Opening statements

Being a key first impression of your home, doors also make a statement about who you are. Tracey Pomfret from George Barnsdale offers some advice to self-builders on specification choices The humble door has evolved over the years but its... View Article

A spiritual renovation

A passion for saving old houses meant that Glasgow architect Emma Jane literally took her work home with her, with an old church officer’s property TEXT NIK HUNTER IMAGES ROBERT PERRY For some time, Emma had been searching for a... View Article

Interior Inspiration: Kitchens

People use their kitchens for much more than just cooking and eating; they often function as living and entertaining spaces, and even places to work, as hybrid working grows in popularity. Here are some key products to give you some... View Article

Exterior Inspiration: Gardens

The exterior of your home is arguably just as important as the interior; the design needs to relate to the building as well as the wider landscape. Here we round up some of the latest outdoor products to influence your... View Article

Saving for retirement

Outbuildings on the site of a historic farmhouse in rural Hampshire have been cleverly transformed into a ‘later living’ home, by an owner who was keen to downsize, in a project that triumphed over Covid TEXT TOM BODDY IMAGES ALAN... View Article

Home Styling: Versatile underfoot

Choosing tiled flooring can have major design benefits, but there are decisions to get right. Here Jo Oliver of Stone & Ceramic Warehouse provides the robust case for porcelain Flooring serves as the foundation for your interior design and can... View Article

Ask the Expert: Growing green aspirations

For growing numbers of self-builders, green roofs are the right choice for topping off a home. But what are the key practicalies that you need to consider – and are they suitable for all projects? Julian Thurbin of Wallbarn has... View Article

Shaping their future

Designed with a contemporary form to fit into the picturesque landscape of New Zealand’s Cass Bay, the architect of Aaron and Christine Green’s new curving copper family home has produced a unique building TEXT TOM BODDY IMAGES AARON GREEN A... View Article

Interior Inspiration: Living rooms

As their name suggests, living rooms tend to be used daily by everyone in the family, so must be carefully designed to provide comfort and relaxation in addition to practicality. That’s why every detail counts; here we round up some... View Article

Ask the Expert: Home and dry

Andrew Scanlon of Everbuild answers some of the basement waterproofing queries asked by self-builders to help them avoid getting out of their depth in their projects Basement conversions have long been a popular way to increase the usable space in... View Article

Brick by brick

Jason Hughes of Imperial Bricks looks at the different brick options available to self-builders, and reviews new alternatives to reclaims A self-build project is one of the single largest investments most people will ever make. Now, thanks to the pandemic,... View Article

Interior Inspiration: Lighting

Different aspects of lighting such as colour and brightness have the power to influence how you feel about a room – which is why it needs to be considered in the early stages of design. Here are a few products... View Article

Home Styling: Post-lockdown on the farm

Richard Bradley of V33 offers styling tips on achieving the ‘modern farmhouse kitchen’ look, and plants some seeds on possible finishes to go for in your build Most people would understand completely what a traditional farmhouse kitchen look would entail.... View Article

Ask the Expert: Cut your losses and save CO2

Improving insulation is at the heart of the country’s mission to reduce CO2 emissions in new homes. Matthew Evans of Kingspan Insulation answers key questions around the materials and details to consider to avoid heat loss in your build, and... View Article

Highland society

After seven years in a caravan and the birth of their daughter, Ailsa and Jonny Laing decided it was about time to set up a proper home in the Highlands TEXT NIK HUNTER IMAGES DANIEL WILCOX PHOTOGRAPHY It all started... View Article

Four times lucky

Taking on one major renovation project is ambitious enough – but what happens when you take on four simultaneously, including a historic mill? John Chasey and Eleanor are reaping the benefits of embracing the challenge TEXT EWEN MACDONALD IMAGES EWEN... View Article

Beating the odds

Achieving an affordable ‘forever home’ in the right location seemed an impossible dream for a Berkshire family, but Laura Hardie-Gleed and husband Ian succeeded against all the odds by transforming a run-down 1960s property TEXT ROSEANNE FIELD IMAGES LAURA HARDIE-GLEED... View Article

Appealing to owners

Enhancing a property and adding to its kerb appeal is all about making the right choice of windows, entrance doors, landscaping and, of course, the garage door. David O’Mara of Hörmann UK explains more Although often overlooked, the garage can... View Article

A guide to energy-efficient heating

Alex Burgess of The Radiator Company provides some advice to self-builders on achieving energy efficient heating solutions for their property, for planet and pocket WHAT ARE THE MOST EFFICIENT RADIATORS? With the population increasingly looking to find ways to make... View Article

Up, up and away

When the daily commute became too much for a busy pair of air industry entrepreneurs in west Scotland, they came up with a way to avoid it completely: build a house on their airfield! TEXT NICHOLA HUNTER IMAGES MARTIN LAMBIE... View Article