooms that don’t need natural light, such as a gym or cinema room. 3. Make a feature of your staircase like Qualitas has, with a glass panel, backlit handrail and spotlights. 4.

All-glass walls flood this basement from The Oxford & London Building Company with light and allow direct access to the garden. 5 & 6. By adding mirrors to one half of this space, Estbury Basements have created a workout area to co exist with the TV chill-out zone.

BASEMENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44

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ROOM MAKEOVERS

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STORAGE 2

The one thing we always need more of - storage. From practical solutions in your kitchen and utility room to smartly disguised hideaways in entertaining spots, extra space can feel like a luxury. Make a feature out of it with these clever solutions from specialists with the interior know-how.

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1. Here Emma Green Designs cleverly incorporates open shelving and a radiator cover.

2. An old library-style running ladder adds an element of interest to this Ian Dunn unit.

3. Owners of this London Alcove Company design celebrated their shelves by painting them in a bold colour.

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South West London based interior designer specialising in providing the highest quality residential interior design on projects of any size.

Tel: 020 7738 0637 emma@emmagreendesign.com www.emmagreendesign.com

• Interior Space Planning • Bespoke Furniture • Soft Furnishings • Project Co-ordination

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BESPOKE PROMOTION

SHORT ON SPACE? LOOK UP! When your house and lifestyle are crying out for extra space but you don’t want to leave the home you love, a loft conversion is the ideal solution.

Space is a precious commodity in London.

When your home becomes too small for your family you have a choice: move out or increase the size of your property.

Converting your loft into living space is one of the smartest, most cost-effective ways to gain extra rooms without having to move.

Adding a loft conversion can also be extremely financially rewarding as Lisa and her husband, Alex, from Balham discovered.

They first approached Landmark Lofts when they were in need of more room for their growing family.

“It really became a priority when our second child, Milly was on the way,” Lisa says. “We love the area but there’s no way we could have bought a larger house here for the amount it cost us to stay and have the loft converted.”

They took some advice from an estate agent who encouraged them to consider a loft conversion over a ground floor extension. More bedrooms will always add more value than similar square footage on the ground floor.

A recent Dataloft report found that

“OUR STRONG DESIGN FOCUS MEANS FORM AND FUNCTIONALITY ARE AT THE HEART OF EVERY LOFT CONVERSION...” typically, loft conversions can increase the value of your property by 20%. On top of gaining an extra 240 sq ft of living space, the value of Lisa and Alex’s property has risen by an impressive £120,000.

It was all completed quickly and efficiently as Alex tells us. “Knowing Landmark Lofts were there to manage everything meant we could

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relax. Once planning permission came through, our Project Manager called immediately to say they had a team ready to start. This was just seven weeks before Christmas.”

Their loft was finished on schedule the day before Christmas Eve and two months before Milly arrived, giving Alex plenty of time to put the finishing touches to the new rooms.

Homeowners like Lisa and Alex are at a great advantage as they can get even more space from their lofts without planning permission. Owners of a detached house can now expand their loft by 50 sq m, and all other house types can enjoy an extra 40 sq m of living space.

Lisa and Alex were able to utilise every inch of space in their previously unused loft. Not only do they now have a spacious new bedroom and ensuite, but they also have an extra room for baby Milly’s gorgeous new nursery.

Landmark Lofts is proud to be London’s premier loft-conversion company. Their knowledge and expertise will ensure your project is completed stress free and with minimum disruption to your home.

“Our strong design focus places form and functionality at the heart of every loft conversion, giving you a loft space that maximises space, light and storage,” says James Gold, CEO of Landmark Lofts. www.landmark-lofts.com | T: 020 3150 0505

TOP TEN TIPS FOR A LOFT CONVERSION: 1 Let natural light flood in through well-placed roof windows and/or a Juliet balcony 2 Custom-made cupboards in the eaves space means that you reclaim much of that lost storage area 3 Think about the placement of the shower, toilet and basin to maximise head space 4 Reflect the existing staircase in your house to give the impression that the new stairs have always been there 5 Check the prospective loft company is regulated by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) 6 Ensure the company you choose is TrustMark registered and offers a ten-year guarantee on all work 7 Look for an insurance-backed guarantee to ensure your guarantee will be honoured no matter what happens 8 A benefit of using high-quality brands is the guarantees that come with them. For windows choose Velux or Heritage Sash; for flat roofs, Topseal roofing is great quality and comes with up to 30 years’ guarantee 9 Aim for a minimum of 2.1 metres between your existing loft floor and the ridge beam to achieve a good finished head height. Consider dropping the ceiling or raising the ridge to gain more height if necessary 10 Budget for other works you can have done such as reroof, bathroom refurbishing or a kitchen extension. Good planning here could save you time and money.

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PROJECT:

LOFTS Under the eaves of your home lie valuable square metres ripe for development. There you can create the perfect space for hideaways - from teen dens and quiet study corners to a hotelstyle master bedroom with en suite. Let your imagination run wild and make the most of this oft-overlooked space.

1. A quiet zone is a must for any busy home and Simply Extend’s cosy corner will ensure study hours are uninterrupted. 2. This splitlevel loft conversion from nuspace exudes luxury while retaining an urban edge. The sunken bathroom is separate enough to ensure privacy, while the balcony doors make the most of the view. 3. If you’re after a room with a view then Landmark has delivered with the floor-to-ceiling doors in this conversion. And with a free standing bath in the room, you can even bathe while surveying your patch. 4. Teenagers need privacy and space, and Simply Extend knows how to create cool places where they’ll love to go.

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BATHROOMS One of the quickest makeovers is a bathroom and these rooms can be finished in four weeks and not cost more than £20,000. There are so many exciting bathroom trends for 2016, almost anything goes: wood, creative tile patterns, natural stone, duckboard flooring, double shower heads, metallics, white. Whatever your preference, just make sure you have lots of storage for a streamlined finish.

1. Clean, minimalist lines create a tranquil haven from West One Bathrooms. 2. Don’t be afraid of pattern. This West One bathroom uses complementary tones to add interest without looking chaotic. 3. Wallpaper can still be used, as by Cox Design Studio. Look out for the many water-resistant styles available. 4. Potter Perrin’s combination of iridescent mosaic tiles and greyveined marble is what bathroom dreams are made of.

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PROJECT:

BEDROOMS

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Children’s rooms can be made over easily for relatively little, providing a magical space for their imaginations to develop as they play with friends, snuggle for a bedtime story with you or daydream away. Have fun with their rooms - use different colours to elsewhere in your home and embrace their youth with a spirit of adventure.

But when it comes to your room, it’s got to be hotel-style luxury every time.

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1. While they’re very young, a calm, muted colour palette creates a restful environment, as beloved by Piccolo & Co. We can’t promise it will get them sleeping through, but it’ll soothe you during the night feeds. 2. Colourful, pretty wall murals, like these used by Emma Green Design, add colour and character to a room, sparking games and role play. 3. Have fun with furniture the Loaf way - why not have a desk as a house? 4. A doll’s house that’s a bedside table courtesy of Dragons of Walton Street.

5. Keep early morning sunrises away from little sleepers with Ayrton shutters.

6. Loaf has made a bed that’s fun and lives up to its name - Clamberdoodle because you clamber up the ladder into it and it has a blackboard on the end to doodle on. 7. For teenagers, go smart, simple and chic. This Eton range from Dragons of Walton Street feels like a good place to start thinking about the future. 8. Play with different surfaces in teen spaces to give their room the edge, such as these Potter Perrin tiles.

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BEDROOMS

9 9. Embrace the bed as the focal point and go as large as your room will allow, courtesy of The Oxford & London Building Company. 10. Wallpaper needn’t mean pretty patterns or boring stripes. Cox Design Studio has struck the perfect balance, keeping walls interesting rather than distracting. 11. Using the same pattern on upholstered items such as headboards and cushions creates a restful, cohesive scheme, as shown by Cox Design Studio. 12. Different textures and shades keep this all-grey bedroom from Emma Green Design interesting.

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PROPERTY MAINTENANCE / CONSTRUCTION / REFURBISHMENT • Full Refurbishments • Kitchens • Bathrooms • Extensions • Lofts • Basements • Plumbing • Heating • Electrics • Roofing • Handyman • Painting & Decorating

bookings@multiserve.co.uk 020 8682 7700 www.MULTIServe.co.uk

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CHILDREN’S SPACES

CHILD’S PLAY Dedicated spaces for children are the latest must-have in any respectable home, but getting them future proofed is a design challenge. Here’s our essential guide...

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Remember that children grow up sooner than you think when planning spaces for them. A Winnie-the-Pooh mural or a treehouse in one corner is fine when they’re five but isn’t cool when they’re teenagers and want to bring friends home to hang out. The fact that we’re even talking about dedicated children’s spaces is a departure in home planning. For a long time, playrooms have been the unused room next to the kitchen, or even the kitchen itself. Tripping over abandoned toys has been an everyday hazard in most living areas. You may find that you have a study that can be repurposed, or dead space in the loft or, joy of joys, that you can build a teenage pad at the end of the garden if the budget stretches.

Create a space that’s flexible. “Don’t build something very bespoke and beautiful,” advises Claire Burrage at Clara Bee. She recently completed the design of a dual-

level loft space for a three-year-old in Abbeville Road. The budget was £10,000£15,000 and she brought the project in at £12,500, which included all furniture, fabric and decorations. The lower level became the play area, fitted with a blackboard to replace a fireplace, with magnetic paint on the walls, alcove shelves filled with books “at just the right height” and hard-wearing Kardean laminate flooring which looks like wood. “It means the little girl can go crazy with paints and felt tips and it doesn’t matter as the floor can be wiped clean each time,” explains Claire.

The owners disliked the staircase between the two levels but rather than spend £3,500 on a new one, it became a feature, with the banisters and steps painted in four different colours picked out from Harlequin’s What a Hoot wallpaper on one wall. Under the stairs there was more open storage space. The upstairs level

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The do’s and don’ts of kids’ spaces Go underground – basements make great kids’ spaces. Dig deep or, if you don’t have the space, go under the garden, which is structurally less demanding and enables roof lights to bring in lots of light Mezzanine platforms – these can be interesting spaces if you have the ceiling height 2 Bring the outdoors in – swings can be fixed to ceilings, slides can be built off mezzanine platforms and ropes and wall bars can be fitted to walls.

Climbing footholds can be put on just about anything that’s load bearing

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Furniture – invest in interesting or even bespoke pieces. Use adult furniture that will last well, but balance this with decorative accessories, fabrics and wall coverings that appeal to kids

and crannies to create storage, or furniture that doubles as storage Family life without walls – install glass sliding doors, an aquarium, low-level sofas or shelving units to separate areas within an open-plan space Materials – cork is a great acoustic insulator for floors and walls. Carpet is great on stairs and consider timber floors rather than stone. Lino is great for playrooms AV – install an easy-to-fit sound system such as Sonos, which is discreet but offers great sound quality. Big TV screens and gaming equipment are better in a dedicated room. Hidden cabling and hardware is essential: centralise your AV hardware in a lockable cupboard and channel all your cables back to it

Lighting – for a fantasy experience, fit woodpeckers sitting on a branch in an indoor treehouse, ceiling lights that look like balloons or make clouds and illuminate with LED lights behind them

Outdoors – design easy access to the garden from the ground floor or lower-ground living space via glass sliding or bifold doors. In-ground trampolines don’t spoil the view.

Basketball hoops are another easyto-install winner with kids

Wall art – murals are great (choose classics such as Paddington Bear or Winnie-the-Pooh); wall decals and wallpaper murals are cheaper alternatives

Artificial grass – eliminates the need for cutting, is pet friendly and looks great 365 days a year. Treehouses and multistory playhouses provide endless entertainment

Storage – this is key. Built in looks great and can hide a multitude of sins. If the room is small use nooks

Source: A Guide to Designing Great Kids Spaces,

by Ensoul Interior Architecture. To download the full guide, go to : www.ensoul.co.uk/kidsguide/

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1. Tree stencil in bedroom by Clara Bee. 2. Every bit of space is utilised by Clara Bee. 3. Removable stencils offer flexible space by Ensoul Interior Architecture. 4. Sunken trampoline and walk-on glass floods light into the playroom beneath by Ensoul Interior Architecture.

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became the sleeping area, with carpeting, blackout blinds and alcove cupboards. A large stencil in the shape of a tree, forming a backdrop for the bed, was a real hit. “The parents told me that their little girl wanted to go to bed early so she could read to the birds in the tree,” says Claire.

Designer Viki Lander of Ensoul Interior Architecture comments, “You don’t need loads of money, just MDF, paint and creativity. People don’t know what’s possible.” Viki also advocates flexibility, so a playhouse can be replaced later with age-appropriate furniture, allowing a space to morph into a teenage zone later on. Easyclean fabric on the sofa, built-in storage, cork or timber floors, artificial grass outside to put an end to muddy feet traipsing inside and a sunken trampoline flush with the ground are just some of her tips. She recently finished a space for two footballmad boys. “Arsenal’s iconic colour scheme ran through the bedding,” she says, “and I used wall stickers that come off easily so you don’t have to repaint the walls. Every detail is thought through,” including wiring the space for surround sound and cinema usage later on. “You can kidify your home without compromising its design,” says Viki.

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5. Under-garden bi-level playroom by Ensoul Interior Architecture 6. Bright colours enliven a staircase by Clara Bee

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAIL

Interiors and Property design@velvetorange.co.uk 020 7884 0530 velvetorange.co.uk

KITCHENS | BATHROOMS | REFURBISHMENTS | HANDYMAN “The service is always efficient, reliable and high quality. All the staff are highly skilled, friendly and polite”.

James, Ouseley Road SW12

• Whole house refurbishments • Kitchens • Bathrooms • Bedrooms

0208 772 8191 | info@khil.co.uk | www.khil.co.uk

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PROFILE: LOCAL SUPPLIER

GREEN IS THE COLOUR One passionate former painter and decorator has turned his love of colours – and the planet – into a thriving business. Words: Georgina Blaskey.

South-West Londoner Phil Robinson is a family man and when his wife was pregnant with their first child, he didn’t want to decorate the nursery in smelly oil-based paint and have her breathing in the fumes.

“After 20 years of decorating, I was sick of the smell and how it made me feel,” he says.

He spent one long year experimenting with various existing eco-friendly brands and concluded that he couldn’t recommend either the quality or the colours, “and the colour charts were so uninspiring,” he recalls.

Launching his own company, Paint The Town Green, was the answer nine years ago, offering environmentally friendly paints at competitive prices in on-trend colours unique to him.

Today, the company is the go-to supplier for customers who want a planet-friendly approach to decorating, plus great shades.

“My priority from the start was high quality paint in desirable colours,” explains Phil, who is as passionate about his clients as his business. “As we’re going into someone’s home, their private space, it’s important clients feel relaxed and happy – all my team are good guys and girls who I feel comfortable with.”

His brand new showroom, on Allfarthing Lane SW18, takes the shopping experience a step farther. “At the shop, my aim is to meet people, explain who we are and what we do, be accountable to

customers, and keep delivering quality and peace of mind,” enthuses Phil. “We can discuss the services we offer, including refurbishing and tiling, explore our colour boards, and talk through our colour consultancy service.”

