Content tagged with "Renovation"
A scruffy porch and a front door with poorly applied paint and ugly door furniture was spoiling Marianne Suhr’s 17th-century cottage – time to take action by tidying up the tiles and paintwork an adding some beautiful ironmongery.
As the cold weather sets in Marianne Suhr uses new technology to check for draughts in her 17th-century country cottage, and bolsters up the loft insulation for a warmer house with a green approach.
As the renovation of Marianne Suhr’s 17th-century cottage nears completion, it’s time to paint a sorry back wall with limewash and to replace a modern window. Plus advice on how to mix your own limewash.
As the restoration of Marianne Suhr’s 17th-century cottage reaches the finishing line, our historic buildings expert reprieves her turn-of- the-century crinkly tin roof. Plus Marianne offers her advice on boarding and corrugated sheeting.
Two and a half years after starting the restoration of her 17th-century cottage, Marianne Suhr must transform a down-at-heel lobby before hanging up her overalls. Plus advice on how to tie up loose ends at the end of a renovation project.
In PL’s new series, old buildings expert Marianne Suhr follows various renovation projects, starting with 17th-century Honey Cottage, where plans are taking shape. Plus expert advice on how to find the right tradesmen and avoid pitfalls in your renovation project.
In our series on the fabric of older houses, Roger Hunt explores the history of the chimney and flue – and visits a company that makes period-style pots by hand. Plus a handy glossary of chimney-related terms.
Continuing our series on the building materials that make old houses so special, Roger Hunt looks at the importance of the timber frame in history and how it is used today. Plus an insight into how timber frame is constructed and a glossary of timber frame terms.
Roger Hunt looks at the evolution of the front door and visits a salvage specialist dedicated to restoring period examples.
Lime pickle: Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr joins a working party at Corner Cottage, where modern masonry paint and cement render have been wreaking havoc on the 18th-century structure. Plus a step-by-step guide to making lime mortar, and expert advice for repointing stone walls.
Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr assesses progress at Turnpike House, where a new kitchen extension is starting to blend seamlessly with the original property and without a hiccup. Plus expert advice on replacing glass and glazing in period properties.
Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr drops in at the restoration of Honey Cottage, where she finds that patience and an appreciation of historic detail are paying dividends. Plus expert advice on rewiring and old house and repairing old plaster.
Tradition Triumphs: As the restoration project at Honey Cottage in Oxfordshire gets well underway, old buildings expert Marianne Suhr inspects progress on transforming the frontage. Plus expert advice on choosing materials for new infill panels and tips on surveying a timber-framed house for renovation.
Continuing our series on the design elements that make old houses so special, Roger Hunt enters the world of solid wood doors, looking at traditional techniques and where to source antique examples.
Unrivalled patina: Continuing our series on the building and decorative materials that make older houses so special, Roger Hunt uncovers the secrets of antique floorboards and gives valuable advice on care and repair.
Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr catches up with the restoration project at Honey Cottage in Oxfordshire to find the builders working on the final phase and decoration about to begin. Plus expert advice on choosing paints and preparing old walls and woodwork for decorating.
The White Choice: With masonry paint removed on three sides of the house and new lime mortar pointing applied, Corner Cottage is ready for a coat or two of limewash. Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr helps out. Plus a handy step-by-step guide to making and applying limewash.
The Big Push: Corner Cottage has undergone a traditional transformation in the last few months and, as the project concludes, old buildings guru Marianne Suhr helps the owners carry out some final repairs. Plus expert advice on DIY building works and safety.
Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr revisits a project to construct a new kitchen extension and finds it primed and ready for underfloor heating and a limestone floor to be laid. Plus expert advice on underfloor heating and kitchen electrics.
Armed with expert knowledge, old buildings guru Marianne Suhr casts her eye over a gracious 18th century home that has been plagued by high levels of unwanted moisture – and presents a plan to eradicate them for good. Plus a checklist to help you determine your damp spots.
Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr drops in on a restoration project to see some original Georgian sash windows newly repaired and reinstalled in their rightful place. Plus a useful list of tips for overhauling old windows.
Peeling back the years: Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr drops in on a project to return the period character to Alan and Sarah Tierney’s 500-year old cottage, which is gradually giving up its secrets. This month they have been stripping paint to reveal original beams, as well as uncovering and preserving a historic wall painting.
A twist in the tale: Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr checks on progress at 500-year-old Picketts Cottage, where a green oak kitchen extension has been so unobtrusively designed that it can be removed without leaving a trace. Plus expert advice on constructing a glazed roof and planning a kitchen extension.
Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr drops in on 500-year-old Picketts Cottage where the owners, Alan and Sarah Tierney, are determined to reduce their carbon footprint by installing green technology - in the form of a ground source heat pump - to provide heating and water.
