Newcastle Interior Designer, Sibylle, gives her top tips on improving your well-being at home

We asked Newcastle based Interior Designer, Sibylle Clerey of SC Interiors, for her advice on how we can boost our well-being at home through improving our interior design choices and she shared some of her top tips…

As an interior designer, I always try and expand my knowledge about interiors and I wanted to share my thoughts on how to improve your well-being at home; particularly now during lockdown when so much of our time is being spent at home. Why not take this opportunity to make a few improvements to your surroundings? I am fascinated by biophilic design and how it can improve health, well-being and productivity but also help minimise Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

The biophilic design concept

You may be wondering what the concept of Biophilia is. It is our innate connection to nature and the natural world. Biophilic design builds on this connection and aims to unite occupants with nature, natural elements and processes.

Why is this concept relevant today?

The World Health Organisation has warned us of the potential negative mental health impact of the pandemic. Things such as loneliness, depression and self-harm behaviour are rising. With people spending most of their time at home for a staggering length of time now, it can feel very difficult to improve your well-being. Incorporating natural elements into your home is a simple way to address this problem and has been shown to reduce stress, blood and pressure levels whilst increasing productivity and self-reported rates of well-being. It is a concept that has been widely adopted by the world’s top organisations such as Apple, Google and Amazon who are investing millions in biophilic design.

How can you incorporate Biophilia into your home?

Breathe fresh air. Open your windows wide now and then to lift your mood and improve your immune system.
Use natural lighting. Try and maximise natural light by removing any furniture, or soft furnishings that may block sunlight from entering your home.
Add plants. Green is known to be the most relaxing colour! It boosts your energy levels and helps clear your mind. You don’t need to have green fingers, just browse the internet to see what plants would best suit your home. Look out for plants with air purifying qualities such as : dragon trees, bamboo palms, rubber plants, spider plants and more. These will help to remove toxins and lift your mood.
Incorporate natural materials. Use as many organic materials as you can such as wood, bamboo, rattan and stone in your home. These can be integrated through your furniture, flooring, kitchen worktops and home décor.
Embrace the shapes, colours and patterns of nature. The goal is to get the natural cosiness and feel through the use of curved furniture, cushions with different patterns and the right theme using bold, natural colours.
Listen to the sound of water. The peaceful sound of flowing water creates a soothing atmosphere for our mind.

Biophilic Design, SC Interiors

A key part of biophilic design is striking a balance between emphasising the openness of a space. Bringing natural lighting into your home is important, as is adding materials and colours inspired by nature. Embracing natural elements such as wood, plants and incorporating curved shape will add a sense of calm and cosiness to your home and improve your well-being.

Minimising Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) is another way to improve your home environment.
Have you ever smelt the strong odour coming out of a can of paint when repainting your bedroom walls? Or felt nauseous after smelling the fumes whilst filling your car with fuel? Well, these are both examples of VOCs; which are toxic fumes that can cause short-term eye, nose or throat irritation as well as respiratory problems. These chemicals can be ten times more harmful to your health when indoors and are especially harmful to people with asthma. Long-term exposure to these compounds can be damaging to the kidneys, liver or central nervous system. Some studies have shown that VOCs may even cause cancer.

You can find these organic compounds, at different toxicity levels, in many building and textile materials, home care products such as cleaning supplies but also in paint, furniture polish, glue, detergents, wallpaper or even carpeting.

How can you reduce VOCs in your home?
There are many ways of reducing the exposure to VOCs, here are a few:

Pick paints, varnishes and furniture with low VOCs level.
If possible, unpack and store building and furnishing materials in a ventilated garage or unused, ventilated space for a few weeks before bringing them into your home. That will allow time for gases to be emitted elsewhere.
Use cleaners, solvents and paints immediately and do not store them in your home instead store them in a shed or areas with good ventilation.
Clear out old or excess items that contain products with VOCS from home but do not throw them in your bin.
Minimise the use of candles, incense or plug-in aerosol deodorizers.
Regularly get some fresh air into your home by opening the windows or look at buying an air purifier.

I hope you found this article interesting. If you wish to design your new home or refurbish your long-time pad don’t hesitate to get in touch with me and I’ll be happy to help. From mood boards and spatial planning, to styling your entire home I have a very tailored approach with each of my clients.

Take a look at my social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or check out my website: www.sibylleclereyinteriors.com for more tips and inspiration or to arrange a consultation.

We hope that you find this information helpful, at Acre Design Newcastle we are passionate about all things sustainable and innovative. We would love to discuss your project with you in detail.

Take a look at our recent projects for further inspiration! Get in touch to arrange a free, no obligation consultation at your home!

Top Ten Tips for Designing and Building a Home Renovation Project:

Contemplating a home extension or renovation project can be really overwhelming, even for a professional. That’s why I thought it would be a good idea to interview our designers about their experiences, having completed home renovation projects as professionals in the industry. First up, I spoke to Marc about his experiences…

Completing your own project, how does this differ to designing for others?