The showroom has different zones. “We have our paint-mixing station at the back (all tins are freshly mixed every time), our central desk area where we work and show samples, and the ‘window display’, a zone to sit in and browse design magazines and discuss colour pairings using the boards and charts.” With envy-inducing copper pendant lights from Andrew Kornat Designs (you can purchase his products from the showroom), and shelves of simple yet contemporary textiles from Hannah Watchorn, interior ideas abound.

“I am a resident and this company started here. SW18 is an exciting spot, with the Ram Quarter development around the corner and other suppliers for lighting, tiling and fabrics close by. We may be working all over London now, but we’re keen to grow from the roots we established in our local community,” smiles Phil. www.paintthetowngreen.biz www.andrewkornatdesigns.com www.hannahwatchorn.com

8 TOP COLOUR TIPS Keep it simple, less is more Shadows/angles of walls can create different perceived shades so test the colour in different areas of a room Look at your samples at different times of the day and night as the light can make a big difference to how you perceive your colour A dado rail provides an opportunity to have a bolder colour above or below it or you might want a subtle colour on the walls then pick out the woodwork in something other than white for contrast Include bolder colours with a feature wall. It adds depth to a room and provides a point of interest without being overpowering If you are planning more than one colour in a room, try them next to each other Build a colour scheme around something in the property, for example, a fabric, piece of furniture or one of the colours from the tiles on the floor of a Victorian hallway Think about the mood a colour will generate. A soporific shade for the bedroom might seem like a great idea for bedtime, but will it work when you’re trying to get up on a winter morning.

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FLOOR PLANS

SPACE INVADERS If you want more space but don’t want to move house, the only way is to start knocking down walls, filling in side returns, digging out and exploiting every inch that isn’t currently put to good use. Check out these floor plans to see how architects can design beautiful open-plan areas for your home.

sement/ Combined ban/ : rear extensio garden £880,000

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designed and This 14-month project s in Briarwood ect hit Arc nit Gra built by sq m to a 125 ed Road, Clapham, add which 100 sq of se hou ed rac ter Victorian ate a 367 cre to ent em m was a new bas l. ral ove se sq m hou ated a kitchen, The new basement cre nt space. A me ain dining and entert the basement, of nt fro the to ll lightwe ight lightwell at -he ble dou coupled with a l daylight reflects the rear, ensures natura g a wonderfully atin cre ce, through the spa ion includes ens bright space. The rear ext wall l tta Cri zed gla a double height a courtyard at to ess acc ect dir ing provid This transparency the rear of the property. to blend seamlessly allows the living space space. e rac ter e into the outsid s reconfigured: Internally, the layout wa and living ary the kitchen is now a libr ve, linked sto g nin bur odspace with wo a doublevia spatially to the basement a master r floo t firs the On height void. of the nt fro suite was created to the e and walkuit ens h wit te ple property, com ct value tra con in wardrobe. The overall m. sq per 730 £2, or was £880,000,

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Kitchen extension and basement: £600,000

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A kitchen originally 3.2 sq m was transformed into a family kitc hen/dining area by infilling the side retu rn and extending the property thre e metres to the rear.

The study was utilised to pro vide a guest wc, cloak cupboard and pan try access from the kitchen.

The refurbished hall provide d a new stair down to a full basement pro viding utility, separate wc, a self-contained bedroom with ensuite and walk-in war drobe, and a 37 sq m playroom/entertainm ent space.

The kitchen and entertainm ent spaces were linked together and to the garden by a feature staircase with a large central lightwell.

The house, in Mallinson Roa d just off Northcote, was refurbished , extended and had a loft added over a 12-month period, at a cost of £600,00 0 plus VAT. Architect was David Bell of atelierdb.

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Side extension: £100

errace house in g project in a mid-t This four-month-lon last August and ce pla k Balham, too Hydethorpe Road, by 150 sq ft into en al 2,785 sq ft kitch gin ori the d de ten ex utilising the and dining space by 2,940 sq ft of kitchen . redundant side return o the kitchen facing, light floods int Despite it being north ss curtain walling less skylights and gla from the large frame the internal of rt demolishing pa and sliding doors. By n various de hid rly ve cle rs have masonry, the designe n, build and sig de to t cost £100,000 facilities. The projec e worktops. The er kitchen and marbl fit, including a Shak structural the es , Atlas Structur architects were dRAW or. act ntr co the TM vations engineers and Reno

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SELLING YOUR HOME

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES In today’s tough property market, you need to get your house noticed for all the right reasons.

Here’s 15 top tips to present it in the best possible light.

As my grandfather used to say, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” so paint that front door and add some shiny new door furniture. SDS stocks a huge range and trust us, this really matters. Grandpa also used to say, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be,” but with millionpound houses the norm in Nappy Valley, I think we can ignore him on that one.

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FLOWER POWER

Ensoul Interior Architecture

Buy some fresh flowers. It’s not just a case of saying it with flowers but selling it with flowers, too. And remember to ensure that window boxes have living things in them - nobody wants to think their vendor is more Agent Orange than Monty Don.

Go soft! Throws and cushions add texture and depth; or really push the boat out by reupholstering a sofa or chair in an outrageous, sumptuous fabric. Whatever you do, stay away from white leather.

London Door Company

4 Clean the house to within an inch of its life. Get the carpets professionally shampooed and if they are past it, replace them with a neutral colour. You should be going for CSI levels of detail, not a quick go with Mr Sheen.

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Roundhouse’s Bryne kitchen

Declutter everywhere. No-one wants to see unopened post, messy work surfaces or piles of shoes.

Every unopened utility bill removes a thousand pounds from the asking price an estate agent once told me. Ok, I made that up, but it should be true.

6 Emma Green Design

Cox Design Studio

FOUR PLAIN WALLS ARE SOOO BORING: ADD ART TO ADD COLOUR. JUST DON’T GO WEIRD, SO LOCK AWAY YOUR FAVOURITE HIERONYMUS BOSCH PRINTS

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ZONE IT!

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Good London Builders Henderson by Roundhouse Kitchens

Regrout and resilicone tiles in showers and bathrooms and get rid of any signs of mould.

If a potential buyer sees a bit of mould, they’ll wonder what else is lurking behind the tiles.

Need to facelift a tired-looking kitchen? Zone it! Clear definition between prep, clean-up and cooking areas will help it look bigger, better organised and sleek.

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9 Be like a gremlin and avoid bright lights.

Dim any overhead bulbs and use lamps to create an ambient effect.

Replace duds where needed and work that mood lighting to create a cosy atmosphere.

Designer Nicki Cox of Cox Design Studio says check out Jonathan Adler’s online store – www.jonathanadler.com - which has great accessories to brighten up any room and is perfect for instant makeover ideas.

Ensoul Interior Architecture

WALLPAPER OR PAINT A FEATURE WALL. IT’S QUICK, INEXPENSIVE AND IT’LL MAKE THE ROOM SING WITHOUT OVERHAULING THE ENTIRE SPACE.

Velvet Orange

TOP TIP

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FRESH PAINT

Remember that front door you repainted?

Well, don’t forget the internal ones. New matching door handles on freshly painted doors will transform their look and feel. Ditto socket fronts and switches.

Farrow & Ball

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BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRATIONAL BATHROOMS BY GLASSTRENDS

12 BLINDS AND SHUTTERS ADD TEXTURE, COLOUR AND PATTERN. THEY ALSO MAKE A GREAT BACKDROP FOR ANY GONE WITH THE WIND ROLEPLAYS. John Osborn Design

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ASK ABOUT OUR PRICE MATCH GUARANTEE ON BESPOKE SHOWERS

Glasstrends are a local well established company offering exceptional service and traditional values, alongside a portfolio of well known high quality bathroom brands offered at competitive prices. Please feel free to call into our showroom for a chat about your bathroom and frameless shower enclosure requirements, where one of our experienced advisors will be happy to guide you through your desired bathroom design.

GOING UP

Paint The Town Green

Hallways, stairwells and landings are where potential buyers spend most of their time so prioritise them and repaint.

A palette of greys is contemporary and chic. Get rid of any cracks, bumps and peeling paper.

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Paint The Town Green

No time or budget to replace your kitchen? Repaint units or replace doors and handles. You’ll get the champagne buzz of a brand-new kitchen for supermarket-beer money.

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Shabby Chic

Any brown wooden furniture gets an instant “shabby chic” hit by using Annie Sloane chalk paint.

It’s a quick and effective way to transform unfashionable or tired-looking pieces of furniture. Repaint white shelves to match the walls; darker shades make your books stand out. They look even better organised by colour.

Visit our showroom at 163a St John’s Hill, London SW11 1TQ or CALL 020 7223 4017 to receive our brochure.

Alternatively visit www.glasstrends.co.uk Painted furniture from Decara Home

Source: Cox Design Studio, Emma Green Design, John Osborn Design, Paint The Town Green, Roundhouse Kitchens.

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THE HOT LIST

STYLE COUNCIL Looking to rule the designer world but unsure if you’re cutting enough edges? Relax, we’ve rounded up the latest trends so you’ll be ahead of the curve.

FLOORED! Colour me beautiful

Wood flooring never went away.

Traditional parquet in a herringbone layout is so so hot. Just add hipsters, argyle socks and fixie bikes to complete the Hoxton vibe.

Farrow & Ball has nine new colours: rich, dark tones are joined by soft neutrals, muted pastels and strong brights, with some pretty fun names. Look out for Vardo (dark teal), Inchyra Blue (aged blue grey) and Peignoir (a grey-pink reminiscent of plaster).

Herringbone engineered-oak flooring Dark Spirit from Domus Group

Vardo, one of the strong brights from Farrow & Ball

Au naturale Natural timber is making a comeback, softening the harshness of concrete, steel and iron. “There are some amazing veneers coming onto the market, which really give kitchen cabinetry a rich, warm feel,” says Daniele Brutto, co-founder of Hub Kitchens. He’s also designing more “concealed” kitchens, which merge far better into a living space and with not a single handle in sight.

Dark and mysterious “Walls right now should be very dark,” says interior designer Emma Green. “It adds sophistication, intrigue and glamour.”

Dark bedroom walls from Emma Green Designs

Wood veneers from Hub Kitchens

Feel the difference “Floral feature wallpaper is a no-no. We’re all about textures, such as walls clad with upcycled scaffolding boards,” reckons architectural designer John Osborn. He’s done exactly that with a bathroom door and wall in a house in Elms Crescent, as well as in his own home.

Upcycled walls from John Osborn Design

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Concrete takes a bow

The art of deception Porcelain tiles made to look like planks of wood are gracing some of Nappy Valley’s most fashionable floors. Tiles can be up to 1200mm long and 200mm wide and are so realistic it is difficult to tell the difference from real timber. Marry them to underfloor heating and you’ll be wishing for cold winters just to show them off. Domus Group stocks just the thing.

Blendart Ceramica Sant’Agostino tiling

Giles Pike Architects is making use of concrete for floors and wall panels. “It’s something that clients would have recoiled from 20 years ago but today’s client is much more tuned into modern design,” says partner Tom Pike.

Underfloor heating takes the chill off walking barefoot on these polished kitchen floors.

Eclectic Interiors is excited by the advent of porcelain for kitchen worktops. “We love darker coloured porcelain work surfaces that are just 12mm thick, which go extremely well with a modern handleless kitchen. Porcelain is also matt rather than polished and completely heat and stain proof,” says Eclectic’s Jolanta Harradine.

The Scandi look Scandinavian products “are an absolute hit at the moment, everywhere in the house”, says Clara Bee. Think light wood and organic, natural products that are understated and beautiful. Anything from Skandium fits the bill.

Classic Corona chair by Erik Jorgensen from Skandium

Sweet Caroline from Paint The Town Green

A different shade of grey “Grey has been in for a while now,” says Paint The Town Green, “but we’re moving deeper into the colour chart to accent it with bolder tones, darker greys, greens and pinks, giving a muted feel. Look at our Wuthering Heights (a sophisticated green), Sweet Caroline (a refined pink) and Titanium (a full-bodied grey).”

Eclectic Interiors

PRETTY AS PORCELAIN

Polished concrete floors from Giles Pike

Wuthering Heights

Titanium

OPEN WIDE Look out for wall-cabinet doors which pull up and really wide drawer units; both are replacing standard doors in kitchens. Wall and drawer units can measure up to 1800mm wide and wall units can be “touch” open and close through the use of motorised drivers.

Big drawers: Byrne from Roundhouse Kitchens

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ACT LIKE A MAGPIE Anything metallic – gold and particularly copper – is big this year. Think gold pendant lights and copper cabinetry; these rich tones warm up any room. “We’re using bronze, copper and brass for handles, taps and our unique metallic finishes for cabinetry,” says Roundhouse Kitchens.

An exquisite new development in a central location. Due for completion next month Copper touches from Eclectic Interiors

Variety is the spice of life Lighting is a key feature of any house renovation but don’t only use downlighters; mix it up a little. Create the right ambience in the bathroom with something from Curiouser & Curiouser’s new spring range of hand-blown pendant lights. Available in 21 colours and five shapes: pear drop; strial; bowl; teardrop and round. IP44 rated. From £450 at Liberty.

Gold pendant lights from Emma Green Design

All things bright and beautiful

Pendant lights from Curiouser & Curiouser

Viki Lander of Ensoul Interior Architecture makes the case for brighter colours. “Grey sofas and grey walls can create a soulless property. Don’t throw out the grey and taupe paint pots but introduce colour on the walls or with soft furnishings if the interior is a bit too neutral. Don’t be scared!”

Bright-coloured cupboards and cushions from Ensuol Interior Architecture

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GADGETS

OBJECTS OF DESIRE Check out these gadgets for the home, all designed to save precious minutes and improve our busy lives.

18th-April 3rd at Olympia).

At last year’s show, this area had four room sets displaying cuttingedge technology and gadgets for the home.

Lutron blackout blinds

Sonos smart speaker system You know that moment at 2am when you have to have Dancing Queen pumping out in every room, from basement to bathroom? Sonos’s wireless speakers allow you to do this or play different music in different rooms, turning the entire house into a party space. Sonos supports multiple music services, such as Spotify, Amazon Prime Audio, TuneIn Radio or Apple Music. Speakers from £169.

Take a look at the Smart Home area at the Ideal Home Show next month (March

Lutron’s special blackout fabric eliminates all daylight to provide the perfect sleeping environment for children. Smartphone connectivity enables the homeowner to adjust blind height or automate opening/ closing so kids can wake up to the morning sun. From £2,500.

KitchenAid Cook Processor A brilliant new machine that boils, fries, stews, steams and purees without a sound.

“It’s not just a prep tool,” stresses Rita Dewan, Brand Director at stockist Lords at Home: “It can make jam, bread dough, soup, risotto, sauces or cookies. If you love good food but have no time, this is the gadget for you.” 4.5L capacity, £869 in four colours.

Nest Cam This internet-connected high-definition security camera enables you to see your home away from home. Set it up to your wifi in moments and receive alerts if any motion or sound is detected. It can also double up as a baby monitor. Nest offers a cloud security service, giving unlimited storage and the ability to review footage anywhere. £159.

Westins Stratus 360 ceiling extractor This new product does not require a ventilation route to the ceiling extractor unit itself, making extraction more flexible within the kitchen. The air is recirculated and purified in the extractor’s system – perhaps they hould consider doing one for teenage boys’ rooms?