Pushing the boundaries: Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr visits Picketts Cottage for the last time to see lime materials being used in innovative ways, starting with a cutting edge limecrete slab for the foundations of the kitchen extension.
Old house expert Marianne Suhr offers her advice on the different style of project management. including using a main contractor, employing a project manager and managing the project yourself. Plus advice on how to choose the right builder for your renovation or conservation project.
Builders on board: Old house expert Marianne Suhr catches up with progress at 18th-century Watts Barn, where the owners are discovering that a good site foreman is an invaluable asset. Plus, Marianne offers her expert advice on how to go about managing your renovation project and choosing a builder.
Don’t let wood rot ruin your decorating plans – using two separate cases Helaine Clare shows how to fix this common problem on a shed door post and on french doors and how to prevent it from happening again in the future. Plus a full list of tools and equipment needed.
Sitting comfortably: Metal garden furniture kept outdoors will eventually succumb to the effects of the weather, with flaking paint and colonisation by algae. Helaine Clare shows how to spruce up chairs and a table over a weekend.
Clever customising: Take one worn-out footstool, stained and dog-eared, and transform it into an elegant piece of furniture for the fireside. Helaine Clare shows how in her simple eight-step guide, including a full list of tools and equipment needed for the job.
Paper magic: Corner cupboards are common features in old houses, but can be difficult to incorporate into a contemporary decorating scheme. Helaine Clare’s easy eight-step project uses wallpaper to transform the look of this fine Victorian example.
Over the last 24 years, Helen and Martin Ephgrave have gradually restored their Edwardian house, and now have a home they can never imagine leaving. The three bedroom house, built c.1905 has been restored in a simple Shaker-style, with many of the original features restored.
Born to Restore: Following in the footsteps of her renovating family, Maria Bradburn and her husband Wayne have restored an old house with a wealth of Victorian and Edwardian period features. The couple have managed to maintain and restore many of the period features, including original tiles and mouldings, and enhanced them with antique store finds.
Raising the roof Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr catches up with progress at Watts Barn and sees it reach a turning point as the new clay tiled roof goes up, insulated with an ultra thin but highly effective foil.
Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr offers her advice on what to expect when adding a new roof to a renovation project. Includes advice on what materials to choose and how to insulate.
Historic homes expert Marianne Suhr offers her advice on applying and painting onto lime plaster, including advice on whether to use pre-mixed eco paints or make paint yourself from scratch.
Every period house has a unique face and the windows are the eyes, says Roger Hunt, who charts historic styles, advises on care and repair, and meets a maker of traditional sash window frames. Plus a full glossary of window-related terms.
Historian and television presenter Dan Cruikshank took painstaking care to preserve as many of the original features as possible in his renovated Georgian town house in London. Here, he offers his advice on how to renovate a historic property and ensure that it maintains its heritage. Plus he shares the history of Spitalfields, the area of London his home is located in.
The city of Rochester boasts many building gems, among them Minor Canon Row, one of the finest examples of 18th-century English domestic architecture. Caroline Wheater visits the recently revived landmark.
Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr checks renovation progress at Watts Barn to find out whether any problems or 'snags' have arisen and how they’ve been solved.
Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr provides a list of all the things you should check before signing off on your renovation project. Plus advice on how to make sure that you are insured against defects with a watertight building contract.
Done and dusted It has taken two years to transform Watts Barn into a home, using the latest know-how. Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr admires the results of the completed barn conversion.
Caroline Wheater looks into the history of The Spitalfields Trust. Set up 33 years ago, with the express aim of saving the remaining Georgian houses in Spitalfields, London, The Spitalfields Trust has saved many historic buildings that might otherwise have been destroyed or altered beyond recognition.
Surface tension Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr revisits the conversion project at Watts Barn and admires the way the team solve the problem of applying lime plaster between the ceiling rafters.
Green Scene: Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr revisits Watts Barn to see how an eco building material has been used to make new walls, creating a shell with excellent insulation that is sympathetic to the original architecture. Plus advice on preserving and replacing traditional boarding.
Talking timber: Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr checks the progress at Watts Barn, where ancient beams are undergoing a health check and preparations are made for a sturdy new framework. Plus advice on how to assess your timber frame woodwork.
Classic by design: A new open-plan kitchen with a traditional pantry larder has transformed Alison and James Dewhurst’s home.The kitchen was built in the converted garage of their 1920s home and includes a double butler sink, a spacious island unit with workspace oven and hob, an Aga with overmantel and a large, American-style fridge-freezer.
The story continues with phase two of the restoration of 84 Plymouth Grove, the historic home of 19th century writer Elizabeth Gaskell. The Manchester Historic Buildings Trust applies for a Heritage Lottery grant.