As a designer, I usually work collaboratively with the clients to make decisions. Ultimately, the client makes the final decision based on what will work best for them personally. Being the designer and the client for my own project, I felt like I was only thinking of ideas that I knew I loved (as I know the client – me – so well!) which made decision making difficult. It has made me appreciate collaboratively working with clients to offer suggestions and working together towards the one that works best for them. Tip one – collaborate! Don’t be afraid to offer your ideas and consider other approaches that you perhaps cannot visualise.

What has been your proudest moment during your project?

When my wife, who had previously only been able to trust my ability to visualise the space, started to understand the space as walls were removed. It was very satisfying when her faith in me paid off and to be able to use my skill for layout design to improve the way we use our home. Tip two – try to see the bigger picture!

What has been your biggest lesson?

This brings me to tip three – don’t underestimate the upheaval that even a small project will bring. Be prepared for lots of dust and difficulty when moving between rooms when the build is in full swing! The real lesson, though, is that it all becomes a distant memory very quickly when you start to reap the rewards of the completed project.

Is there anything you would do differently if you could have a do-over?

Not for my own project as we had lived in the house for over 3 years and I knew exactly how the new space would work. I do, however, have experience of wishing the previous owners of my home had added a dormer when converting the loft as this would have made a huge difference – this is our next project! Tip four – once you start, the need to improve won’t stop!

Will your personal experience impact has this impacted on your work as a designer? If so, how?

You always take something away from every project. For example, my project introduced me to new solutions that I chose to use that I will recommend to clients in future designs. For example, plinth radiators in kitchens to allow more wall space for kitchen units, or sockets inside cupboards for charging wireless vacuums (or, in my case, to power a coffee machine that pulls out of a cupboard and can be hidden away when not in use!) Tip five – really try to imagine living in your new space before finalising some details.

How have you found living in your home whilst work has taken place?

Tip six – enjoy the journey! It hasn’t been too much of a problem as I knew what to expect, but for others it can be understandably stressful. The excitement of seeing things take shape and the potential being realised quickly becomes the main focus, though!

Do you have any advice on managing living in your home during a renovation?

Accept the upheaval! Yes, it can be difficult but the resulting new space would be impossible without it, so embrace it and grit your teeth during the challenging times (which often feel like they flashed past when you look back at it all!)

What is your favourite part of you new space?

Our exposed brick wall, without a doubt, which was a laborious effort by myself and my wife to remove the plaster and clean the brick with wire brushes and chemical cleaner before sealing it. Worth every painful minute! Tip seven – the effort you put in now will be worth it!

What do you get the most compliments on?

Our fully black kitchen, which people find an unusual colour for a kitchen. It’s from Ikea so it was extremely cost effective and offered the exact finish we wanted – black matte that would look great against the exposed original red brick.

Where did you look for inspiration?

I always read home improvement magazines – Build It and Homebuilding & Renovating are great to subscribe to if you want your own inspiration. There are always some great ideas being showcased in those. Tip eight – keep a scrapbook of images ideas you like.

Would you recommend any particular products or companies?

I can’t fault Ikea for our kitchen. They offer an incredible range of space-saving solutions and all at an extremely affordable price. I also fully recommend track lighting as this offers flexibility in light fittings that simply clip into the track anywhere you want, so you can focus light on your favourite features.

How has your professional experience impacted on your renovation project?

I was able to order products myself – I’d recommend clients to do this too. It is very simple as well-known retailers offer products you can view and purchase yourself. Our glazed folding internal doors are from Wickes, for example. Tip nine- don’t be afraid to source your own materials appliances.

Lastly, what helped you stay calm during what can be a very stressful time?

Knowing that the end result would improve our home lives massively! And also being able to close off the area where the work was taking place – tip ten – keep as many of your other rooms as normal and organised as possible during the build so that you can retreat to these rooms, close the door and forget about the build during stressful times.

We hope that you find this information helpful, at Acre Design Newcastle we are passionate about all things sustainable and innovative. We would love to discuss your project with you in detail.

Take a look at our recent projects for further inspiration! Get in touch to arrange a free, no obligation consultation at your home!

Our top tips..

More time at home with the family has become the norm for 2020. And while you’re sure to have loved the extra quality time together, it can be stressful when you don’t have designated areas laid out for work and play. Here, Nick Acaster from Rugs Direct discusses how to create a broken-plan living space that’s friendly for all of the family.

Open plan living spaces have been a popular home design for years now. By knocking down walls and maximising the space available to you, it creates a multi-functional area for the whole family. But with the pandemic meaning we’ve all had to spend more time working in and relaxing at home, you may be feeling like the areas in your open plan living area need defining better. And, a broken plan design may just be your answer.

Whether you’re wanting to separate your work office from the lounge, or your dining space from the kids play area, there are plenty of ways you can do this — and best of all, it doesn’t have to cost tonnes! Here, I’ll be outlining some of my favourite ways to create a broken-plan living space that’s family-friendly and stylish.

Consider adding partition walls and features

If you’re looking to make home improvements that will add value to your home, consider adding some partition walls to your open-plan living space. For this, I’d suggest hiring a reliable architectural designer, such as Acre Design, as they’ll be able to analyse the best way of creating a transitional broken-plan space.