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Kaleidescape

Philips Hue personal wireless lighting

This movie server collects every film you own into a single place. The player can play and store all your DVDs and Blu-ray discs while its online movie store offers films in HD quality to purchase. A special remote recognises when the system is being used by a child and removes all films above U or PG rating. From £3,000.

This is a DIY smart lighting system that connects to the internet and your smartphone through a hub. It can wake you up, link to an iPhone app and create mood lighting which you can control from anywhere, including outside the home.

The fun bit is syncing lights with music, TV or games. Kits start from £150.

Yale Digital Door Viewer Check out who’s calling before you open the door with live images on an LCD screen.

Sam Thatcher at stockist SDS says, “People prefer this design as it’s more streamlined and less bulky than other models.” Fitting is simple and the device can be positioned at a lower level for little ones. Framed in satin chrome. £66.23.

Simplehuman bins Quooker boiling-water tap Perfect for blanching vegetables, boiling eggs and making cups of tea, this boilingwater tap renders the kettle redundant and “keeps work surfaces clear and tidy”, says Grace Stonehouse at Roundhouse. “The Quooker tap is the best on the market – it’s the only one that gives you 100°C water and its Fusion model gives you hot, cold and boiling water all in one unit,” enthuses Jolanta Harradine at Eclectic Interiors.

Large, brushedsteel, grubby-handproof bins that close in slow motion and accommodate a large family’s rubbish. The 50L version is the gold standard in bins at £130. A 44L version, £125, is part bin and part recycling. “If you want top quality, these are both best sellers,” says Rita at Lords.

Experts in Lifestyle Technologies

With the abundance of gadgets available, it can be difficult to set up the perfect smart home system that is both functional and easy to use.

Based in Fulham, Finite Solutions can help you make the best of lifestyle technologies with 12+ years of experience.

Contact us on 0207 371 8761 or visit finitesolutions.co.uk

Samsung SmartThings Arrival Sensor A keychain-sized occupancy sensor for the entire family. Connected to a SmartThings smart home hub, the sensor gets detected by the hub when the holder walks into the house. It can notify parents when children come back from the school and can even be programmed to turn on lights. £199.

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PROFILE: LOCAL SUPPLIER

LET’S GET COOKING Planning a kitchen can be challenging with so many variables, from surface materials to appliances, flooring to integrated technology. Kitchen Connections makes it simple by presenting the best on all fronts. Words: Georgina Blaskey.

The kitchen is the heart of the home so when it comes to planning a new one, you need the right person by your side.

There’s so much to consider - trends, appliances, flooring, heating, extractors, guarantees… Anna Sadej at Kitchen Connections on Garrett Lane has been designing kitchens for years and is your local expert for cuisine queries, from the practical, such as what kind of worktop will stain, to the essential, such as where your plugs should go, as well as life’s little luxuries (pop-up TV in the island, anyone?).

When it comes to kitchens, first impressions count, so exploring the key trends is an important part of the process.

“Clean lines are still in, as are handleless kitchens,” Anna explains. “Contemporary country is popular and the industrial trend is still strong - think open design, retro white tiles and exposed brickwork.”

Islands are still a key component but their identity is changing. “We’re seeing more exciting materials being used for worktops, particularly marble composites and, recently, copper. The metallic theme continues with brass handles and copper pendant lights, too,” Anna adds (see our Design Trends feature on page 67 for more about copper).

HOW TO PLAN A NEW KITCHEN • Visit the showroom and discuss your needs • Ask questions about the company and their quality - what kind of drawers do they use, what drawer runners and hinges, how are the backs of cabinets finished?

• Does the kitchen arrive flat packed or assembled?

• Who fits the kitchen - do they subcontract it or do it in-house?

How does that affect the aftercare agreement?

• How flexible can the designers be - can elements be custom-made?

• What are the lead times?

• What is the after-sales service?

• Do they have recommendations from previous clients? Can you talk to clients about their experience?

• Will they give you a visual 3D presentation of the kitchen before you commit?

Mixing materials and colours is also popular: wooden worktops on a marble island; darker base and island units with lighter wall-mounted cabinetry. “This twotone approach is very effective,” advises Anna. While she has noticed bolder colours coming through, greys still rule the home, especially light tones. “There are many possibilities when it comes to flooring, but whether you want underfloor heating is a big question,” Anna explains. “Ceramic tiles work well but wood must be engineered.

Concrete is popular but harder to blend into a less modern home.”

If you think paint charts can be overwhelming, wait to be completely confused over technology - which is where Anna’s experience comes in. She cites multi-use appliances, a boiling-water tap, energy-efficient LED strip lights and stateof-the-art extractor hoods (see sculptural models from Falmec on their website) as ones to consider. “There’s a Miele hob that is linked by bluetooth to the extractor fan above, so the fan reacts to the hob’s heat setting,” says Anna.

Kitchen Connections can accommodate different budgets and, with a free design service, a German-manufactured product and in-house installers, you can be sure of a smooth journey from planning to finish.

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INSIDER’S GUIDE TO LOCAL SHOPPING

WHERE TO GET THE LOOK Our ultimate interiors shopping guide to southwest London highlights the best interiors and homewares shops and galleries across Nappy Valley. Georgina Blaskey has the fine detail You’re nearing the end of the build so now to the fun bit - the finishing touches.

Whether you like an urban industrial vibe, pretty shabby chic or opulent furnishings and fittings, our area is brimming with creative businesses offering beautiful items to fill your home. Many of them provide interior-design services too, so if you want a bit of guidance for the final phase, it’s on your doorstep.

Grand Passions

Cowhide rugs, unusual signs, glamorous make-up bags and humorous mugs from this well-established gift shop will add a splash of colour and comedy to your home.

ABBEVILLE ROAD

Birksen

Pick your way past the sensational cut flowers and investigate further because, while Birksen is an impressive florist’s on the outside, it has shelves groaning with beautiful tableware, vases, plant pots, candles and pictures frames within.

It’s not just an amazing annual summer fete that the residents of Abbeville village enjoy. Cosy pubs, cutting-edge cuisine and fine-wine merchants feature aplenty. While it may have lost a couple of independent shops in the last few years, there are still some veritable treasure troves to discover.

Places & Spaces

Piccoli & Co

This shop exudes cutting-edge, quality design. Showcasing some of the sharpest national and international brands, featuring the latest designers, makers and trends, the Places & Spaces owners search for home accessories, furniture and lighting with heaps of innovation and a smidgen of fun thrown in for good measure.

Bringing the traditional nursery up to date with a fresh approach to furniture, bedding and decor, owners Leopoldina Haynes and Aine D’Souza have created a very special shop, with monogramming at its heart.

From Liberty-print-lined moses baskets to a handcrafted changing table inspired by 18th-century French antiques, their range is heirloom quality.

CLAPHAM OLD TOWN There’s always been a buzz in Old Town, with small independents dominating the shopping scene. It’s more urban than other “villages” in South-West London and residents love its quirky coffee shops, one-off patisseries and established ice-cream parlours.

Alongside these are some cool interior outlets that are worth a detour.

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Sass & Belle

The Art Movement

Launched by Camilla Girardot in 1995, The Art Movement is a collective of art consultants and exhibition curators. With 20 years’ experience in the art world, they can source artworks from a wide range of artists, galleries and dealers, and help advise on art buying for your home by offering a personal visit to ascertain your style and budget.

Whimsical and cutesy with more than a hint of woodland adventure, the colourful range at Sass & Belle on The Pavement is pure joy.

Think pretty pastel fabrics, owl phone cases, bunny jewellery stands and fox frames; that’s kitsch style sorted, then.

Battersea Flower Station

From window boxes to house plants, tubs to pots, bring some greenery into your home with expert help and friendly advice from the green fingers at Battersea Flower Station. With home consultations and sameday local delivery, it’s worth popping down for a dose of springtime magic.

BATTERSEA PARK RD. Home to many established furniture specialists, Battersea Park Road is the hub for householders after something special. From vintage treasure troves and antique emporiums to lighting showrooms and Italian kitchen designers, this road has beautiful pieces that will last your lifetime - and beyond.

QUEENSTOWN ROAD Clapham’s artery to the river is lined with fantastic businesses that are well worth a stopoff. A bespoke milliner sits alongside a traditional shoe shop and luxury bathroom showroom, among others, so for those finishing touches, look no further.

Les Sardines

Les Sardines is a lifestyle interiors shop filled with beautiful hand-picked finds.

An ever-changing collection of elegant nineteenth-century painted French furniture is complemented by an exquisite collection of new homewares. The owner also offers an interior-design and home-styling service.

Circa & Marmorea

Circa offers a selection of high-quality, mid-twentieth-century furniture and lighting, specialising in unique pieces that encapsulate the design flair of the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies, including tables, chairs, storage, lighting and mirrors. Its sister company on the road, Marmorea, is fast building a reputation for having some of the finest antique and reproduction marble and stone fireplaces in the country.

Loaf

For gorgeously squishy, comfy sofas and beds made for “loafing” around on, this is the shop to come to. Although the business is predominantly online, Battersea is lucky enough to have a Loaf “slowroom” of its own, complete with ice-cream parlour and kids’ corner to occupy the little ones while you choose your latest interior additions.

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BELLEVUE ROAD Running alongside the common as if overlooking a village green, picture-perfect Bellevue Road is littered with on-trend boutiques for the fashionistas in the area, but dotted in between are a few hidden interior gems.

Rampton Baseley

Oliver Contemporary

Bringing together new and established contemporary artists and sculptors working in the modern British style, Carolyn Oliver curates an eye-catching collection to enliven your walls and spark off your imagination.

Whippet Mugs, clocks, vases and bags - there’s gift and interior inspiration in spades at this neighbourhood favourite located on Bedford Hill.

Ian’s Artwork

Bellevue Road office now open

From vibrant prints to bespoke picture framing, enjoy art on a budget at Ian’s Artwork.

Revamp

First and foremost an interior-design service, Revamp has an enviable selection of home accessories in its shop-cum-showroom. Pop in for a chic room update or inspiring advice for a full makeover.

BALHAM Balham High Road, Ritherdon Road and Bedford Hill are currently generating a busy high-street scene so keep your eyes peeled and your purse to hand next time you need a gift or home inspiration.

Quirky Dovetail Quirky Dovetail is all about beautifully painted furniture, vintage pine and antique pieces, plus a hand-picked range of homeware and gifts. Vintage furniture is skilfully hand painted to create something unique, contemporary and individual, and customers can enrol on a painting workshop to learn to do it themselves.

30 Bellevue Road London SW17 7EF 020 3846 0999 Oliver Bonas

With many shops scattered through SouthWest London, Oliver Bonas remains close to our hearts with its trendy but unpretentious home accessories. From sink-in-to-me velvet tub chairs to rainbow-coloured multi-picture frames, its chic and humorous range retains the stylish yet kitsch qualities we love about the brand.

ramptonbaseley.com

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Huttons

When I grow up I want to be...

Check out the industrial-style filament lightbulbs among the carefully chosen selection of gifts.

Gallery Midnight Johnny Midnight swapped a life shared between Chamonix and the Caribbean for Balham a few years ago. With his paintings of snow-capped mountains and tropical peaks proving popular, Johnny also runs a soughtafter art club for kids.

NORTHCOTE ROAD The beating heart of Nappy Valley, Northcote Road is an interiors mecca regardless of your style. From the vibrancy of The Painthouse to the calm of Brissi, there’s a shop for every trend.

Northcote Gallery If contemporary art is your style, the best is a stone’s throw away. Beautifully curated, this gallery never fails to impress and delight.

Brissi Warm, muted tones, sumptuous velvets and crisp linens bring contemporary French living to London. Taupe-coloured storage baskets and engraved silver trays are our must-haves for a quick room update.

The Bird Cage The stunning mirror selection alone is enough to warrant a quick detour up Wakehurst Road to discover The Bird Cage, and while you’re in there prepare to be swept away by its restored furniture.

NEW BRANCH NOW OPEN IN

KidZania is an extraordinary educational experience in Westfield London, where children can learn about different careers through real life roleplay adventures.

Foss Fine Art A stalwart of SW11 since 2001, Foss Fine Art (just off Northcote) showcases emerging and mid-career artists in an intimate setting.

As the exclusive partner of KidZania London, this is just one example of how the team at Hamptons International thinks differently. Call us today to find out how our innovative approach to marketing, extensive network of 87 branches and award-winning level of customer service can work for you.

Hamptons Battersea Sales. 020 7458 4253 Lettings. 020 7458 4258

hamptons.co.uk

The Painthouse With one site housing an eclectic, colourful array of interior accessories and furniture, and the shop opposite offering paints from the country’s foremost suppliers, The Painthouse is a truly unique business whose services include decorating and joinery, interior styling, curtains and upholstery.

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OUTDOOR LIVING

INSIDE OUT Not content with designer interiors, every respectable home should also have a designer garden too, and one that integrates indoors and outdoors. Read on for the essential elements…

Words: Zoe Dare Hall.

Trip the light fantastic Today, gardens must have proper lighting. “I haven’t done a garden in years without lighting,” says Andy Sturgeon, the multi-awardwinning landscape gardener whose accolades include six gold medals at Chelsea. He says that LEDs used to be rubbish but now, “They work well and look great when combined with natural materials such as stone and timber, rather than chrome or glass.” Every garden can benefit from “a sensitive lighting scheme”, suggests Barry Burrows, MD of Bartholomew Landscaping (bartholomewlandscaping.com), but warns not to fall into the trap of installing floodlights. “The idea is to ensure that the light cast – rather than the lamp itself – is the only

visible illumination within the garden, such as ground lighting across a textured surface, trees and pergolas lit from below or a moonlight lamp hung high in a tree,” says Burrows.

A dramatically lit and mirrored roof garden, outdoor fireplace, TV, heaters and electrically operated overhead canopy, all designed by Bartholomew Landscaping.

Cost £150,000

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Bum deals Ditch the rattan. What goes outside should look as stylish as what you’d have inside. Go Modern’s collection, for example, courtesy of Belgian-based companies Manutti and Tribù (which specialise in weatherproof, luxury furniture for top hotels and super yachts), has fabrics designed to withstand sunlight, rain, chlorine and mould. Cushions are fast drying and frames have in-built drainage channels. Some models add a touch of bling with remote-controlled LED lighting.

“The beauty of these outdoor designs is that they look and feel like indoor furniture with fabrics soft to the touch in a wide variety of contemporary colours including wenge (dark brown), linen and powder blue,” says Go Modern’s Tina Mahony. “Many of our customers have typical London patios or courtyards that they wish to turn into garden rooms, and with the advanced outdoor lighting and heating on the market now, it’s totally achievable.”

Add some contour club chairs, which cost from £1,680, and contour armchairs, from £940, put on a woolly jumper and you’ll never want to go back indoors.

Manutti Air Collection – composition shown £16,650 | gomodern.co.uk 020 7731 9540

Burn Cooking baby burn up a storm Firepits are passé and an outdoor fireplace is the thing. “They’re becoming a popular feature for those who are doing up their garden – but don’t let it take up too much space so that it detracts from the usable area of lawn,” advises Rampton Baseley’s Director, Joel Baseley. Prices range from £800 to £7,800 depending on size and whether they are gas or wood burning, says Rocio Castro from Urban Roof Gardens (urbanroofgardens.com).