Seasoned renovator Jennifer Bristow-Smith has completely transformed a tired Victorian house into an appealing home with the air of a colonial retreat. With many projects behind her, Jennifer wasn't afraid to get involved in each stage of the work. A limited budget didn't stop her ambitious plans and the finished house is both functional and elegant with a cool, sophisticated colour scheme.
Sleeping Beauty awakens: A decade ago, 84 Plymouth Grove in Manchester was in the doldrums, with damp, dry rot and an uncertain future. Now, the former home of 19th-century novelist, Elizabeth Gaskell, is being coaxed back to life by local campaigners.
Alistair and Fiona Erskine have restored and nurtured their 17th century home, which was extended in the Victorian era. With a simple decorating scheme to maximise the natural light, the furnishings do not overshadow the timber-framed house’s architectural features.
Old buildings expert Marianne Suhr offers her advise on how to go about choosing a house designer or architect for your renovation or conversion project.
Team Building Pamela and Jason Crawley and their son James have worked together to restore a Georgian farmhouse. A passion for authenticity ensured this project won Best Country House in our Readers’ Awards 2011.
Love your house: An annual ‘MOT’ on your period property will save you money in the long run, advises Roger Hunt as he begins a new series on old house maintenance.
Historian and television presenter Dan Cruikshank has employed a very sensitive approach to the renovation of his Georgian townhouse that respects and preserves its heritage. Dan was passionate about preserving original features and has added further character to the property by decorating with a diverse range of furniture and accessories that he has collected over the years.
Striking a chord Period buildings expert Marianne Suhr looks in on a new project to transform a 1940s wooden hut in a cottage garden into a timber-framed music studio. Plus find out more about the rules on converting garden structures.
Out of control trees and shrubs, cracked drains, leaking rainwater goods, missing roof tiles; these are just some of the things that may lead to structural problems in older buildings. Roger Hunt offers his advice on how to identify and repair subsidence and other structural issues in period properties.
Creeping cracks, corrosion spots and damaged masonry can all be symptoms of underlying problems that need fixing. Roger Hunt offers his advice on how to identify structural problems with your property.
Kerry and Jason Sharpe have extended their 19th-century cottage, transforming it into the ideal place to host festive celebrations. The four bedroom cottage in North Yorkshire now includes a larger kitchen and a garden room.
Old buildings expert Roger Hunt highlights the main things you should look out for to keep your roof and roof structure as sound as possible and avoid leaks and further structural damage.
Out on the tiles Make an old roof your high priority, says Roger Hunt, who gives practical advice on spotting potential problems and how to get them fixed.
With Christmas celebrations planned, the pressure is on for Marianne Suhr to restore the lovely inglenook fireplace in her 17th-century country cottage. Plus expert advice on how to maintain your chimney and make sure that it is drawing the smoke out properly.
Let there be light Shane Allen has created a light-filled kitchen/dining room that has transformed her home, and became a runner-up of the Best Kitchen in our Readers’ Awards 2011.
Period building expert Marianne Suhr examines the various types of period-style and eco friendly roofing available and the difference between shingles and shakes.
Period walls need sensitive renovation because of their age and method of construction, says Roger Hunt, in his problem-solving guide. Plus advice on the warning signs to look out for.
Period buildings expert Marianne Suhr admires the quality and pleasingly irregular finish of cleft oak tiles used to construct the roof of an eco-friendly music studio.
Jonathan McCree and his wife Claire Gordon used their artistic skills to renovate and decorate this individual Victorian home, creating an eclectic space decorated with bright colours, vintage furniture and handmade items.
In many ways, original period doors and window frames are just as valuable as antique furniture, says Roger Hunt, and are heirlooms in their own right. Here's some expert advice on how to maintain original doors and windows in period houses.
With a sander and some new finish to hand, restoring a worn kitchen floor is surprisingly easy, as Period Living's DIY expert Helaine Clare demonstrates.
With a clear vision in mind, Natalie and David Riley have created a light, spacious kitchen with a relaxation area that brings their family together. Pale quartz worktops and a limestone floor to help maximise light, while accents of colour prevent the kitchen from looking washed out.
Christine and Stephen Marriott-Smalley have transformed a dark and gloomy cottage with a neutral palette and one-off auction finds. The four bedroom 19th centiry cottage in North Yorkshire has been completely renovated to include new freestanding kitchen furniture and an en suite bathroom.
Tim Lowe’s passion for conservation led him to discover an elegant Georgian house in Carmarthenshire and restore its long lost character. The Grade II listed, five-bedroom house now has many of it's original features, including panelled walls and freshly-painted exterior woodwork.