This doesn’t have to completely section everything off, but for example, having a fireplace wall that divides your cooking and dining space from the lounge is sure to make it feel like two separate zones without compromising on all of the lovely space you have available to you.

If getting a new partition wall built isn’t within your budget, you can take a traditional approach and implement screens that can separate the space. This is particularly popular in Japanese cultures, as well as Scandinavian interior design styles, so why not give a bamboo screen a go? It can be easily removed if you decide you want to open the space back up in the future.

Divide with soft furnishings

If you still want to make the most of the beautiful open-plan space you chose for your home, you don’t have to add something as drastic as partition walls or large pieces of furniture. Instead, you can use soft furnishings like rugs or carpet to define the different zones within the open-plan space.
For example, you could look at getting the lounge half of the floor carpeted to distinguish it from the tiled kitchen flooring. For a cheaper option, you could make use of area rugs. These will help you to define where the office, lounge, and kids play area is and separate it from other functional areas such as the kitchen. There are so many different types of rugs you can choose from, so there’s sure to be one that fits in with your interior style. Plus, as they’re much cheaper to switch around than carpeted flooring, you can add a new look to your space at any time.

Define the zones with storage solutions

If you’re transforming your open-plan living space to a broken-plan one, you’ll no doubt want to ensure any changes you make add to the functionality of your home. Implementing storage solutions means you’ll have separate zones, which all have their very own purpose and special features to match. For example, if you’re trying to break up the study and the kids play area, adding a large fitted bookshelf in your study will give you a space to store all of your books and folders, while still being in close proximity to the children while they play.
Similarly, you could break up the lounge and kitchen areas by having ottomans on the outskirts of the TV area. These will ensure you can store magazines and remotes away tidily after a busy day, so the mess doesn’t creep over into the dining area.

Make sure the changes appeal to the whole family

When you make changes to the open, communal space, you’ll need to make sure that any decisions you make will benefit and appeal to the whole family. For example, if your teenager gets distracted by the TV when doing their homework in the study, having a partition between them is sure to keep them focussed on the task ahead, and they’ll be grateful for getting through it quicker. Similarly, if you’re considering adding a partition wall between the lounge and cooking space, you don’t need to compromise on functionality and features. You could look at embedding a TV in both sides of the partition so you can enjoy watching your favourite shows no matter where in the living space you are.

Maintain your interior style

You’ll need to bear your interior style in mind when making any changes to your open-plan living space. For example, if you’re going to be adding a bookshelf to mimic a partition wall, make sure it fits in with your current design whether that’s natural wood or something that’s painted to match your colour scheme. If you can’t find the perfect shade to suit, you could even try your hand at some DIY and paint it yourself to make a piece that’s unique to your home.

If you’re thinking of adding a rug to break up the space, consider whether plain or patterned designs will fit in with your décor better. Alternatively, if your living room design is quite modern and clean, you might want to stick to a neutral-style carpet, but if you have more eclectic interiors, a traditional mosaic-style rug will complement it nicely. For a super cosy and warm vibe in your home, you might also want to consider a carpet pile and opt for something more shaggy or furry that’ll be warm underfoot.

Define the zones in your open-plan living space to upgrade your interiors and give the whole family an area to enjoy. By taking my five tips on board, you’ll soon be on your way to designing a broken-plan living area that is the envy of all your guests.

We hope that you find this information helpful, at Acre Design Newcastle we are passionate about all things sustainable and innovative. We would love to discuss your project with you in detail.

Take a look at our recent projects for further inspiration! Get in touch to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation at your home

5 Steps To a Greener Home Extension or Renovation Project

Are you thinking of renovating your North East home?

Do you want to do this in a sustainable and energy efficient way?

These five steps will help you on the way to doing this…

We are all aware that we need to make some changes to the way we treat our planet. You wouldn’t be here, reading this, if you weren’t interested in making some changes. Developing eco homes is a key step to becoming a low carbon nation. Retrofitting our homes is a crucial part of this and it may not be as expensive or time consuming as you think.

With new grants planned to assist homeowners in ‘greening up’ their homes, now is the perfect time to make these plans.

1. Insulation and glazing

This Money Saving Expert article explains the government’s new Green Homes Grant really clearly. You can get up to £5,000 to make your home more energy efficient from September. If you are considering a home extension or renovation, now seems like a really good time to make those other upgrades and benefit from this grant.

Rishi Sunak outlines his plans to offer this grant to help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes and we are so relieved! If your home is poorly insulated, you are wasting hundreds of pounds and loads of energy heating your street. 40% of your home’s heat could be lost due to lack of decent insulation.
It is usually pretty simple to insulate your loft or cavity walls. You could use loads of sustainable materials too, one of my favourites is recycled denim (the idea of someone’s 90’s jeans keeping me cosy is strangely enjoyable). Insulating better could save you more than £150 in energy bills!