The company works with steel artists and sculptors to offer a range of simple firepits and bespoke wall-mounted solutions. And if wood fires are not allowed in your area, there are eco-friendly alternatives such as bioethanol which burns cleanly and produces serious amounts of heat A dramatic outdoor fireplace, designed by Urban Roof Gardens

Forget a barbecue on the deck; outdoor kitchens with integrated fridges, sinks and islands are de rigueur.

Landscape gardener Andy Sturgeon recommends upmarket garden-furniture firm Gaze Burvill (gazeburvill.com), which sells a modular “a la carte” kitchen in handcrafted oak. A 1m grill unit, including a Wolf grill and special liner, is around £11,000 and an 80 cm storage unit is around £3,800.

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DIP SHTICK? Opinion is divided over hot tubs – a tacky remnant of the loadsamoney Eighties or, if you get a suitably stylish modern version, the height of decadence? Some models even include a built-in TV, bar and sound system. You decide…

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Green, green grass of home Once derided as a cheap-looking option for hands-off landlords, artificial grass has taken on a new lease of life and is the lawn of choice for many families. It’s ideal for small spaces, can be used all year round, requires little maintenance and doesn’t get muddy.

What’s not to like? “An expanse of green lawn is synonymous with English gardens, but whether the grass is real or fake has almost become immaterial,” says George Franks of Douglas & Gordon.

Fake grass finishes the garden in this 6-bed house on Ramsden Road on sale through Douglas & Gordon at £2.35m

Room with a view A well-designed, modern garden room that lends itself to extra accommodation of varying sorts will win over prospective buyers. Media room, gym, office, teenage pad, whatever. “Just remember that garden rooms can’t be included in the square footage of the house,” says Rampton Baseley’s Co-Director Joel Baseley.

Substantial garden rooms start at around £30,000, though Julia Robotham of Marsh & Parson reckons that the one at the back of the house on Madrid Road, Barnes (pictured) would have cost nearer £50,000.

The vendor, a trader, built it as his office, but it was the log burner that provided the wow factor when conducting viewings.

Sleek, modern garden room in Madrid Rd., Barnes. The house recently sold for £2.45m through Marsh & Parsons

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Living walls A living wall – also known as a green wall or vertical garden – planted with lush foliage, grasses or brightly coloured blooms, is a great way to bring a sense of the great outdoors to even the smallest courtyard or terrace where planting areas are thin on the ground. Choose ornamental or edible plants with a “living louvre” or “green screen”, as offered by Tree Box in Wimbledon (treebox.co.uk). The eco benefits are bringing vegetation to urban areas, including reducing air pollution and helping to regulate air temperature.

“Clever planting will allow for a yearround display of different shades of green, from golden and yellow hues to rich purple and burgundy – and most are available with integral watering systems so upkeep is minimal,” says Barry Burrows of Bartholomew Landscaping. Budget for around £400 per square metre.

PLANTING AN IDEA Think outside the box or, in this case, outside the unwanted support column! Designer John Osborn turned his into a herb planter in his home, covering it with spectacular gold crocodile-skin wallpaper and creating a useful and funky planter between kitchen and garden.

Bartholomew Landscaping used Tree Box for this green living wall, which cost around £1,500

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Q&A

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED The house and garden posts, replies and discussions on NappyValleyNet represent one of our most popular topics. Read what’s been vexing you of late… sw18er: We are thinking of doing a big project with a loft, side return, basement and full refurb, and are unsure whether to appoint an architect or a design-andbuild firm.

Q

LP73 replies: You don’t need an architect to manage; if anything you should avoid it.

They charge a flat fee of 13-15% plus they work with builders who tend to be higher in costs. The most important exercise we did was to meet people who had had work done by our shortlist of builders and see their work.

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notjustamum replies: The main benefit of using an architect is that they are independent of the builder.

They will give you something bespoke. Using a builder directly means that you are likely to get their standard solution, with layouts, details and materials that they use for every project. An architect will take care of planning applications and building control, and advise on party walls etc as well as being available if things go wrong. And always have a 15% contingency for the unexpected.

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Nightingale replies: We used Waxed Floors on Battersea Rise to sand our floors. Really pleased with the results.

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webfountainwebdesign replies: We had our solid-oak floors sanded and refinished and used Tim Hobern from HS Wood Flooring. Thoroughly recommended.

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buildersfriend I’m undertaking a loft conversion for my client in Chelsea and I have been informed we need a party-wall surveyor.

Any help much appreciated.

Q

denshort replies: I’m using Vincent Brown who are charging £1,500 for party-wall surveyors to draw up agreements/awards for both properties. They also drew up the notices for me, although I think you could probably do this yourself with the help of online templates.

A

WhiteKnight replies: We have used Stanley & Strong twice and have been pleased.

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MGC replies: We used a great builder who held our hands through the entire process. They were called Dermarta Limited and couldn’t have been more helpful and user friendly.

webfountainwebdesign replies: I would definitely use a party-wall surveyor as opposed to doing it yourself. We have always used one. They act as a buffer between you and your neighbours and protect your and their legal rights. We used The Price Partnership in Fulham.

SabineMum Could anyone recommend a floorsanding company who could sand and bleach my floors and stairs?

Jamie @ dRAW Architecture replies: The party-wall industry does charge a lot for their services. We feel that in some cases their costs are not justifiable for the amount of work that goes into these things. We offer

A

A

A

Q

the full party-wall service and are a member of the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors. szerma replies: We used WRD Surveyors and they were fantastic and reasonably priced as they are based in Southampton. Your neighbours can appoint their own surveyor, then you are paying twice. One of our neighbours consented to the works so we didn’t have to pay extra; the other was a housing association, which demanded their own surveyor, something that took forever to organise, and it is the surveyor who has to deal with it, not you.

A

SouthbySouthWest I’m looking for recommendations for companies that provide replacement front doors (it’s a Victorian terrace so we want to replace like for like) and replacement double-glazed sash windows.

I’m considering PVC rather than wood for ease and maintenance.

Q

Ayrton replies: Use a company that can accurately replicate the original door while being able to upgrade its security features. We offer a large range of door furniture and glazing, including stained glass and security glass.

As many of our customers replace PVC as replace timber. It is simply not an acceptable material anymore and buyers expect a discount on any property that has PVC. In addition PVC has a limited life (ten to 15 years) and discolours and there is nothing you can do about it. You can certainly see the difference: they look inferior and odd compared to the beautiful Victorian timber designs. Typically, a quality sash window will start at £1,750 fitted.

A

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SOURCING

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT SUPPLIER Do you go by instinct, recommendation, body of work or all three?

Discover best practice in our essential guide Having any tradesmen in your home for any period of time is disruptive so choosing the right supplier to do the best job will make the inconvenience easier to bear.

Best practice is to request three quotes, whatever the trade. With builders, your architect should be able to recommend several they work well with, and who have brought projects in on time and on budget.

The same applies to finding an architect.

RIBA has a “find an architect” service (see details on page 98). Approach several as it’s key to find one who shares your vision.

“Building is a long process so choose someone you like, feel comfortable with and trust,” advises James Munro of Granit Architects.

NappyValleyNet runs its own accreditation scheme for suppliers, indicated by a logo (see key opposite).

Kevin Kew of Simply Extensions suggests

doing company checks too. Ask for recommendations from friends and neighbours, as long as they are based on recent experiences.

But that’s not enough. You must then look at a company’s recent projects and visit them if you can. Quiz clients. If it’s a builder, are he and his team clean and tidy, do they keep a neat site, are their workers wearing high-vis jackets? Check their credentials, their insurance and any accreditations they may have (such as ISO 9001).

“Time and money are what cause arguments,” warns Rory Gordon of Good London Builders so the next stage is to make the arrangement legal and binding through a contract.

It should stipulate a completion date and payment schedule – staged payments against work completed, a final completion payment and a retention figure should anything go wrong after completion. This

can be between 3-10% of the job over a three-month defects liability period. It should be fair and realistic to both parties.

If it’s not fair to the builder he will struggle and deadlines will be missed.

The contract should also stipulate who has responsibility if subcontractors fail to deliver. There are stories on NappyValleyNet of customers chasing subcontractors themselves though they’ve signed a contract with and paid money to a separate firm.

Deposits are a moot point. It’s more usual to pay your contractor for work completed than give any upfront payment.

Finally, work positively with your project team to get the best out of them.

Then, “So much more will be done for clients and so much less will be charged to them for additionals,” advises Gordon. And remember, agree any changes or additional costs in writing.

5 TOP TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL BUILD 1 Be confident in your choice of builder. Trust is key for a relationship to work and it will help smooth the process 2 Transparency is key: be clear about what you want to achieve and ensure that you have a comprehensive schedule of works before you start 3 Keep an open mind in case you discover a more efficient way of doing something; your builders should know what can and cannot be achieved 4 Check out one of the builder’s previous jobs and speak to the client 5 Try to enjoy the project and make it a memorable experience. You have added value to the property and have a beautiful new home.

Source: Nightingale Design & Build

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SOURCE BOOK

NAPPY VALLEY’S SOURCE BOOK OF TOP SUPPLIERS as recommended on

NappyValleyNet.com

Don’t forget to ask whether your potential supplier/s are “As Recommended on NappyValleyNet”. Only companies with five or more qualified, positive independent reviews can display this logo.

ARCHITECTS, DESIGN & PLANNING & PROJECT MGT Ade Architecture T: 020 7993 8542 E: info@ade-architecture.co.uk www.ade-architecture.co.uk And Architects T: 020 7720 5999 E: mail@andarchitects.co.uk www.andarchitects.co.uk Andrew Lett Architects T: 020 7486 6464 E: email@andrewlettarchitects.com www.andrewlettarchitects.com Andrew Paine Architecture T: 020 7207 5898 E: andrew@aparchitecture.co.uk www.aparchitecture.co.uk ARM Design & Build T: 020 8689 9998 or 07816 587548 E: info@armdb.co.uk www.armdb.co.uk Armstrong Simmonds Architects T: 020 7228 1324 E: info@as-architects.co.uk www.as-architects.co.uk Atelierdb T: 020 3142 7672 E: info@atelierdb.com

Edmund Williams Architects T: 020 8672 6238 E: stewart@edmundwilliams.com www.edmundwilliams.com Emma Green Design T: 020 7738 0637 E.emma@emmagreendesign.com www.emmagreebndesign.com

Lifestyle Design & Build T: 020 7720 3082 E: info@lifestylebyasq.co.uk www.lifestylebyasq.co.uk Malone Architecture T: 020 8793 5735 E: malonearchitecture.com www.malonearchitecture.com Mark Jordan Architecture & Design T: 020 7228 2829 E: designs@markjordan.co.uk www.markjordan.co.uk

Ensoul Interior Architecture T: 020 3637 0700 E: transform@ensoul.co.uk www.ensoul.co.uk Giles Pike Architects T: 020 7924 6257 E: info@gilespike.com www.gilespike.com Goldstein Ween Architects T: 020 7498 2111 E: office@goldsteinween.co.uk www.goldsteinween.com Good London Builders T: 020 7978 5097 E: info@goodlondonbuilders.com www.goodlondonbuilders.com Granit Chartered Architects T: 020 7924 4555 E: info@granit.co.uk www.granit.co.uk

Clean lines and concrete seating from Giles Pike Architects

Hart Baskerville Architects T: 020 8458 3433 E: studio@hart-baskerville.co.uk www.hart-baskerville.com

Marks Barfield Architects T: 020 7501 0180 E: info@marksbarfield.com www.marksbarfield.com

dRAW Architecture T: 020 8874 6749 E: info@draw-architecture.co.uk www.draw-architecture.co.uk

John Osborn Design T: 07939 586481 E: john@johnosborndesign.com www.johnosborndesign.com

Masterman Architects T: 020 3700 0517 E: phillip@mastermanarchitects.com www.mastermanarchitects.com

Dyer Grimes Architecture T: 020 3733 7710 E: enquiries@dyergrimesarchitects.com www.dyergrimesarchitects.com

Keith Garner Architect T: 020 7585 0421 E: keithwgarner@btinternet.com www.kgarch.co.uk

MKR Architecture T: 020 8542 7712 or 07778 651904 E: mail@mkrarchitects.co.uk www.mkrarchitects.co.uk

Clara Bee T: 07974 759428 E: clara@clarabee.com www.clarabee.com

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TGB Design T: 020 8874 3805 E: yerry@tgb-uk.com or tgb_uk2@icloud.com www.tgb-uk.com

Burge & Gunson T: 020 8543 5166 E: info@burgeandgunson.co.uk www.burgeandgunson.co.uk/

Thomas De Cruz Architects & Designers T: 020 8995 8100 E: tdc@thomasdecruz.com www.thomasdecruz.com

C.P. Hart T: 08458 731121 www.cphart.co.uk

Velvet Orange T: 020 7884 0530 E�: studio@velvetorange.co.uk www.velvetorange.co.uk

Tools of the trade; colour by Farrow & Ball Moxley Architects T: 020 7720 8968 E: info@moxley.co.uk www.moxley.co.uk Niche Architects T: 020 7222 3232 E: mail@nichearchitects.co.uk www.nichearchitects.co.uk Object Architecture T: 020 8682 9300 E: box@objectarchitecture.co.uk www.objectarchitecture.co.uk Oliver Morgan Architects T: 020 7352 9512 E: omorgan@omarchitects.co.uk www.omarchitects.co.uk

Did you know... that celebrities who have made Wandsworth their home include Gordon Ramsey, Jack Dee and Sandi Toksvig?

