Without extending

Outgrown your home but don’t want to add an extension? We show you the best ways to add more space without extending the footprint of your existing house

We all know how easy it is to fill the space we live in — growing families, an expanding menagerie of pets perhaps, a hobby that involves a large collection of items requiring storage and just the general dayto-day accumulation of stuff all take up space. And to add to the spacial pressure on our homes there is the fact that more and more of us are now working from home, meaning a whole new room or space to be used as an office has to be conjured up from somewhere too.

In an ideal world we’d all have the funds, time and energy to add new extensions or splash out on a bigger and better home.the reality, on the other hand, is that for many of us, this isn’t an option.

Thankfully there are plenty of ways to both add more physical space, as well as create an illusion

identifiable through the W-shaped trusses running through the cross section of the roof. While both roof types can be converted, the costs involved with a trussed roof will be higher.

2.4m tends to be a comfortable height once the new floor and ceiling covering are taken into account.

lChimney stacks and water tanks are common items that can get in the way of loft conversions.you will need to think of a new spot to house the water tank, or swap it for an alternative like a mainsfed combi boiler.the removal of a chimney stack will require the help of a structural engineer and good builder.

l

I always recommend my clients consider the space they already have, and if it could be better used,” says Dan Stewart senior architect at ADG. “Often, spaces within our homes have become ‘dead’ and unused, and a fresh pair of eyes from your architect can reveal the potential.”

Perhaps it is an unnecessarily large hallway that serves a rarely used front or side door, a separate dining room that’s only used at Christmas, or even a corner of a room piled high with stuff.

Identify any wasted areas and look at how they could be used more effectively — could that hall become a home office, the dining room a snug or spare bedroom, that lonely corner a stylish spot for some new built-in storage?

USE MIRRORS: It might be an old trick — but it’s still a good one! Strategically placed mirrors can reflect light, a great view or create the illusion of a room that is twice the length it really is.

USE LIGHTING TO DEFINE AREAS: Rather than sticking to just one, unflattering overhead light, use different light sources to illuminate different areas of the room. A cosy warm lamp or two next to an armchair or to light up a dull corner, lowhanging pendants over a dining table, or concealed LEDS in shelving, for example.

CHANGE WINDOW DRESSINGS: Get rid of fussy full-length curtains in favour or sleek blinds or shutters that require no floor space and which visually simplify things.

KEEP THINGS LIGHT: An all-white colour scheme really can work wonders in small spaces — and there are lots of different shades of white out there, from warm to bright. If you are scared of things looking sterile, just include plenty of texture through upholstery and warm wood finishes elsewhere.

USE TRICKS OF THE EYE: Draw the eye upwards by using vertical timber cladding, high level shelving or windows, or standout pendant lights.

Efficient storage is a must if you want to increase the sense of space in your home. Clutter has no place in a house where space is at a premium. If you think you have exhausted your home’s storage potential already, it might be time to think again — there are lots of

“We often have too much circulation space in our homes,” says architect Dan Stewart of ADG Architects. “In my own home (left), the new study at the rear (previously the ground floor bathroom), is open to the kitchen dining room and forms the route from the kitchen to the garden. A moveable sliding wall can turn it into a private office separated from the rest of the home.”