The government Green Homes Grant also applies to glazing; replacing single-glazed windows with double or triple-glazed windows will reduce heat loss. They are also great for noise reduction of course.

2. Reuse water

Harvesting the thousands of litres of rainfall from your roof each year to fill washing machines, water gardens and flush toilets is a great start. Systems are becoming more and more available which collect rainfall, filter leaves and debris and store the rainwater in a tank for use as required.

A low-flush toilet and low-flow showerhead will significantly reduce your water waste too! If you are considering extending your home to add a bathroom, including these in your extension budget would have a great long-term impact.

3. Upgrade your thermostat

A wireless system typically costs around £250 and is easy enough to install in your home. When planning an extension or refurbishment, this would be a great time to ensure you are not wasting energy heating your new space. A one degree drop in the temperature of your thermostat equates to a 10% energy saving. Around 60% of the energy used in your home is most likely used to heat your space so getting the temperature right will reduce your monthly bill while improving the environmental impact.

4. Use eco-friendly decoration

Eco friendly paints are now widely available and these are water-soluble using plant oils and resins. You could consider using sustainable wallpapers, wood varnishes and waxes and preparation equipment in your home extension too!

Natural materials for your walls and floors are also a fantastic way to green up. Lime and clay plasters are a natural, breathable alternative for example. Natural wood flooring also happens to be super on trend, so it is an all-round win.

5. Install renewable heating systems

Naturally heating your home is such a clever and exciting approach. If you are already doing major work by building an extension, it could be the perfect time to install. Our article here goes in to some serious detail on ground source heat pumps. Essentially, this system uses buried pipes to harvest heat from the earth to use for your home’s heating and hot water needs. Air source heat pumps, wood-fuelled systems (burning pellets or logs to generate heat) and standalone stoves are also fantastic options and well worth researching.

There are so many more ways to ‘green up’ your extension or home renovation project and we’d love to help you do it!

We hope that you find this information helpful, at Acre Design Newcastle we are passionate about all things sustainable and innovative. We would love to discuss your project with you in detail.

Take a look at our recent projects for further inspiration! Get in touch to arrange a free, no obligation consultation at your home!

Building a Timber Frame Extension

At Acre Design, we love timber frame as a construction method for building an extension. Timber frame construction is great because it can often save you money and it is nice and quick to build. On top of this, it is a sustainable building material. When people are choosing to extend their homes, timber frame is becoming more and more popular in Newcastle and the North East, due to these benefits. It is also becoming a really popular method for constructing new build homes. Masonry is still a favoured choice for many, however we will discuss the pros and cons when compared with timber frame.

What is timber frame construction?

Timber frame is the term for a construction system utilising panelised structural walls and floors. These are constructing using small sections of timber studs, clad with boarding. The timber frame carries the vertical and horizontal loads to the foundations of your home. If you require your structural shell to be erected quickly or if you are expecting poor weather conditions (common in Newcastle), a timber frame is a great solution.

The timber frame can be prefabricated and brought on-site to be erected or using the ‘stick build’ method, your carpenter will construct the frame onsite. Platform frame is the most commonly used method in the UK. Using this method, each storey is framed with floor-to-ceiling height panels and the floor deck of one floor becomes the erection platform of the next.

Unfortunately, you may find it tricky to find a manufacturer who will prefabricate a timber frame for your extension, they tend to prefer to construct whole homes. Extensions tend to require quite a bit more technical input than new builds. However, where very accurate measurements of the existing home are provided, this is sometimes possible. Prefabricated timber frames can also be very costly to transport, which puts a lot of buyers and manufacturers off.

So, the vast majority of extensions in England are built using stick build timber frame construction. The carpenter would then be able to make your panels to suit your project, onsite. Timber frame construction usually requires less deliveries of materials when compared with other methods, this means happier neighbours too!

Environmental impact

Tress lock in carbon dioxide and expel oxygen so are a means of combating global warming. Therefore, if we increase the use of timber in the construction business, we increase the need for tree planting. On the back of this, more carbon dioxide emissions will be absorbed by these trees. Furthermore, timber is a renewable building material – in principle if one tree is felled, another is planted in its place. Hopefully, an increase in the use of this construction method will result in the growth of forests to supply the demand.

The use of bricks and concrete rely on the extraction of finite raw materials. Steel is also less environmentally friendly as it takes far more CO2 to process than timber.

Cost

The cost of a timber frame extension is generally lower than where other methods are used. This is mostly because it takes a lot less time to construct, meaning a lot less charge for labour. For builders, it is cheaper to price as the timescale is more predictable as it can be constructed in pretty much any weather conditions – builders don’t have to worry about missing days of work because of the weather. Factory costs and availability are more predictable and fluctuate a lot less with timber. This means you can price your construction a lot more accurately than with other construction methods.

Timber frame strength and suitability

As long as they are designed properly by a good architect, timber frame structures are strong and robust. At Acre Design, our designs ensure that we optimise the amount of material for the required strength. This means that the design is both the most cost efficient and reduces waste materials as much as possible.