O’Rooj Chartered Architect T: 020 8395 2109 E: designoro@yahoo.co.uk www.architectorooj.com POW Architects T: 020 3176 6620 E: enquiries@pow-architects.com www.pow-architects.com Richard Faulkner Architects T: 020 7622 0876 E: info@richardfaulkner.net www.richardfaulkner.net

Warren Rosing Architects T: 020 7993 8247 E: info@wr-architects.co.uk www.wr-architects.co.uk WMOR Architects T: 020 7819 9281 E: info@wmor.co.uk www.wmor.co.uk

AV SUPPLIERS Digital AV T: 020 8150 7976 E: info@digitalav.co.uk www.digitalav.co.uk Finite Solutions T: 020 7371 8761 E: london@finitesolutions.co.uk www.finitesolutions.co.uk Oranges & Lemons T: 020 7924 2040 E: sales@oandlhifi.co.uk www.oandlhifi.co.uk

BATHROOMS Bathroom Discount Centre T: 020 3697 6401 /020 7385 2330 E: sales@bathdisc.co.uk www.bathdisc.co.uk Bathrooms At Source T: 020 8870 0066 E: info@bathroomsatsource.co.uk www.bathroomsatsource.co.uk Bathrooms Plus T: 020 8876 8686 E: bathroomsplus@aol.com www.bathroomsplus-london.co.uk

D Grange & Sons T: 020 8540 3091 E: djgrange@btinternet.com www.dgrangeandsons.co.uk Drummonds T: 020 7376 4499 E: info@drummonds-uk.com www.drummonds-uk.com Eclectic Interiors T: 020 8673 0572 E: info@eclecticinteriors.co.uk www.eclecticinteriors.co.uk Glasstrends T: 020 7223 4017 E: info@glasstrends.co.uk www.glasstrends.co.uk H2O London T: 020 7720 3618 E: contact@h2olondon.com www.h2olondon.com Linear London T: 020 8675 3605 E: info@linearlondon.com www.linearlondon.com Porcelanosa Phone: 020 7751 2150 www.porcelanosa.com Potter Perrin T: 020 8677 5321 E: enquiries@potterperrin.com www.potterperrin.com West One Bathrooms T: 0333 011 3333 E: sales@westonebathrooms.com westonebathrooms.com

CARPENTERS & JOINERS Artisans Windows T: 020 8947 8549 E: info@artisanscarpentry.com www.artisanscarpentry.com

Bathstore www.bathstore.com

Balham Joinery T: 020 8648 3322 E: workshop@balhamjoinery.co.uk www.balhamjoinery.co.uk

Sheik T: 020 8286 6004 E: info@planningadditions.co.uk www.planningadditions.co.uk

BPM Bathrooms T: 020 7738 9475 E: sales@bpmbathrooms.co.uk www.bpmbathrooms.co.uk

Denis Gardiner Carpentry & Joinery T: 020 7244 7946 E: dg@denisgardiner.com www.denisgardiner.com

Steven Lenczner Architects T: 020 7736 3054 E: info@lenczner.co.uk www.lenczner.co.uk

Bromley & Ellis T: 020 7738 7323 E: info@bromleyellis.com www.bromleyellis.com

Eclectic Interiors T: 020 8673 0572 E: info@eclecticinteriors.co.uk www.eclecticinteriors.co.uk

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First Class Carpentry & Joinery T: 07939 273365 E: enquiries@colvinbrothers.com www.colvinbrothers.com Iain Parker Carpentry T: 07990 594995 E: iainparker@hotmail.com www.iainparkercarpentry.com King & Parcel (Bespoke Carpentry) T: 07814 492755 E: kingandparcel@gmail.com Madefern Joinery T: 020 7737 4450 E: info@madefern.co.uk www.madefern.co.uk Nu-Age Interiors T: 020 7118 0605 E: enquirires@nu-ageinteriors.com www.nu-ageinteriors.com RB Joinery T: 07919 076825 E: rbjoinery@yahoo.co.uk www.rbjoinery.co.uk

West London Carpentry & Decoration T: 07795 411400 E: tim@westlondoncarpentry.com www.westlondoncarpentry.com Woodenyou T: 020 7587 0602 E: markremain@woodenyou.co.uk www.woodenyou.co.uk

CARPETS & FITTERS

Arundell Carpets T: 020 7733 5494 E: info@arundellcarpets.com www.arundellcarpets.com

Advantage Basements B T: 020 8871 3055 E: info@advantagebasements.co.uk www.advantagebasements.co.uk

Bristow Clean T: 07949 084693 E: g-bristow@btconnect.com www.bristowclean.co.uk Capitol Carpets T: 020 3641 6200 www.capitolcarpetsbattersea.co.uk

RS Colvin T: 07939 273365 E: enquiries@colvinbrothers.com www.colvinbrothers.com

Charlotte Gaskell Oriental Carpets T: 020 8672 3224 E: info@charlottegaskell.com www.charlottegaskell.com

S Anderson T: 07939 825471 E: contact@seananderson-carpentry.co.uk www.seananderson-carpentry.co.uk

CPM Carpets T: 020 8767 1933 E: info@cpmcarpets.com www.cpmcarpets.com

Tablemakers T: 020 7223 2075 E: info@tablemakers.co.uk www.tablemakers.co.uk The London Alcove Company T: 0800 389 5724 E: sales@londonalcove.com www.londonalcove.com The Wood Panelling Company T: 020 7373 0332 E: enquiries@thewoodpanellingcompany.com www.thewoodpanellingcompany.com

CONTRACTORS & DEVELOPERS B L

Carpet Express T: 0800 181 072 E: info@carpet-express.co.uk www.londoncarpetexpress.co.uk

Supreme Solutions 4 U T: 07511 263406 E: ss4u.contact@gmail.com www.ss-4u.co.uk

The Carpet Gallery T: 020 7924 3678 E: thecarpetgallery@talktalk.net www.thecarpetgallerybattersea.com

Admiral Carpets T: 020 7585 1155 E: admiralcarpets@aol.com www.admiralcarpets.com

Roy Turner Carpentry T: 020 8337 7143 www.roy-turner.co.uk

Spacedin T: 020 8772 4565 E: ben@spacedin.co.uk www.spacedin.co.uk

The Carpet Bureau T: 020 7498 0532 E: bryan@thecarpetbureau.co.uk www.thecarpetbureau.co.uk

Hillside Carpets T: 020 8877 9595 E: info@hillsidecarpets.co.uk www.hillsidecarpets.co.uk Loomah T: 020 7371 9955 E: info@loomah.com www.loomah.com

Basement Specialist Loft Specialist

APT Basement Conversions B Apt Renovation Ltd L T: 020 7223 6417 E: info@aptrenovation.co.uk www.basements-cellars.co.uk www.aptrenovation.co.uk Ashville Inc. B T: 020 7736 0355 E: info@ashvilleinc.com www.ashvilleinc.com Basement Force B T: 020 8944 5707 E: info@basementforce.co.uk www.basementsforce.co.uk Battersea Builders B L T: 020 7100 5463 E: sales@batterseabuilders.co.uk www.batterseabuilders.co.uk Bel London B T: 07946 466520 E: bellondon@mail.com www.bellondon.com BH Basements B T: 020 7223 0093 E: info@bhbasements.co.uk www.bhbasements.co.uk

Marlows Carpets T: 020 8871 1169 E: info@marlowscarpets.com www.marlowscarpets.com Mayfair Carpet T: 020 7584 4442 www.mayfaircarpetgallery.co.uk South London Carpets & Flooring T: 020 8785 2472 E: ian@slcarpets.com www.slcarpets.com SW Carpet Company T: 020 3746 3202 E: office@swcarpetcompany.co.uk www.swcarpetcompany.co.uk

Loft bedroom by Landmark Lofts

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London Kitchen Extension Company T: 020 8672 5200 E: info@thelondonkitchenextensions.co.uk www.thelondonkitchenextensions.co.uk Mark Cox Developments T: 07956 935735 E: mark@markcoxdevelopments.co.uk markcoxdevelopments.co.uk

Did you know... that Jack Whitehall, Nadia Sawalha and Ainsley Harriott were all born in the borough of Wandsworth?

Mascot B T: 020 3475 4801 E: enquiries@mascotbespoke.com www.mascotbespoke.com

Atmospheric basement cinema room built by Oxford & London

Bj Cullen Builders L T: 07956 234232 www.bjcullenbuilders.com Clara Bee T: 07974 759428 E: clara@clarabee.com www.clarabee.com Dermarta T: 07720 034805 E: email@dermarta.co.uk www.dermarta.co.uk Doran Bros T: 020 8682 1021 E: info@doranbrosconstruction.co.uk www.doranbrosconstruction.co.uk DPS Ltd L T: 08000 432333 E: info@dpsco.co.uk www.dpsco.co.uk

Home works L T: 020 8658 6461 E: admin@allhomeworks.com www.allhomeworks.com Hurlingham Developments B T: 07739 174360 E: info@hurlinghamdevelopments.co.uk www.hurlinghamdevelopments.co.uk Increase Space T: 020 7738 9307 E: enquiries@increasespace.co.uk www.increasespace.co.uk JJ Developments L T: 08006 226025 E: info@jjd-uk.com www.jjd-uk.com

Minale & Mann B T: 020 3176 4499 E: info@minaleandmann.com www.minaleandmann.com M n S Building Services L T: 020 8679 2953 E: marcinwalasiak@yahoo.co.uk www.mnsbuildingservicesltd.co.uk Multiserve Construction & Refurbishment T: 020 8682 7700 E: bookings@multiserve.co.uk www.multiserve.co.uk N-Construction T: 020 7101 4803 E: nick@nconstruction.co.uk www.nconstruction.co.uk Nightingale Design & Build B L T: 07786 268597 E: info@nightingaledesignandbuild.co.uk www.nightingaledesignandbuild.co.uk

Kelmscott Home Improvement T: 020 8772 8191 E: info@khil.co.uk www.khil.co.uk

Nuspace L T: 020 3405 3480 E: info@i-want-nuspace.co.uk www.yourloftconversionlondon.co.uk

Estbury Basements B T: 08000 096644 E: info@estbury.com www.estburybasements.com

Landmark Lofts L T: 020 3150 0505 E: ofďŹ ce@landmarkgroup.uk.com www.landmark-lofts.com

Oxford & London Building Company B T: 020 8877 0526 E: enquiries@olbc.co.uk www.olbc.co.uk

Ensoul Interior Architecture B L T: 020 3637 0700 E: transform@ensoul.co.uk www.ensoul.co.uk

Lifestyle Design & Build B T: 020 7720 3082 E: info@lifestylebyasq.co.uk www.lifestylebyasq.co.uk

Plus Rooms T: 0800 917 7127 E: plus@plusrooms.co.uk www.plusrooms.co.uk

Good London Builders B T: 020 7978 5097 E: info@goodlondonbuilders.com www.goodlondonbuilders.com

Loft 4 You L T: 0208 286 6911 E: office@loft4you.co.uk www.loft4you.co.uk

Qualitas Construction B T: 020 8432 1520 E: info@qualitasconstruction.com www.qualitasconstruction.com

Green Construction London B T: 020 8870 5898 E: info@greenconstructionlondon.com www.greenconstructionlondon.com

London Basement B T: 020 8847 9449 E: sales@londonbasement.co.uk www.londonbasement.co.uk

R & M Lines L T: 02079 787840 E: Info@rmlines.com www.rmlines.com

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Rhino Construction L T: 020 8405 6445 E: info@rhinoconstruction.co.uk www.rhinoconstruction.co.uk

Werner & Werner L T: 020 8616 7558 E: info@wernerandwerner.co.uk www.wernerandwerner.co.uk

Custom Made Curtains & Blinds T: 020 8987 9687 E: info@londoncurtainsandblinds.co.uk www.custommadecurtainsandblindslondon.co.uk

Ridgway Builders T: 020 8540 7528 E: enquiries@ridgwaybuilders.co.uk www.ridgwaybuilders.com

WJC 4U L T: 020 8870 8536 www.wjc4ubuilders.co.uk

DB Interiors T: 020 7228 4384 E: DBIntLtd@yahoo.co.uk

Wynnman T: 020 8715 0922 E: info@wynnman.co.uk www.wynnman.co.uk

Deco Upholstery & Soft Furnishings T: 07505 221847 E: info@decoupholstery.com www.decoupholstery.com

Simply Basement B T: 0800 917 7571 E: info@simplybasement.co.uk www.simplybasement.co.uk

Xtraspace Construction B T: 020 8871 4792 E: enquiries@xtra-space.com www.xtra-space.com

Simply Extend T: 0800 917 7571 E: info@simplyextend.co.uk www.simplyextend.co.uk

Your Space L T: 020 8544 1662 E: office@yourspace-contractors.com www.yourspace-contractors.com

Did you know... that in 1906 the Wright brothers patented the aeroplane and Tooting Bec lido opened? Both have transformed summer holidays for South-West Londoners

Scribe London Lofts L T: 020 8771 6545 E: scribelondonlofts@live.co.uk www.scribelondonlofts.co.uk

Simply Extensions T: 020 8392 9505 E: info@simplyextensions.co.uk www.simplyextensions.co.uk Simply Loft L T: 0800 917 7571 E: info@simplyloft.co.uk www.simplyloft.co.uk St Johns Builders T: 020 3751 4291 E: stjohnsbuilders@gmail.com www.stjohnsbuilders.co.uk T & M Star Construction L T: 020 7498 5560 E: mail@tmstarconstruction.co.uk www.tmstarconstruction.co.uk The Yellow Building Company L T: 020 3362 4364 E: enquiries@theyellowbuildingcompany.com www.theyellowbuildingcompany.co.uk Thorogood Building T: 07837 735847 E: dthorogood@msn.com www.thorogoodbuilding.com Unbeatable Builders L T: 020 8543 9299 E: info@unbeatablebuilders.com www.unbeatablebuilders.com Underground London B T: 07739 148038 E: lawrence@uglondon.com www.uglondon.com Upsher Harrison B L T: 020 7738 9307 E: info@upsherharrison.com www.upsherharrison.com Urang Group B T: 020 7751 8356 E: info@urang.co.uk www.urang.co.uk

Did you know... that Wandsworth has more celebrity chefs per square mile than any other London borough? Maybe

CURTAINS & SOFT FURNISHINGS Andrew Martin T: 020 7225 5100 E: showroom@andrewmartin.co.uk www.andrewmartin.co.uk Angelika Gula T: 07961 964916 E: info@agsf.co.uk www.agsf.co.uk Atelier Textiles T: 020 7352 7776 E: sales@ateliertextiles.com www.ateliertextiles.com Camerich T: 020 7751 5936 E: sales@camerich.co.uk www.camerich.co.uk Cameron Broom T: 020 8875 7910 E: sales@cameronbroom.com www.cameronbroom.com City Cows T: 020 7099 6616 E: sales@citycows.co.uk www.citycows.co.uk Curtains & Soft Furnishings T: 020 8677 4763 E: contact@curtainuk.co.uk www.curtainuk.co.uk Curtain Workshop Balham T: 020 8877 0167

Dedar T: 020 7351 9939 E: showroomuk@dedar.com www.dedar.com Downers Design T: 020 8877 0886 E: enquiries@downersdesign.co.uk www.downersdesign.co.uk E & A Wates T: 020 8769 2205 E: sales@eawates.com www.eawates.com Fiona Campbell Design T: 020 7731 3681 E: info@fionacampbelldesign.co.uk www.fionacampbelldesign.co.uk Graham & Green T: 020 7243 8908 E: crescent@grahamandgreen.co.uk www.grahamandgreen.co.uk Handcrafted by Harriet T: 07886 227154 E: handcraftedbyharriet@gmail.com www.handcraftedbyharriet.com House Couturier T: 020 7371 9255 E: info@housecouturier.eu www.housecouturier.eu Isabel Spencer T: 020 8677 8031 E: isabelspencer@googlemail.com www.isabelspencer.co.uk Jorge & Silva Upholstery T: 020 7627 6486 E: info@jandsupholstery.co.uk www.jandsupholsterylondon.co.uk June Perkins T: 020 7228 5181 E: info@juneperkinsinteriors.com www.juneperkinsinteriors.com

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Kirsty Kissell T: 07809 675259 E: info@kirstykissellfurnishings.com www.kirstykissellfurnishings.com L & M Curtains & Blinds T: 07850 835991 E: sue@landmcurtains.co.uk www.landmcurtains.co.uk Ma Maison T: 07785 338714 E: beatrice.mamasion@gmail.com www.mamaisondesign.co.uk Mint T: 020 7225 2228 E: info@mintshop.co.uk www.mintshop.co.uk Perfect Fit London T: 07432 832855 E: tony@perfectfitlondon.com www.perfectftlondon.co.uk Osborne & Little T: 020 8812 3000 E: oandl@osborneandlittle.com www.osborneandlittle.com Revamp T: 020 8767 7222 E: wandsworthshop@revampinteriors.com www.revampinteriors.co.uk Robert Spurway T: 020 7351 6888 E: sales@robertspurway.com www.robertspurway.com Rogers T: 020 8769 1196 E: sidegreen@btinternet.com www.rogerscurtains.com

Bifold doors from Ayrton Bespoke

DOORS Artisans Doors T: 020 8947 8549 E: info@artisanscarpentry.com Ayrton Bespoke T: 020 8877 8920 E: enquiries@ayrtonbespoke.com www.ayrtonbespoke.com Cedar Bifold Company T: 020 8944 5523 E: sales@cedarbifoldcompany.com www.cedarbifoldcompany.com

Rowena Maher T: 07734 213766 E: rowena@rowenamaher.com www.rowenamaher.com

Cotswood Doors T: 020 8368 1664 E: info@cotswood-doors.co.uk www.cotswood-doors.co.uk

The Curtain Lady Interiors T: 020 8947 6225 E: info@thecurtainlady.net www.thecurtainladyinteriors.co.uk

Distinguished Façades T: 020 8540 4478 E: brianmeakin@distinguishedfacades.co.uk www.distinguishedfacades.co.uk

The Design Net T: 020 7820 7771 E: studio@thedesignnet.co.uk www.thedesignnet.co.uk

Fortis & Hooke Decorators T: 0800 313 4688 E: info@sash-windowrenovation.co.uk www.sash-windowrenovation.co.uk

The Upholstery Workshop T: 020 7738 1003 E: jamesuph@btinternet.com www.theupholsteryworkshop.com

Green Double Glazing T: 020 8150 9995 E: info@greendoubleglazing.co.uk www.greendoubleglazing.co.uk

Tissus d’Hélène T: 020 7352 9977 E: sales@tissusdhelene.co.uk www.tissusdhelene.co.uk

Did you know... that Dick Turpin is believed to have drunk in The Plough pub, Clapham Junction?

