How to improve your home and add more space

Thinking about how you can make improvements to your home now that lockdown is over? With many of us set to invest in updating the properties we’re already in, we’ve looked at the best ways to add more space.

Many people are emerging from lockdown with a new sense of what their home means to them. We seem to have a better understanding of the benefits we gain from staying indoors, spending time with our loved ones, and being kind to others. As the pandemic reached across the world, families were forced to slow down and make the most of the space that they already had – or perhaps, notice the space that they didn’t have. 

After spending the best part of this year self-isolating, attention has turned to the ways that our homes can be improved. Families now have a desire to renovate their homes by addressing issues that may have become more urgent during the lockdown. Different requirements for the property might have become more apparent, perhaps because children have grown up, or you now work remotely. Maybe the rooms have become cluttered, so a pantry is needed to keep your kitchen free of mess. With the housing market post-pandemic being so unpredictable, people seem to be looking at ways to make the most of their properties and gardens instead of moving. 

Create more space with a classic garden room or orangery

One of the main reasons for renovating the home is because of space; either to create more of it, or to change the way the family uses it. Larger houses look impressive and carry a sense of gravitas, but generous sized interiors allow us to enjoy our homes in a multitude of ways. A larger house is a more accessible and adaptable house, allowing family members to enjoy a range of activities either together or alone. 

Garden room extensions and glazed orangeries look beautiful, while increasing the amount of living space you have in your home and making you feel more connected to your garden. Take a look at these before and after photos, to see just how much a garden room or orangery can transform your home. If designed well, a garden room or orangery combines balanced proportions with flawless functionality. What most people love about an extension is that it provides you with an opportunity to change your interiors and redesign the layout of your home. Garden rooms and orangeries usually involve knocking through walls and extending openings to create a beautiful, open-plan living space. Often, the design will incorporate and reuse existing adjacent rooms in the main house into the new extension, creating flow throughout the different areas. 

Once finished, the garden room soon becomes an integral part of a house; it is the place where the family comes together for everyday activities, and where special occasions are celebrated, making it the heart of the home. A spacious open-plan room creates different zones and areas, which can cater for a range of family activities. A large kitchen and dining room, for example, will be the perfect central hub with plenty of space for preparing food, serving tea, hosting suppers or finishing schoolwork.

Time for a complete makeover with a timber extension

Providing it is crafted to the highest of standards, a sumptuous glazed extension can radically change the look and feel of your property. If designed well, a bespoke garden room should work in harmony with the dimensions, space, light and colour of your existing home, with everything finely balanced to result in a structure that looks as if it has always been there. The new structure should completely change the style of the architecture while blending in with the property’s overall style. 

For those who appreciate the beauty of clean lines and classic detailing, timber is the first choice for glazed extensions. Wood is a natural material and results in an exquisite style. By using the best of today’s machinery with classic hand-finishing techniques, it’s possible to create flush joints, sharp edges, and traditional mouldings that are considered an essential part of our British architectural heritage. 

An investment that will last for years to come

Here at Westbury Garden Rooms, we are known for designing glazed timber extensions that look exceptional and are crafted to the highest specification. We use only premium materials, which is why our structures are so durable and stable. We’ve spent years developing our products, and we know that engineered timber made from layers of Accoya and redwood is a high-performing material. 

Accoya is a timber material made from fast-growing Radiata Pine, which undergoes a process that compresses and bonds laminates (thin slices) of the pinewood, rotating the grain by 90˚ each layer. This cross-lamination gives Accoya improved dimensional stability of up to 75% over solid hardwoods. Furthermore, the Accoya timber undergoes a process called acetylation, which re-plumps the cells of the cut lumber. This process gives it superior thermal insulation and the highest durability class possible, guaranteeing a long lifespan of up to 50 years. Our eco-conscious customers are always interested to hear that Accoya is Co2 neutral throughout its lifecycle and 100% biodegradable. 

When we combine Accoya with Teknos, a water-based paint specifically designed for external use on timber, the durability and longevity of our garden rooms become even more exceptional. In our workshops, we spray the joinery with two coats of the microporous paint, creating a barrier that protects the external surface from bacteria, mould, and UV attack. As it is such a strong and durable engineered timber, Accoya does not twist or swell over time, meaning that your extension is stable and any painted coatings will not peel.  

As a result, we have the opportunity to paint our garden rooms and orangeries in a range of colours, without having to worry about regular paint jobs to touch up peeled and cracked areas. Our clients don’t have to opt for plain white extensions – now they can specify whatever colour palette that best suits their tastes. 

Over the last 30 years, Westbury has built a reputation for design, quality and innovation, transforming ordinary houses into extraordinary homes all over the world. Contact us today to discuss your project in more detail or book an appointment to visit one of our showrooms.