Our work

Carlton Road, Redhill

Retrofit, Garage conversion and Interior Design - Completed 2025

THE BRIEF

The clients wanted to resolve a series of everyday frustrations in their home: limited bathroom provision for a family of four, poor security to the patio and garage doors, and an inaccessible guest WC for an elderly family member. The utility room was cold, damp and prone to mould, with the washing machine located in the garage and garden access routed through a cluttered space. Storage was inefficient, the boiler was inconveniently located in the loft, and the kitchen layout and finishes no longer suited the way the family lived.

OUR ADVICE

Following an initial consultation, we advised that the project should be delivered in carefully considered phases due to budget constraints. Together with the clients, we identified the interventions that would deliver the greatest improvement in comfort, functionality and long-term value if addressed first.

SITE CONSTRAINTS

The design was shaped by a number of technical challenges, including a public sewer running along the rear of the house, heavy clay ground conditions and a party wall later found to be missing a foundation. These constraints required a pragmatic and well-coordinated design approach.

THE SOLUTION

Rather than extending unnecessarily, we focused on reworking and upgrading existing spaces. Part of the garage was converted into a warm, efficient utility room while retaining valuable front storage. The lean-to extension was demolished and rebuilt to current building regulations to accommodate a new shower room.

The former guest WC was reconfigured as a dedicated clothes-drying room incorporating a new hot water cylinder and accessed directly from the new utility, allowing the half-landing wall to be closed off. The boiler was relocated from the loft to the shower room cabinet. New insulated patio and garage doors significantly improved security and thermal performance.

ADDED VALUE

The reconfiguration greatly improved thermal comfort in the bedrooms above, which were no longer located over unheated spaces. Acoustic insulation introduced during the works resolved long-standing noise transfer from the neighbouring property.

By relocating the hot water cylinder from the first-floor bathroom, space was freed up to allow for a future shower to be installed in the family bathroom without further structural work. Removing the boiler from the loft chimney also opened up the opportunity to remove the redundant chimney stack in the future, creating additional usable space within one of the bedrooms.

With contingency funds remaining towards the end of the works, we helped the client invested in further upgrades, including an insulated timber garage door, additional ceiling insulation to the storage area, and improved lighting to the kitchen and snug.

THE RESULT

A calm, efficient and adaptable home rooted in Scandinavian design principles, delivering improved comfort, accessibility and long-term value for everyday family living within a controlled budget.

Photo credit (new): www.rchivers.co.uk