Volga Linen T: 020 7736 7756 E: info@volgalinen.co.uk www.volgalinen.co.uk

JE Carpentry T: 020 8742 3145 E: enquiries@jecarpentryservices.co.uk www.jecarpentryservices.co.uk

London Carpentry T: 0800 0858 454 E: londoncarpentry@live.co.uk www.londoncarpentry.co.uk MTM Herman T: 07885 51724 E: info@mtm-herman.co.uk www.mtm-herman-joinery.co.uk The London Door Company T: 020 7801 0877 E: info@londondoor.co.uk www.londondoor.co.uk Todd Doors T: 08009 878667 www.todd-doors.co.uk Vitrocsa London T: 020 8274 0768 or 020 3355 6082 E: office@vitrocsa.co.uk www.vitrocsa.co.uk Warmlite T: 020 8399 3377 www.warmlite.co.uk

ELECTRICIANS BK Electrical T: 020 8677 1156 E: info@bkelectrical.com www.bkelectrical.com Dan Collier T: 07921 997351 www.dcelectricsuk.com Harland Voss T: 020 8451 0345 www.harlandvoss.com

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Multiserve T: 0800 061 2002 E: bookings@multiserve.co.uk www. multiserve.co.uk Paul Longland Electrical Services T: 07571 08008 E: paullongland47@gmail.com www.paullongland.com SW Bishop Electrical T: 020 7924 1421 E: steve@swbishop.co.uk www.swbishop.co.uk The Cavalry T: 07789 007848 E: info@wandsworthhandymen.co.uk www.wandsworthhandymen.co.uk The Hamilton Group T: 020 7738 8967 E: enquiries@hamiltongroup.co.uk www.hamiltongroup.co.uk Worcester Park Electrical Services T: 07703 345769 E: wpelectricalservices@sky.com www.worcesterparkelectrical.co.uk

Chimney Lining London T: 020 3701 1920 E: info@embers.co.uk www.chimney-lining-london.co.uk

The Fireplace Shop T: 020 8741 5013 E: thefireplaceshop@yahoo.co.uk www.the-fireplace-shop.co.uk

English Fireplaces T: 01730 888162 E: info@englishfireplaces.co.uk www.englishfireplaces.co.uk

The London Stove Company T: 07853 165447 E: info@thelondonstovecompany.co.uk www.thelondonstovecompany.co.uk

Enviro-Flame T: 020 8543 2170 E: info@enviro-flame.co.uk www.enviro-flame.co.uk

Westcombes T: 020 8852 6204 www.westcombes.co.uk

Did you know... that the first asparagus grown in Britain was in Battersea Park in 1850?

Fiveways Fires & Stoves T: 020 8127 4747 E: info@fivewaysfires.co.uk www.fivewaysfires.co.uk Frazer’s Installations T: 020 8676 4151 E: info@dulwichfires.com www.dulwichfires.com Grate Expectations Fireplace Specialists T: 020 8540 8387 E: info@grateexpectations.com www.grateexpectations.com Hannings T: 020 8677 5795 E: info@hannings.co.uk www.hannings.co.uk Install My Fireplace T: 0800 211 8627 E: hello@installmyfireplace.co.uk www.installmyfireplace.co.uk Ironwright T: 020 7228 2727 E: enquiries@ironwright.co.uk www.ironwright.co.uk

Handyman courtesy of Multiserve

FIREPLACES

Marmorea T: 020 7924 2010 E: info@marmorealondon.com www.marmorealondon.com

FLOORING MJS Domestic & Commercial Flooring T: 020 8947 6431 E: info@mjsflooring.co.uk www.mjsflooring.co.uk Mosaicwork T: 020 8690 0569 E: info@mosaicwork.co.uk www.mosaicwork.co.uk One Wood Floors T: 020 8942 5554 E: info@onewoodfloors.co.uk www.onewoodfloors.co.uk Tech Flooring T: 020 8150 7213 E: techflooring@gmail.com www.techflooring.co.uk The Natural Wood Floor Company T: 020 8871 9771 E: sales@naturalwoodfloor.co.uk www.naturalwoodfloor.co.uk The Prestige Flooring Company T: 01932 866087 E: info@theprestigeflooringco.com www.theprestigeflooringco.com Walls & Floors T: 020 8788 5900 E: putneysales@wallsandfloors.co.uk www.wallsandfloors.co.uk Waxed Floors T: 020 7738 1620 E: sales@waxedfloors.co.uk www.waxedfloors.co.uk

AFire T: 020 3286 7060 E: contact@a-fire.com www.a-fireplace.com

PJ Wright & Sons T: 020 8771 9708 E: info@fireplacerestoration.co.uk www.fireplacerestoration.co.uk

Blue Mantle Fireplaces & Antiques T: 020 7703 7437 E: syed@bluemantle.co.uk www.bluemantle.co.uk

Real Flame (London) T: 020 7731 5025 E: sales@realflame.co.uk www.realflame.co.uk

Andrew Martin T: 020 7225 5100 E: showroom@andrewmartin.co.uk www.andrewmartin.co.uk

Casa T: 020 7732 3911 E: care@casaonline.co.uk www.casaonline.co.uk

RPS Fireplaces T: 020 8778 7472 E: info@rpsfireplaces.co.uk www.rpsfireplaces.co.uk

Arthur Brett T: 020 7730 7304 E: enquiries@arthurbrett.com www.arthurbrett.com

Chesney’s T: 020 7627 1410 E: sales@chesneys.co.uk www.chesneys.co.uk

Stonewoods T: 020 8870 5555 E: info@stonewoods.co.uk www.stonewoods.co.uk

Camerich T: 020 7751 5936 E: sales@camerich.co.uk www.camerich.co.uk

FURNITURE

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Case Furniture T: 020 8870 4488 E: info@casefurniture.co.uk www.casefurniture.com

Sweetpea & Willow T: 0345 257 2627 E: info@sweetpeaandwillow.com www.sweetpeaandwillow.com

Corido T: 020 8655 6242 E: info@corido.co.uk www.corido.co.uk

Cult Furniture T: 020 8185 6960 E: info@cultfurniture.com www.cultfurniture.com

The Book Case Company T: 020 8870 7707 E: info@thebookcaseco.co.uk www.thebookcaseco.co.uk

Cyan T: 020 8655 6240 E: info@cyan-teak-furniture.com www.cyan-teak-furniture.com

Darlings Of Chelsea T: 020 3376 4224 E: info@darlingsofchelsea.co.uk www.darlingsofchelsea.co.uk

The Design Net T: 020 7820 7771 E: studio@thedesignnet.co.uk www.thedesignnet.co.uk

Cypress Garden Services T: 020 8330 7787 E: info@cypressgardenservices.co.uk www.cypressgardenservices.co.uk

William Yeoward T: 020 7349 7828 E: enquiries@williamyeoward.com www.williamyeoward.com

Dekkers & Darling T: 020 7371 0777 E: info@dekkersanddarling.com www.dekkersanddarling.com

Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Company T: 01485 542516 E: service@wroughtironandbrassbed.co.uk www.wroughtironandbrassbed.co.uk

Eden Gardens Group T: 020 8401 7344 or 07848 902879 or 07401 522259 E: edengardensgroup.co.uk www.edengardensgroup.co.uk

De Gournay T: 020 7352 9988 E: rachel@degournay.com www.degournay.com Delcor T: 020 7352 5551 E: sales@delcor.co.uk www.delcor.co.uk Emblem Furniture T: 020 8847 2102 E: enquiries@emblemfurniture.co.uk www.emblemfurniture.co.uk

GARDENERS & LANDSCAPERS

Falcon Furnishers T: 020 7585 1809 www.falconfurnishers.co.uk

Acer Homes & Gardens T: 020 8671 8404 E: phillip.bacon@acer-landscapes.co.uk www.acer-landscapes.co.uk

HedgeWright T: 020 8995 6645 E: info@hedgewright.com www.hedgewright.com

Andy Sturgeon Landscape & Garden Design T: 01273 553336 E: enquiries@andysturgeon.com www.andysturgeon.com

Did you know... that Balham is the only underground station that doesn’t have any of the letters of the word underground in it?

Anewgarden T: 020 8395 5764 E: info@anewgarden.co.uk www.anewgarden.co.uk

Julian Chichester T: 020 7622 2928 E: sales@julianchichester.com www.julianchichester.com/uk Kings Furniture Store T: 020 8751 4586 E: info@kingsfurniturestore.com www.kingsfurniturestore.com

Anna’s Gardens T: 07958 247517 E: annasgardens@hotmail.co.uk www.annasgardens.com Bamboo Landscaping T: 020 8454 7118 E: info@bamboolandscaping.co.uk www.bamboolandscaping.co.uk

Lema T: 020 3761 3290 E: contract.uk@lemamobili.com www.lema-uk.com

Barbed T: 020 8878 7994 E: info@barbed.co.uk www.barbed.co.uk

Loaf T: 0845 468 0698 E: Sally@loaf.com www.loaf.com

Bartholomew Landscaping T: 020 7931 8685 E: gardens@bartholomewlandscaping.com www.bartholomewlandscaping.com

Melac International T: 020 7589 9926 E: info@melacinternational.co.uk www.melacinternational.co.uk

Battersea Flower Station T: 020 7978 4253 E: hello@batterseaflowerstation.co.uk www.batterseaflowerstation.co.uk

Nordic Style Sweden T: 020 7351 1755 E: www.nordicstyle.com/contact-us www.nordicstyle.com

Capital Gardens - Neal’s Nurseries T: 020 8874 2037 E: cs@capitalgardens.co.uk www.capitalgardens.co.uk

Harrington Porter T: 020 7731 3552 E: info@harringtonporter.com www.harringtonporter.com Hibbsy T: 020 8485 7159 E: enquiry@hibbsy.co.uk www.hibbsy.co.uk Home Garden T: 020 3540 7776 E: office@homegarden.org.uk www.homegarden.org.uk London Front Garden Company T: 020 8947 7373 E: info@londonfrontgardencompany.co.uk www.londonfrontgardencompany.co.uk London Gardeners T: 020 8434 7256 E: office@londongardeners.org.uk www.londongardeners.org.uk

Last year’s winning Show Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Credit: RHS

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Looking Glass Gates T: 020 8780 9514 E: lookingglassgates.co.uk www.lookingglassgates.co.uk

The Longest Stay T: 020 7349 9057 E: info@thelongeststay.com www.thelongeststay.com

GLASS

Muddy Wellies T: 020 8543 2421 E: info@muddy-wellies.com www.muddy-wellies.com

Ably Glass T: 020 8677 7872 www.ablyglass.co.uk

Rosie Nottage T: 07958 247517 E: design@rosienottage.com www.rosienottage.com Terra Construction & Gardening T: 07553 909077 E: info@terraconstruction.co.uk www.terraconstruction.co.uk The Chelsea Gardener T: 020 7352 5656 E: info@chelseagardener.com www.chelseagardener.com The Gorgeous Garden Company T: 020 8772 9079 E: info@itsgorgeous.com www.itsgorgeous.com

Did you know... that there are nearly as many bricks in Battersea Power Station as people in the UK? Townhouse Gardens T: 020 7244 0058 E: mike@townhouse-gardens.co.uk www.townhouse-gardens.co.uk Treebox T: 020 8543 4530 E: info@treebox.co.uk www.treebox.co.uk

GARDEN FURNITURE Awnings & Verandas T: 0800 074 2721 E: sbi.install@btinternet.com www.sbiproducts.co.uk Barbed T: 020 8878 1994 E: info@barbed.co.uk www.barbed.co.uk Buttacup T: 020 8785 2802 E: hello@buttacup.co.uk www.buttacup.co.uk Dekkers & Darling T: 020 7736 5445 E: info@dekkersanddarling.com www.dekkersanddarling.com Go Modern Furniture T: 020 7731 9540 E: sales@gomodern.co.uk www.gomodern.co.uk

Outdoor comfort from Go Modern Hibbsy T: 020 8485 7159 E: enquiry@hibbsy.co.uk www.hibbsy.co.uk Indian Ocean T: 020 8675 4808 E: balham@indian-ocean.co.uk www.indian-ocean.co.uk JC Gardens T: 020 7627 5035 E: julian@jcgardens.com www.jcgardens.com Jo Alexander T: 01954 768 574 E: info@joalexander.co.uk www.joalexander.co.uk/ Joseph John T: 020 3713 0053 E: info@josephjohncarpentry.co.uk www.josephjohncarpentry.co.uk

Addlestone Windows & Conservatories T: 01483 853778 E: contact@addlestonewindows.co.uk www.addlestonewindows.co.uk Aspect.co.uk T: 0844 334 8993 E: enquiries@aspect.co.uk www.aspect.co.uk Assured Glass T: 020 8241 2040 E: sales@assuredglass.co.uk www.assuredglass.co.uk Bisazza UK T: 020 7584 8837 E: bisazza.london@bisazza.com www.bisazza.com Blount Stained Glass T: 020 8671 6938 E: emmablount@yahoo.co.uk www.blountstainedglass.co.uk Brompton Glass T: 020 7373 3564 www.bromptonglass.co.uk Clarity Glass Repairs T: 0800 772 0194 www.clarityglassrepairs.co.uk

Looking Glass Gates T: 020 8780 9514 E: info@lookingglassgates.co.uk www.lookingglassgates.co.uk

Decorum Est T: 020 7731 5556 E: enquiries@decorumest.co.uk www.decorumest.co.uk

Raft Furniture T: 020 3764 1844 E: clampham@raftfurniture.co.uk www.raftfurniture.co.uk

Fortis & Hooke Decorators T: 0800 313 4688 E: info@sash-windowrenovation.co.uk www.sash-windowrenovation.co.uk