Speedy construction

When compared to a brick and block construction, a prefabricated timber frame can come together far faster. Speeding up this part of the process means that your plasterer, electrician and plumber can get started far sooner than they would with brick and block. If you are cladding in dry plasterboard, once the building is watertight, the frame must be left to allow it’s moisture content to stabilise. However, this method is still far quicker than using mortar.

Timber frames can also be constructed in low temperatures, which brick and block work can’t. Though the architectural design of your timber frame may take more time than the design of a traditional build, meaning a possibly slower start on site if you are in a hurry. Your timber frame structure can be made wind and watertight in a matter of days, as opposed to a number of weeks when other methods are used.

Quality of timber frames

Higher quality can often be achieve with timber frame than that of other construction methods. As it is fabricated off site, the process is done in a controlled, dry and optimum environment. When compared with methods constructed onsite, this generally provides a better quality level as things such as weather, site muck etc. can impact on on-site construction methods. Sometimes, the fabricators will also erect the timber frame on-site, this is really good continuity as they will fully understand your design.

Acoustic performance

You may not get the same level of sound insulation with timber frame structures as you would with concrete or masonry. Timber frame is not as dense. However, you can improve this by constructing two separate wall leaves with a gap between them. This gap can then be filled with sound absorbing material. You could also use a slightly denser material than plasterboard or use more than one layer of plasterboard.

Fire safety with timber frame

Often, there is a perception that timber frame structures are at more risk of fire. All forms of construction need to comply with the fire performance requirements laid down by national building regulations. Timber frame dwellings have no difficulty in meeting the required levels, given correct design, standards of manufacture and workmanship. However, additional fire protection can be added by boarding it. You can also install fire-stops within the cavity to protect your home further.

As long as they are designed and erected safely, meeting the relevant regulations, your timber frame construction would be perfectly fire safe and comparable to other construction methods.

Heat efficiency

The low thermal mass of timber frames allows them to heat up quicker than masonry constructed builds and to cool down a lot quicker too. However, efficient insulation can combat this substantially.

You can increase the insulation by using: deeper solid wood studs or deeper engineered studs, additional layers of insulation (internally and externally). You could also: ensure maximum air tightness is achieved, increase roof insulation, use double and or triple glazed windows, adding floor insulation or using very high quality wall insulation.

We hope that you find this information helpful, at Acre Design Newcastle we are passionate about all things sustainable and innovative. We would love to discuss your project with you in detail.

Take a look at our recent projects for further inspiration! Get in touch to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation at your home!

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) use pipes that are buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground.

This heat can then be used to heat radiators, underfloor or warm air heating systems and hot water in your home. There has been a lot of speculation about the government’s proposals to ban gas boilers in new build homes from 2025. This means that designers are looking for other, innovative ways to heat our homes.

A ground source heat pump circulates a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe, called a ground loop, which is buried in your garden. Heat from the ground is absorbed into the fluid and then passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump. As the ground stays at a fairly constant temperature under the surface, the heat pump can be used throughout the year. Longer loops can draw more heat from the ground, but need more space to be buried in. However, if space is limited, a vertical borehole can be drilled instead.

What are the benefits of installing a ground source heat pump?

Installing a GSHP could lower your energy bills – who doesn’t like saving a bit of cash? You could gain additional income through the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Furthermore, you could also lower your home’s carbon emissions, depending on which fuel you are replacing. You won’t need to have any fuel deliveries and the GSHP can heat your home and your water with very little maintenance costs.

Air source heat pumps are usually easier to install than ground source heat pumps as they don’t need any trenches or drilling, but they can be less efficient. Water source heat pumps are another consideration. They can be used to provide heating in homes near rivers, streams, and lakes. It’s quite exciting to think about the potential of using naturally occurring resources to heat our homes and water.

You can find some stories from homeowners who have installed heat pumps via the Green Homes Network.

Size is an issue

Are wall-hung heat pumps the future of home heating systems?

Small homes and low energy homes are the challenge here as rural homes have utilised heat pumps for years. Rural homes often favour heat pumps over oil and liquefied petroleum gas due to the cost-saving benefits. One of the reasons why smaller homes are a technical challenge is due to space. Heat source pumps require quite a bit of outside space for the working unit. With many new build homes being built upon rather cramped plots, this may be problematic. These units can also require quite a bit of space on the inside of the home. For this reason, lots of companies are beginning to develop smaller, boiler sized units. This makes them handy for installing in flats as well as small houses. Excitingly, it also means that a number of these units in close proximity could be connected to the same bring loop, allowing for cheaper running costs for the homeowners.

We find the development of heat pumps pretty exciting, we hope you do too!

At Acre Design Newcastle we are passionate about all things green and would love to discuss your project with you in detail.

Take a look at our recent projects for further inspiration! Get in touch to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation at your home!

GARDEN DESIGN TIPS TO COMPLEMENT YOUR NEW HOME EXTENSION

At Acre Design, we often find that when our clients are building a self-build home, home extension or renovation, the garden design is left until last. You probably have a long list of things to plan and consider including: bathrooms, kitchens, materials, fixtures and fittings, furniture and so on. However, with even the smallest budget, spending wisely on your garden can have a huge impact on your satisfactions with your project as whole. A well thought out garden space can also have a big impact on the value of your home, so it is well worth considering! Even if you plan on carrying out the gardening and landscaping work yourself, developing a plan early on will be beneficial.

