9 Things To Consider Before You Start A Renovation

[Celerity]

A renovation project is a rare chance to reconfigure your home once and for all. According to architects Chelsie Malin and Peter Lynn of Malin + Lynn, the key to getting it right is planning ahead. So you don’t miss a trick, they gave us nine elements – from space-saving joinery to alternative heating systems – that should always be considered at the planning stage, but sometimes get missed…

https://slman.com/life/how-to-renovate-a-house

Stockwell House, SW8

MALIN+LYNN were appointed to reimagine a dated four-storey Georgian terraced house in Stockwell, South London.



FLOORING

Decisions about flooring go hand in hand with decisions about the use of the space you are planning to create. If it is a communal area like a hallway, kitchen or bathroom, it is likely to be walked on and potentially damaged by multiple occupants. These areas also attract moisture, so clients tend to look for hardier materials. Most engineered timber flooring is reasonably durable these days. You just need to treat them with care – that means regular cleaning to stop any stains or dirt sitting on the timber for long periods of time. Also bear in mind, pet claws can easily take the top layer and finish of a timber floor away.

Tiles work well in hallways and bathrooms as they are durable and easily cleaned. Just think about the grout lines between individual tiles, which can stain and pick up dirt or moisture easily. We try to reduce the grout line thickness in hallways where dirty shoes are present, source larger-format tiles, or use a darker grout. Bathrooms are cleaner areas by nature, so standard grout lines are fine, though we would still recommend avoiding mosaic tiles (particular on the floors) to save on cleaning.



In entrance hallways, carpets will get damaged much faster than a more solid, less absorbent material. On upper-floor landings, where shoes are not generally worn, durable finishes such as sisal work well. Bear in mind, if underfloor heating is used (see below), the underlay and the carpet itself will need to let the heat through.

Poured concrete is more expensive than the options above, but it has been popular for years now. It’s very practical for large, open-plan floorplates – for example, where kitchen, living and dining areas are all in one space. Just be aware, we’ve seen and heard many horror stories where the concrete has lacked elasticity and cracked within months of installation. This has often been where underfloor heating is present – the temperatures changes can cause the concrete to expand, contract and crack. Expansion joints and concrete with an elastic supplement can help prevent this, or you could use a micro-cement such as Forcrete that gives the look of concrete with less risk of cracking.

ROOFING.................

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[Ocelot II]

1. You should also consider having a lot of money.

For most people "renovation" means a few cans of paint.

[marble falls]

2. Other than the two pieces of eighties decorator art in the fourth photo ...

... they hit a home run .. er .. scored a goal. I like the cleaness of the black and white that was kept from becoming starkly cold with the colors of the rooms and the decorating - other that the two framed pieced in photo four, they did a very nice job of resisting of going totallyneutral on the color palette. Something we need to learn to do here in the US for showing homes.

With the right income (this is living in London, after all) I think I could be quite comfortable.

You do have a knack for finding very nice unique homes. Now find me a reasonably priced canal boat. We made a mistake not doing it 20 years ago when it was affordable.

[Sogo]

3. I really love the glass wall that keeps the stairway from becoming

a dark, isolated area. It really includes it in the rest of the home and lets the light permeate areas that would otherwise be cut off.

Excellent design!