Skandium T: 020 7584 2066 E: brompton@skandium.com www.skandium.com Summit Furniture T: 020 7795 3311 E: info@summitfurniture.co.uk www.summitfurniture.com The Chelsea Gardener T: 020 7352 5656 E: info@chelseagardener.com www.chelseagardener.com The Garden Builders T: 020 7371 8002 www.gardenbuilders.co.uk

Glasstrends T: 020 7223 4017 E: info@glasstrends.co.uk www.glasstrends.co.uk Gordon Chilvers Stained Glass Design T: 020 8672 6055 E: gcglassdesign@aol.com www.stained-glass-design.co.uk Juno Glass T: 020 8870 9293 E: sales@junoglass.co.uk www.junoglass.co.uk Kingseal Windows T: 020 7498 8874 E: info@kingsealwindows.co.uk www.kingsealwindows.co.uk

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London Stained Glass T: 020 3247 1000 E: stark@londonstainedglass.co.uk www.londonstainedglass.co.uk Prentice Glass T: 020 8944 9001 E: sales@prenticeglass.co.uk www.prenticeglass.co.uk

Lee Broom T: 020 7820 0742 E: info@leebroom.com www.leebroom.com Lords at Home T: 020 7223 4487 E: northcoteroad@lordsathome.com www.lordsathome.com

Prism Glass T: 020 8181 8405 www.prismglass.co.uk

Piaggi Mirrors T: 020 7060 7161 E: store@piaggi.co.uk www.piaggi.co.uk/store

Putney Glass & Glazing T: 020 8870 0380 E: putney.glass@btconnect.com www.putneyglass.com

Rigby & Mac T: 020 8761 1011 E: info@ribyandmac.com www.rigbyandmac.com

SW Glass T: 020 7751 0011 E: info@sw-glass.co.uk www.sw-glass.co.uk UK Splashbacks T: 0800 232 1149 E: info@uksplashbacks.com www.uksplashbacks.com Wandle Glassworks T: 07763 768738 E: amanda@wandleglassworks.co.uk www.wandleglassworks.co.uk

Squint T: 020 8986 6583 E: mail@squintlimited.com www.squintlimited.com

INTERIOR DESIGNERS AMH Interiors T: 020 7788 7767 E: info@amhinteriors.com www.amhinteriors.com Chantel Elshout Design Consultancy T: 020 7720 7859 E: design@chantelelshout.com www.chantelelshout.com Clara Bee T: 07974 759428 E: clara@clarabee.com www.clarabee.com Clare Gaskin T: 07879 455025 E: clare@claregaskin.com claregaskin.com

Orange glass splashback adds zing to this kitchen from UK Splashbacks

HOMEWARES Abbeville Domestic T: 020 3253 0003 E: abbevillerichard@gmail.com www.abbevilledomestics-london.co.uk Alma T: 020 7377 0762 E: info@alma1938.com www.alma1938.com Cooker Solutions T: 020 3478 0883 E: cookersolutions@mail.com www.cookersolutions.com Do South Shop T: 020 8771 0500 E: info@dosouthshop.com www.dosouthshop.com

Cue & Co of London T: 020 7731 4728 E: info@cueandco.com www.cueandco.com Emma Green Design T: 020 7738 0637 E: emma@emmagreendesign.com www.emmagreendesign.com Ensoul Interior Architecture T: 020 3637 0700 E: transform@ensoul.co.uk www.ensoul.co.uk Forrester Roberts Interior Design T: 07958 273647 E: info@forresterroberts.com www.forresterroberts.com Helene Dabrowski Interiors T: 020 8378 1574 www.helenedabrowskiinteriors.co.uk Into Interior Design T: 07971 424377 E: info@intointeriordesign.co.uk www.intointeriordesign.co.uk

Keir Townsend T: 020 7746 2442 E: info@keirtownsend.com www.keirtownsend.com Lisette Voute Designs T: 020 7228 5824 E: lisette@lisettevoute.com www.lisettevoute.com MK Design T: 07553 500896 www.mathildekubisiak.com Nicki Cox Interiors T: 07976 305794 E: nicki@nickicox.co.uk www.nickicox.portfoliobox.me Sigmar T: 020 7751 5802 E: info@sigmarlondon.com www.sigmarlondon.com Space Alchemy Interior Design T: 020 7987 1622 E: info@space-alchemy.com www.space-alchemy.com The Paint House T: 020 7924 5118 www.thepainthouse.com Velvet Orange T: 020 7884 0530 E: studio@velvetorange.co.uk www. velvetorange.co.uk

IRONMONGERY Fulham Brass & Ironmongery T: 020 7736 3157 www.fulhambrassonline.com SDS London T: 020 7228 1185 www.sdslondon.co.uk

KITCHENS Bulthaup T: 020 8785 1960 E: info@kitchenarchitecture.co.uk www.kitchenarchitecture.co.uk Eclectic Interiors T: 020 8673 0572 E: info@eclecticinteriors.co.uk www.eclecticinteriors.co.uk Hub Kitchens T: 020 7924 2285 E: info@hubkitchens.com www.hubkitchens.com Harvey Jones Kitchens T: 020 7228 4454 E: Info@ harveyjones.com www.harveyjones.com

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Liminaires Lighting T: 020 8874 4978 E: sales@liminaires.co.uk www.liminaires.co.uk Ryness T: 0845 630 3035 E: websupport@ryness.co.uk www.ryness.co.uk Superlites T: 020 7924 2055 E: info@superlites.co.uk www.superlites.co.uk The Lighting Design Studio T: 020 7112 5364 E: info@thelightingdesignstudio.co.uk www.thelightingdesignstudio.co.uk Tindle T: 020 7384 1485 E: sales@tindle-lighting.co.uk www.tindle-lighting.co.uk

Fixed panels from Cedar Bifold Company

Kitchen Connections T: 020 8947 6180 E: anna@kitchenconnections.co.uk www.kitchenconnections.co.uk Linear London T: 020 8675 3605 E: info@linearlondon.com www.linearlondon.com Lifestyle Design & Build T: 020 7720 3082 E: info@lifestylebyasq.co.uk www.lifestylebyasq.co.uk Ocean Home Designs T: 020 8012 8140 E: contact@oceanhomedesigns.co.uk www.oceanhomedesigns.co.uk Puccini Kitchens T: 020 3507 1937 E: andrew@puccinikitchens.co.uk www.puccinikitchens.co.uk Roundhouse T: 020 7471 8834 E: info@roundhousedesign.com www.roundhousedesign.com

LIGHTING Andrew Martin T: 020 7225 5100 E: showroom@andrewmartin.co.uk www.andrewmartin.co.uk Baroncelli T: 020 7720 6556 E: ion@baroncelli.com www.baroncelli.com CDL T: 020 7924 4242 E: marketing@c-d-l.co.uk www.cdlighting.co.uk Chimera T: 020 8544 2600 www.chimeracontrols.co.uk Christopher Wray T: 020 7013 0190 E: headoffice@christopherwray.com www.christopherwray.com

TLC T: 01293 565630 E: sales@tlc-direct.co.uk www.tlc-direct.co.uk Wimbledon Lighting & Electrical T: 020 8542 2828 E: sales@wimbledonlighting.co.uk www.wimbledonlighting.co.uk Wired & Wonderful T: 020 8947 6441 E: info@wiredandwonderful.co.uk www.wiredandwonderful.co.uk Wynnman T: 020 8715 0922 E: Info@wynnman.co.uk www.wynnman.co.uk

MARBLE, GRANITE & STONE Ama Marble T: 07827 908226 E: contactus@amamarble.co.uk www.amamarble.co.uk

Clever & Simple T: 07725 049863 www.cleverandsimple.com

Borg & Ranalli T: 020 7627 3962

Sola Kitchens T: 020 3004 0898 E: info@solakitchens.com www.solakitchens.com

CRS Electrical Supplies T: 020 7720 8868 E: sales@crselec.co.uk www.crselec.co.uk

Britannicus Stone T: 020 7751 5962 E: nina@britannicus-stone.co.uk www.britannicus-stone.co.uk

West London Kitchens T: 020 8741 1981 E: info@westlondonkitchens.com www.westlondonkitchens.com

Hector Finch T: 020 7731 8886 E: sales@hectorfinch.com www.hectorfinch.com

Decorum Est T: 020 7731 5556 E: enquiries@decorumest.co.uk www.decorumest.co.uk

Wharfside T: 020 7253 3206 E: shoreditch@wharfside.co.uk www.wharfside.co.uk

John Cullen Lighting T: 020 7371 5400 E: design@johncullenlighting.co.uk www.johncullenlighting.co.uk

DVG Stone T: 020 7235 2996 E: info@DVGStone.com www.dvgstone.com

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English City Stone T: 020 8673 8785 E: info@englishcitystone.co.uk www.englishcitystone.co.uk European Heritage T: 020 7381 6063 E: onlineorders@europeanheritage.com www.europeanheritage.co.uk Experts in Stone T: 020 8871 1919 E: expertsinstone@btconnect.com www.stoneco.biz Fiorito T: 020 8560 7559 E: sales@fiorito.co.uk www.fiorito.co.uk Fulham Stone T: 020 7384 9092 www.fulhamstone.co.uk Granite & Marble International T: 020 7498 2742 E: info@stonework.co.uk www.gmistonework.co.uk Mander & Germain T: 020 8871 1326 E: info@mandergermain.com www.manderandgermain.co.uk Marble City T: 020 8871 1191 E: sales@marble-city.co.uk www.marble-city.co.uk Marble Granite Limestone Warehouse T: 020 7720 9944 E: info@mglw.co.uk Marble Interiors T: 020 8944 2020 E: sales@marbleinteriors.co.uk www.marbleinteriors.co.uk Metalgarde T: 020 3598 5386 E: info@metalgarde.com www.metalgarde.com NatureFusion T: 07702 411717 www.nature-fusion.com Norstone T: 020 3178 2801 E: sales@norstoneuk.com www.norstone.co.uk Paris Ceramics T: 020 7371 7778 E: salesteam@parisceramics.com www.parisceramics.com Stone Productions Contracts T: 020 7228 0707 E: info@spc-ltd.com www.spc-ltd.com

Stone Zone T: 020 8874 0677 www.stonezone.co.uk The Como Stone Company T: 020 7794 2341 E: info@comostone.com www.comostone.com.au

Did you know... that one in every ten film projects shot on location in London takes place in the Wandsworth area? Last year it hosted over 1,000 filming days The Stone & Ceramic Warehouse T: 020 8993 5545 E: stephena@sacm.co.uk www.sacm.co.uk Trajan Natural Stone T: 07977 107508 E: info@trajanstone.com www.trajannaturalstone.co.uk

The Little Greene Paint Company T: 0845 880 5855 E: mail@littlegreene.com www.littlegreene.com

PAINTERS & DECORATORS Acer Homes & Gardens T: 020 8671 8404 E: phillip.bacon@acer-landscapes.co.uk www.acer-landscapes.co.uk Augustus Deco T: 07775 655681 www.augustusdeco.com Beaulieu Services T: 020 8659 0127 E: info@beauserv.co.uk www.beauserv.co.uk David Pepper T: 07803 584471 E: david.pepper@usa.net www.pepperdecorating.com

Via Arkadia Italian Tiles T: 020 7351 7057 E: mail@via-arkadia.co.uk www.via-arkadia.co.uk World’s End Tiles T: 020 7819 2100 www.worldsendtiles.co.uk

PAINT Farrow & Ball T: 01202 876141 E: Sales@Farrow-Ball.com www.farrow-ball.com Gowallpaper T: 01617 249085 E: enquiries@gowallpaper.co.uk www.gowallpaper.co.uk Oikos T: 07526 305402 E: info@oikos-group.it www.oikos-group.it Paint the Town Green T: 020 8871 0531 E: showroom@paintthetowngreen.biz www.paintthetowngreen.biz Perry’s Art Plus Office T: 020 7736 7225 E: info@perrysartoffice.com www.perrysartoffice.co.uk Ready2Paint T: 020 3751 7229 The Invisible Painter T: 020 7622 7999 www.theinvisiblepainter.co.uk

Painted exterior from Paint The Town Green Distinguished Façades T: 020 8540 4478 E: brianmeakin@distinguishedfacades.co.uk www.distinguishedfacades.co.uk Emulsional Rescue T: 020 7733 2203 J & V Painting & Decorating T: 07466 019180 Magic Paintbrush Company T: 07768 094659 E: john.scudamore@me.com N-Construction T: 020 7101 4803 E: nick@nconstruction.co.uk www.nconstruction.co.uk Paint the Town Green T: 020 8871 0531 E: info@paintthetowngreen.biz www.paintthetowngreen.biz

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Patrick Collins T: 020 8299 1547 E: patrickjcollins@hotmail.co.uk Prodec London T: 07789 863090 E: prodeclondon@yahoo.com www.prodeclondon.com Renomark T: 07894 153565 E: tomasz.k@renomark.co.uk www.renomark.co.uk

Mac Plastering Team T: 020 8355 5170 E: contact@macplasteringteam.co.uk www.macplasteringteam.co.uk

N-Construction T: 020 7101 4803 E: nick@nconstruction.co.uk www.nconstruction.co.uk

Martin Sheridan T: 020 8540 7185 E: msheridanplastering@hotmail.co.uk www.martinsheridan-plastering.co.uk

Phoneaplumber T: 020 3322 3939 www.phoneaplumber.co.uk

Natural Plastering T: 07877 378344 E: info@naturalplastering.co.uk www.naturalplastering.co.uk

T & M Star Construction T: 020 7498 5560 E: mail@tmstarconstruction.co.uk www.tmstarconstruction.co.uk

Pimlico Plastering T: 0800 051 8412 E: pimlicoplastering@hotmail.co.uk

Wimbledon Painters T: 020 7112 8682 www.wimbledonpainters.co.uk

Plastering Art T: 020 8616 0207 E: plastering@yahoo.co.uk www.plastering-art.co.uk

Wynnman T: 020 8715 0922 E: info@wynnman.co.uk www.wynnman.co.uk

Ridgedec Alterations T: 020 7720 2982 E: ridgedecalterations@hotmail.co.uk www.ridgedecalterationslondon.co.uk

PLASTERERS Advance Plastering T: 020 8669 7293 E: enquiries@southlondonplastering.co.uk www.southlondonplastering.co.uk Claylens T: 0800 689 1981 E: info@claylens.com www.claylenslondon.co.uk Davies Period Plaster Mouldings T: 020 8871 9399 E: peter@daviesplastering.co.uk www.daviesplastering.co.uk Emulsional Rescue T: 020 7733 2203 Expert Plasterers T: 07535 266183 E: info@expert-plasterers.co.uk www.expert-plasterers.co.uk F & B Decorators T: 07979 892011 E: contacts@fbdecorators.co.uk www.fbdecorators.co.uk G Tomkins Plastering T: 020 8296 0922 E: gregorytomkins@hotmail.co.uk www.gtomkinsplastering.co.uk Langley Property Services T: 020 3195 0330 www.langleypropertyservices.co.uk Lukas Plastering Rendering Service T: 07407 121829 E: l.olkowski@aol.co.uk www.lukasplasteringrenderingservice.co.uk

St James Plastering T: 020 8648 9173 E: jameslawlor_2@msn.com www.stjamesplastering.co.uk Stucco Finishes T: 07918 551890 E: info@stuccofinishes.co.uk www.stuccofinishes.co.uk Wells Interiors T: 020 3637 3176 E: info@wells-interiors.com www.wells-interiors.com