When you begin your project, you will have an idea of the funds you have available to spend. We recommending allocating some of your budget to the garden space at the start of your project. Who wants large, beautiful bi-fold doors if the scenery beyond them is a disaster?

Practical considerations

If you’re a self-builder, this is a really advantageous position to be in, in terms of landscaping. However, you may also come across a few challenges here. You’ll need to consider: access, driveways, garages, and storage, as well as the normal garden wants. If your budget is limited, you may consider focusing your budget on permanent fixtures such as access and your driveway. Greenery, turf and landscaping can always be completed in the future, once your budget has replenished a little. You may be surprised to learn that a well-built driveway can cost around £20,000.

If you are building an extension to your home, you will need to consider how to maintain privacy in your new space. Will any new windows be more visible to your neighbours? Do you need to think about screening off?

Planting early on is a good idea if you wish to use hedges and plants for privacy or protection from the elements (as a windbreak perhaps). Most hedges can take around 5 years to grow to their full height and provide the desired screening effect. It is also far more cost effective and easy to purchase and plant younger, smaller plants than it is to purchase and plant established, larger hedges and plants. Mature plants are readily available to purchase, however the cost of this is significantly more than a young plant or seed.

Fences are a great, short term, cheap and easy option for your boundaries but they can lack kerb appeal. Brick and stone walls can cost upwards of £300 a metre. Therefore, fencing and hedgerows can be a very cost-effective solution. Also, studies show that looking at greenery and plants boosts our mood. Good garden design is good for your health too!

Outbuildings

Budgeting for the highest quality that you can afford for your garage, shed or driveway is a good idea. These elements will all add to the value and overall aesthetics of your home. Thinking of your project as a whole plot is key – you want to feel delighted every time you pull onto your driveway in front of your beautiful new home, for example. You may think that your front door and hallway will give that all important first impression. It is more likely to be the overall appearance of your home from the outside that will impress you, your family and friends and even perspective buyers in the future.

Utilise your existing garden design

If you have some garden items in place already, it is worth working these in to your plans to save money and effort. You can then spend your budget on other upgrades! Often, when you extend your home it can be disruptive to your garden. The building work can take its toll on plants and grass and the new structure can disturb the layout somewhat. If there are some plants you know you would like to keep, make sure you protect these during the build. You could even move them out of the way where possible. Working alongside your project design, you could plan pathways and terraces that flow from and to your new extension.

Lastly, research suggests that a well-designed garden can add up to 20% to the value of your home! consider your garden as a long term investment, one for your enjoyment and for future financial gain.

We hope that you find this information helpful, at Acre Design Newcastle we are passionate about all things design and would love to discuss your project with you in detail.

Take a look at our recent projects for further inspiration! Get in touch to arrange a free, no obligation consultation at your home

Wastewater Heat Recovery System

Thankfully, as a country we are becoming more and more environmentally conscious. As we know, it is critical to protect the environment so as to reduce the destruction of eco-systems. It is more of a moral obligation for humans to protect the environment from pollution and other activities that lead to environmental degradation.

Excitingly, lots of manufacturers now produce approved equipment that effectively recovers heat from your hot water before it runs away down your drain. This saves us both energy and money – a winning combination. None of us want to waste money. Certainly, most of us do not want to waste energy and will look for ways to be ‘greener’ wherever possible. When we take a bath or shower or use appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines, the hot water waste simple goes down our drain.

How does the system work?

A heat exchanger pipe is used inside the the waste water pipe. The heat eaxchanger pipe has cold water running through it. This could be installed under the shower tray, for example. Inside the heat exchanger pipe, the cold water will collect some of the heat from the waste warm water. This warmed up water then takes less energy to heat than it would had it been heated from cold. Your preheated water can be sent to your hot water cylinder, or it can be sent directly to the cold water feed on your mixer tap.

The devices are typically around 60% efficient, so they convert 60% of the potential energy in the waste water back into heat for the incoming water. This can save you money on your bills, especially if you use a lot of hot water in your home.

If your system is being used for bath water or for your washing machine or dishwasher, the process is a little different. In this instance, a storage vessel is required to hold the the warm water until the cold water runs through it to collect the heat. Though these systems can be less efficient than the exchanger pipe system, it will still have an impact. Unfortunately, they can often take up a bit of room (storing the waste water) too.

How is it installed?

Most wastewater heat recovery (WWHR) units are about 80mm thick, one metre long and simply look like thick pipes. Suiting an upstairs bathroom, they plumb in vertically. Alternatively, Showersave produce horizontal units which are suited to ground floor showers as they sit inside the shower tray and capture the warm water as it enters the drain. Installing a WWHR in your shower is a great place to start as the you generally have a pretty consistent stream of waste warm water.

What’s the cost?