PLUMBERS Battersea & Clapham Plumbing & Heating T: 07989 557541 E: info@batterseaandclaphampandh.co.uk batterseaandclaphampandh.co.uk Carrie Malone T: 07825 148406

Putney Plumbers T: 020 8789 0999 E: putneyplumbers@btconnect.com www.putneyplumbers.com Southside Plumbers T: 020 8689 5573 E: southsidebuilders04@gmail.com Steve Casey T: 07527 331805 E: stevetheplumber68@hotmail.co.uk T & M Star Construction T: 020 7498 5560 E: mail@tmstarconstruction.co.uk www.tmstarconstruction.co.uk The Cavalry T: 07789 007848 E: info@wandsworthhandymen.co.uk www.wandsworthhandymen.co.uk Wiltshire Drainage T: 01793 384024 E: info@wiltshiredrainage.co.uk www.wiltshiredrainage.co.uk Wynnman T: 020 8715 0922 E: Info@wynnman.co.uk www.wynnman.co.uk

RADIATORS Casa T: 020 7732 3911 E: care@casaonline.co.uk www.casaonline.co.uk Castrads T: 020 3397 7295 E: info@castrads.com www.castrads.com

Jeremy Dunnill T: 07788 797448 jeremyplumber.co.uk

Energy Saving Radiators T: 020 7731 8660 E: enquiries@energysavingradiators.co.uk www.energysavingradiators.co.uk

LKB Plumbing T: 020 7801 3138 E: enquiries@lkbplumbing.co.uk www.lkbplumbing.co.uk

Kudox T: 020 7225 5020 E: info@kudox.com www.kudox.com

Mark Evans T: 020 3411 1246 E: markevans270@btinternet.com www.markevansbathrooms.co.uk

Macror Plumbing T: 020 8875 9256 E: info@macrorplumbing.co.uk www.macrorplumbing.co.uk

Multiserve T: 0800 061 2002 E: bookings@multiserve.co.uk www. multiserve.co.uk

Radflek T: 020 7828 8085 E: info@radflek.com www.radflek.com

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Rightio T: 020 3394 0206 www.plumberinsouthwestlondon.co.uk The Radiator & Bathroom Gallery T: 020 8944 2001 E: sales@theradiatorgallery.com

REMOVALS Burke & Wills T: 020 8947 9001 E: info@burkeandwills.co.uk www.burkeandwills.co.uk Gentleman & A Van T: 020 8874 4283 E: info@gentlemanandavan.co.uk www.gentlemanandavan.co.uk Elephant Removals T: 020 8877 9263 E: info@elephantremovals.co.uk www.elephantremovals.co.uk Wandsworth Man and Van T: 020 3750 0546 E: office@wandsworthmanandvan.org.uk www.wandsworthmanandvan.org.uk

Did you know... that in the film Johnny English Reborn, agent Tucker lives in Tooting?

The Man T: 020 8746 4410 E: office@theman.org.uk www.theman.org.uk Balham Removals T: 020 8746 9601 E: office@balhamremovals.com www.balhamremovals.com

SHUTTERS House of Shutters T: 020 7610 4624 E: info@thehouseofshutters.com www.houseofshutters.com Le Louvre T: 01403 711188 E: enquiries@lelouvre.co.uk www.lelouvreshutters.co.uk Shutters Curtains & Blinds T: 020 8877 0167 E: curtain.workshop57@gmail.com The New England Shutter Company T: 020 8675 1099 E: enquiries@tnesc.co.uk www.thenewenglandshuttercompany.com The Traditional Shutter Company T: 020 8 6772933 E: info@thetraditionalshuttercompany.co.uk www.thetraditionalshuttercompany.co.uk

SURVEYORS & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS Collier Stevenson T: 020 8295 1200 www.collier-stevens.co.uk Cooper Hayes T: 01483 901434 E: enquiries@cooperhayes.co.uk www.cooperhayes.co.uk Ivan Coffey E: ivancoffey@aol.com www.ivancoffey.com

Tiled walls and floors from Domus

Pole Structural Engineers T: 020 8944 9955 E: mail@pole.co.uk www.pole.couk

NatureFusion T: 07702 411717 www.nature-fusion.com

Robert Pickett T: 020 8767 2001 www.pickettandco@msn.com

Olympus Tiles & Bathrooms T: 020 7511 6210 www.olympustiles.co.uk

TILES Castelnau Tiles T: 020 8741 2452 E: info@castelnautiles.co.uk www.castelnautiles.co.uk Decorum Est T: 020 7731 5556 E: enquiries@decorumest.co.uk www.decorumest.co.uk

Porcelanosa T: 020 7751 2150 www.porcelanosa.com Potter Perrin T: 020 7223 1007 E: tiles@potterperrin.com www.potterperrintiles.com Reed Harris Tiles T: 020 7736 7511 E: enquiries@reed-harris.co.uk www.reedharris.co.uk

Domus T: 020 7819 2300 E: service@domusgroup.com www.domustiles.co.uk

Stone & Ceramic Warehouse T: 020 8993 5545 E: gen@sacw.co.uk www.stoneandceramicwarehouse.co.uk

Did you know... that the infamous tramp scene in A Clockwork Orange was filmed in a Wandsworth underpass?

Strata Tiles T: 0800 012 1454 E: info@stratatiles.co.uk www.stratatiles.co.uk

European Heritage T: 020 7381 6063 E: onlineorders@europeanheritage.com www.europeanheritage.co.uk

Surface Tiles T: 020 7819 2300 E: info@surfacetiles.com www.surfacetiles.com

Fired Earth T: 01295 814396 E: customercare@firedearth.com www.firedearth.com

The London Tile & Mosaic Company T: 020 7403 3190 E: info@londontileandmosaic.com www.londontileandmosaic.com

Fulham Stone T: 020 7384 9092 www.fulhamstone.co.uk

Tiles & Baths Direct T: 020 8202 2223 E: info@tilesandbathsdirect.co.uk www.tilesandbathsdirect.co.uk

Linear London T: 020 8675 3605 E: info@linearlondon.com www.linearlondon.com

Tiles & Tops T: 020 8764 3070 E: sales@tilessandtops.co.uk www.tilessandtops.co.uk

Milagros T: 020 7613 0876 E: info@milagros.co.uk www.milagros.co.uk

Tile Shop London T: 020 8878 4820 E: sales@titleshoplondon.com www.tileshoplondon.com

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Topps Tiles T: 020 7371 7279 E: toppsboutiquefulham@toppstiles.co.uk www.toppstiles.co.uk

Dedar T: 020 7351 9939 E: showroomuk@dedar.com www.dedar.com

Select Wallpaper T: 01382 477000 E: helpdesk@selectwallpaper.co.uk www.selectwallpaper.co.uk

Via Arkadia Italian Tiles T: 020 7351 7057 E: mail@via-arkadia.co.uk www.via-arkadia.co.uk

Did you know... that the poet William Blake was married in St Mary’s Church, Battersea?

Tissus d’Hélène T: 020 7352 9977 E: sales@tissusdhelene.co.uk www.tissusdhelene.co.uk

Walls & Floors T: 020 8788 5900 E: putneysales@wallsandfloors.co.uk www.wallsandfloors.co.uk World’s End Tiles T: 020 7819 2100 www.worldsendtiles.co.uk

TILERS AJ Tiling Specialist T: 07711 266720 E: ajdecorator@btinternet.com www.ajdecorator.co.uk All London Tiling Company T: 020 8769 6187 www.alllondontiling.co.uk Apex Tilers T: 07463 030359 E: apextilers@gmail.com www.apextilers.com Eye Tile T: 07940 742939 E: eyetile@hotmail.com www.eyetile.co.uk Perfectionist Tiling T: 07939 338153 E: derricktiling@hotmail.co.uk www.perfectionist-tiling.com Plumb & Level Tiling T: 07814 690718 E: info@plumbandleveltiling.co.uk www.plumbandleveltiling.co.uk Pro Tiling T: 0741 4494497 E: info@protiling.co.uk www.protiling.co.uk

de Gournay T: 020 7352 9988 E: rachel@degournay.com www.degournay.com Fardis T: 020 7731 7300 E: contact@fardis.com www.fardis.com

Watts London T: 020 7222 7169 wattslondon.co.uk

Farrow & Ball T: 01202 876141 E: sales@farrow-ball.com www.farrow-ball.com

Wells Interiors T: 020 3289 0979 E: info@wells-interiors.com www.wells-interiors.com

Fiona Campbell Design T: 020 7731 3681 E: info@fionacampbelldesign.co.uk www.fionacampbelldesign.co.uk Gowallpaper T: 0161 724 9085 E: enquiries@gowallpaper.co.uk www.gowallpaper.co.uk House Couturier T: 020 7371 9255 www.housecouturier.eu London Wallpaper Company T: 020 7622 9966 www.londonwallpapercompany.com Off The Wall T: 07989 176993 www.offthewall-paper.com Osborne & Little T: 020 8812 3123 E: showroom@osborneandlittle.com www.osborneandlittle.com Sanderson T: 0844 543 9500 www.sanderson-uk.com

WALLPAPER

WINDOWS Albion Windows T: 0500 344 028 E: info@albionwindows.uk.com www.albionwindows.co.uk Amodus Timber Windows T: 020 8286 9279 E: info@amodus.co.uk www.amodus.co.uk Artisans Windows T: 020 8947 8549 E: info@artisanscarpentry.com www.artisanscarpentry.com Ayrton Bespoke T: 020 8877 8920 E: enquiries@ayrtonbespoke.com www.ayrtonbespoke.com Chapel Lane Sash Windows T: 0800 044 5987 E: info@chapellanesashwindows.co.uk www.chapellanesashwindows.co.uk Paxton Restoration T: 020 8778 1100 E: info@paxtonrestoration.co.uk www.paxtonrestoration.co.uk SDS London T: 020 7228 1185 www.sdslondon.co.uk

Andrew Martin T: 020 7225 5100 E: showroom@andrewmartin.co.uk www.andrewmartin.co.uk

Steel Window Association T: 020 8543 2841 E: info@steel-window-association.co.uk www.steel-window-association.co.uk

Astrid & Rudolf T: 07801 982438 www.astridandrudolf.co.uk Cole & Son T: 020 7376 4628 E:customer.service@cole-and-son.com www.cole-and-son.com

Wallpapered T: 020 7222 4620 www.wallpapered.com

Clara Bee has incorporated pretty wallpaper into this child’s space

Vitrocsa London T: 020 8274 0768 or 020 3355 6082 E: office@vitrocsa.co.uk www.vitrocsa.co.uk

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RESOURCES

WHERE TO FIND HELP AND INFORMATION Associations RIBA – Royal Institute of British Architects www.architecture.com The site has a ”find an architect” database of more than 3,000 UK RIBA chartered practices by name, location, area of expertise and services offered. It also provides a “plan of work 2013”, which identifies the eight stages of a project, from preparation and brief to the handover.

RICS - Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors www.rics.org RICS accredits 118,000 professionals, both individuals and firms. Members holding RICS qualifications can use the letters MRICS, FRICS and AssocRICS after their name. Its website has a “find a surveying firm” function, by location.

Borough planning offices Wandsworth Borough Council 020 8871 7620; email planning@wandsworth.gov.uk Building control buildingcontrol@wandsworth.gov.uk www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/200074/ planning/1052/planning_contacts

Grand Designs Live London www.granddesignslive.com April 30th-May 8th 2016 at ExCeL. The show is neatly divided into seven sections – interiors, technology, kitchens, bathrooms, gardens, village and build – to make your visit easier to plan.

Events Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour www.dcch.co.uk Dubbed the design world’s Mecca, its 105 showrooms and over 600 international interior brands under two massive domes cover everything from carpets, rugs and fabrics to furniture, paint, tiles and wallcoverings.

Ideal Home Show www.idealhomeshow.co.uk March 18th-April 3rd 2016 at Olympia, London.

Find kitchens, bathrooms, basements, flooring, garden rooms, gadgets, fixtures and fittings, live demos and show homes, all under one roof.

Kelly Hoppen design masterclass: how to achieve the home of your dreams by Helen Chislett and Kelly Hoppen (hardcover RRP £40). The definitive home-decorating guide, offering advice on practical and aesthetic aspects of interior design.

Style and substance: the best of Elle Décor

by Margaret Russell (hardcover RRP from £49).

The 240 pages of striking images culled from the archives of the magazine feature hundreds of dazzling rooms from around the world.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show www.rhs.org.uk-shows-events/rhs-chelseaflower-show May 24th-28th 2016. The grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea are packed with amazing plant displays and the best cutting-edge garden designs. The Show Gardens and the Great Pavilion, featuring over 100 specialist plant breeders, are the big show stoppers.

Elements of design by Nina Campbell (paperback RRP £14.99). A room-by-room guide to creating the right mix of contemporary and traditional.

Interiors by Nina Campbell (hardcover RRP £30). Features the private homes of her clients, designed and decorated to suit a range of lifestyles.

Choosing colours by Kevin McCloud (hardcover RRP from £30; paperback RRP from £13). Provides 60 tried-and-tested palettes that will transform your home.

The council has a search facility of planning applications at https://planning1.wandsworth. gov.uk/Northgate/Planning Explorer/ GeneralSearch.aspx Lambeth Borough Council 0207 926 9558; email: planning@lambeth.gov.uk View the current planning applications database online for a list of applications received and decided upon at www.lambeth.gov.uk/ planning-and-building-control/planning-applications-and-policies/viewing-current-planning

for home-design enthusiasts, remodellers, architects and designers. It includes in-depth tours and lessons from 12 enviable homes and 100 of the best everyday household objects.

Grand Designs handbook: the blueprint for building your dream home by Kevin McCloud (paperback RRP £16.99). TVs architecture and design guru shares his passion and expertise in this guide, which is split into three sections: thinking, dreaming and doing.

London Design Festival www.londondesignfestival.com September 17th-25th 2016. This is the umbrella name for five main events across the city: Decorex International (at Syon Park); Designjunction (at Central Saint Martins and Victoria House); 100%design (at Olympia); FOCUS/15 (at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour); and Tent London and Super Brands London (at the Old Truman Brewery). All have public opening days. It’s a good way to find new designers and manufacturers. More details in May.

Reading material Remodelista: a manual for the considered home by Julie Carlson (hardcover RRP £25.99). Claims to be the undisputed authority

Lighting by design by Salley Storey (paperback RRP £10). Provides inspiration for outdoor and indoor lighting, creating everything from calm softness to theatrical drama.

The interior design reference and specification book: everything interior designers need to know every day by Linda O’Shea, Chris Grimley & Mimi Love (paperback RRP £16.99). An essential guide to planning and executing interior projects.

Manage a homebuild and renovation project by Leonard Sales ACIOB (RRP £9.99). Includes proven and simple-to-use management techniques that would suit projects up to £1m. The book is associated with a How To website, www.howto.co.uk, where you can engage with the author.

DEDICATED TO DESIGNING AND FITTING AT THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY GERMAN KITCHENS WITHOUT COMPROMISING QUALITY.

FREE DESIGN & QUOTATIONS 428 Garrat Lane SW18 4HN London www.kitchenconnections.co.uk T: 0208 9476180