At a cost of upwards of around £400 plus installation costs, they’re not the cheapest bits of kit. However, these systems have no running maintenance costs. The impact on your energy bill won’t be gigantic, however, the impact using less energy will have on our environment is important. In an average household, you could expect to save around £20-30 a year on your energy bill. Of course, if you use a lot of hot water, it can begin to look a lot more attractive. For hotels or other businesses that use an awful lot of hot water, it could be a great investment too.

Is it worth retrofitting one of these?

If you are not building a new extension or self-build and not renovating your bathroom or kitchen, is it worth retrofitting this equipment in your home anyway? In some cases retrofitting may be possible, but the bulk and length of the recovery device means that most showers or baths wouldn’t be suitable. It is much easier to get it installed when you are fitting a new bathroom.

Interesting fact: Most people believe having a shower is more energy efficient than having a bath. However, an eight minute power shower uses 136 litres of water, whereas the average bath uses just 80 litres in comparison.

The Team @ Acre Design hope we have given you some food for thought! Please check out or latest projects if you’d like to see more of what we’re made of. Our Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook pages are all brimming with extension, loft conversion and self-build inspiration too!

Please contact us if you would like to arrange a free design consultation

How to choose the right fireplace for your home extension

Why do we love a fireplace?

More and more of our clients are opting for a striking fireplace or hearth. Our post on inspiring design ideas discusses the idea of Hygee. If you haven’t already read about the Danish idea of Hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”), get reading. What freedom is to Americans, Hygge is to the Danes. The idea of Hygge is about finding joy in simple, cosy things. These things include: candles, blankets, fireplaces and so on. There is even a word for that favourite pair of jogging bottoms that you would only wear in the comfort of your own home – “Hyggebusker”. To us, a crackling fire is the epitome of cosy calm. Our busy lives can impact on our health, so planning spaces which invigorate and recharge us both mentally and physically is important.

With so many styles and fuel options to choose from, how do you know which to pick?

Firstly, the fireplace needs to be suitable for your property. Secondly, you need to decide upon its primary function – heat, aesthetics. Or do you need both of these needs to be met?

Fuel

Wood burners and open-flame fires will, of course, require a chimney or flue. Wood burners are very efficient and are currently very fashionable. Obviously, real fires will require some level of maintenance (cleaning out etc.) but some even have built in boilers enabling you to heat your water and radiators too! Check with your local council before getting your heart set on a real fire. Some areas are smoke-controlled and burning wood and coal is not permitted.

You can find information on Newcastle Council’s smoke-control policy here. If you are in North Tyneside, have a look here, for Northumberland council, it’s here and for Geteshead, it’s here.

Modern fires are often gas-fuelled and you can find flueless options. Bioethanol fires have very low emissions and don’t require a chimney or flue, however, they can be exceptionally expensive to run! Bioethanol is considered one of the greener fuels. With so many realistic-looking electric options out there, they are a good option too. However, it is questionable whether an electric fire has the same relaxing, stress-busting effect as a real, burning fire. For a fuss-free real flame, a gas fire is your best bet, as an open-basket gas-burning fire with ceramic “coals” is virtually indistinguishable from a real coal-burning fire. It’s a relatively simple task to run a pipe to the fireplace opening. However, this will need to be installed by a CORGI-registered fitter.

Appearance

It is important to love your fire when it is both active and inactive. During the summer months, will it still be beautiful to look at when putting it on or lighting it would make your home hotter than hell? With more contemporary designs, we find that they can look a little odd when unlit. Think empty fish tank with some coals in the bottom.

Traditional fires tend to suit most spaces and Architectural salvage and reclamation yards may offer the best chance of finding something appropriate. We have found that traditional designs in light-coloured stones such as limestone and marble are very popular at the moment. If modern styles are more your thing, they offer flexibility of scale and proportion. Whether the fire is gas, gel or electric, contemporary surrounds use sleek and minimalist modern materials. Glass or polished steel and lots of other materials are easily available. A hole-in-the-wall design does away with the hearth completely, and often the surround, too. These fires are usually gas, and can consist of a burner providing a regimented row of flames, a firebowl, or a pile of driftwood or pebbles. Hole-in-the-wall designs are often more suitable if you have a smaller room, where floor space is limited.

The size of your fire surround is important – too large and it will overpower your room but too small and it will look insignificant and lost. If you are renovating or altering rather than building a new space, the size of the existing opening, chimney breast and flue will influence the size of fire and surround that will be suitable for the room. If possible, it may be worth considering structural alterations to get exactly what you want.

Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-ee

If you are fitting a fire, getting your chimney swept and assessed is very important. When renovating an existing property and using the current chimney, you’ll need to ensure you choose a suitable fire. However, if you are extending or building a new-build home, you have a lot more flexibility. It is worth bearing in mind that a chimney must be at least 4.5 meters tall.

If there’s no flue in your home or design, or even no fireplace opening, there are still some electric and gel models that can create an interesting focal point in the room. There is a choice of flue-less gas fires available too, where the waste gases are taken out of the room via a pipe that is ducted through an outside wall.

Look at our recent projects in Newcastle and the surrounding areas for further inspiration! Get in touch with the Team @ Acre Design to arrange a free, no obligation consultation at your home!

While you’re mulling over all of the fabulous fireplace options out there, here’s a nice warming fireplace video…

https://youtu.be/UgHKb_7884

What do the updated Permitted Development Rights mean for you and your extension plans?

You may not be aware but the Government’s ‘Larger Home Extension Scheme’ has now been made permanent in England. Previously, this was a temporary scheme, applying to developments completed before 30th May. Permitted Development Rights mean that homeowners may be able to undertake some works without the need to apply for planning permission. This raises some innovative opportunities for you if you are looking to extend your existing home.

Planning legislation changes. Permitted Development rights are no exception and these have been revised quite a bit in recent years. The changes aim to take the pressure off planning departments processing planning application (lucky them, lucky us). A key change is that we now have a right to build larger single storey rear extensions under Class A. This scheme means that if you are planning to build a single storey rear extension under Permitted Development Rights, you are now allowed to double your permitted development allowance size. Applying to extensions up to 8 metres (from 4 metres) for a detached house and up to 6 metres (from 3 metres) for other types of houses.

Permitted Development explained

Permitted Development Rights are policies which effectively give homeowners more freedom to enlarge their home, with pre-approved planning permission being granted. Within these rules, you can extend your property (within certain perimeters), without needing full planning permission. Obtaining planning permission can be a long process for some and can delay the start of your build at a time when you may be keen to get going.

These rights do not usually apply to larger extensions, larger loft conversions or where your property may be protected (in a conservation area for example). It is worth engaging with a local architect early on in your project as they will be able to advise you on work that may be considered as ‘permitted development’ and therefore, not need planning permission.

The Team @ Acre Design are used to navigating these policies. Alistair Crerar, Managing Director of Acre Design, also has over ten years of experience in Building Control. Importantly, Alistair is well equipped to advise on the legal requirements when building your home extension. The Planning Portal also has some useful information on its website and the Government’s general planning permission advice site can also be helpful.

How will I know if my single storey extension idea qualifies for Permitted Development Rights?

To gain the additional allowance for extensions under Permitted Development Rights, your plans must extend no more than 8 metres (for a detached home) or 6 metres (for other types of house) from the rear elevation of your home. This applies to how your home was positioned on 1st July 1948. This means that if yourself or a previous owner has already extended your home, your permitted development rights may already have been used.

If you aren’t sure, Acre Design can advise you on this. You can also visit your local authority’s planning permission website to view any applications made in connection with your address. The relevant information is freely available to the public.

Other rules which apply when utilising Permitted Development Rights:

You cannot build upon more than half of the land around the original house.
Your extension must be a maximum of 4 metres high, from the highest point of natural ground. However, this does reduce to 3 metres if your extension will be within 2 metres of a boundary.
You must use materials which are in keeping with the existing house.
Additions such as: verandas, chimneys and balconies are not included.
Rights are restricted if your home is in a conservation area, national park, area of outstanding natural beauty, world heritage site or The Suffolk or Norfolk Broads.

Different types of rights

Class A: Extensions (single storey rear), Class B: Additions to the roof. E.g. rear dormers, hip-to-gable extensions, Class C: Roof alterations (other), Class D: Porches, Class E: Buildings (such as outbuildings), Class F: Hard surfaces, Class G: Chimneys and flues and Class H: Microwave antennas.

Neighbourhood Consultation

The Larger Home Extension Scheme calls to approval process for extensions in this category a Neighbourhood Consultation Scheme. Once your architect has finalised your plans, your local authority will notify your neighbours. They will ask them to make any objections to your house extension within 21 days. If there are no complaints and your build complies with the relevant regulations, you should be about 42 days away from the approvals you need to start constructing you home extension. Although it is unlikely if you work with a reputable architect, such as Acre Design, an application may (rarely) be refused. You can appeal to this decision but may need to alter your plans.

Lawful Development Certificates

On paper, if a proposal meets the criteria for Permitted Development no Lawful Development application should be required. However, it is still advised that you apply for the Certificate of Lawful Development to make sure your design meets all of the required standards. This essentially covers your back, should you be faced with any difficulties post construction. In essence, going through this small process ensures that your building work does meet the requirements of Permitted Development and fully complies. A better safe than sorry approach!

Choosing Acre Design to guide you through your extension design process…

All of these policies and regulations may seem a little daunting. That’s why Acre Design are here to help. We submit all applications on your behalf, meaning we can deal with any technical questions which may arise. We simply inform you upon the success of your application! This removes any stress from this part of the process from our clients. At your free initial consultation, we will be able to advise you on the feasibility of your project.

Even where planning permission is not required, detailed plans are vital. They will save you time and money.

We hope that you find this information helpful, at Acre Design Newcastle we are passionate about all things Architecture and design. We would love to discuss your project with you in detail!

Take a look at our recent projects for further inspiration! Get in touch to arrange a free, no obligation consultation at your home!