the results. “You can work with it easily,“ he says. And it’s a cheap and ubiuitous material that can be elevated.” Another careful choice was the type of blocks used to build the new extension, which are made with a high recycled content. arts of the extension were then clad with roko, a tropical hardwood that is incredibly robust. “It’s often used for boatbuilding,” says Michael. “The cladding faces east and it gets a battering of UV light, but the Iroko should last for decades. We didn’t fi nish it, we ust left it natural, as it is very strong and gives a nice, warm feeling. he contemporary feel continues with the windows, which are tripleglaed in the small, traditional windows to the front and double- glaed at the rear, due to the higher costs of large sliding doors. elays with the delivery of the glaing were the only real challenge in this build which, unsurprisingly, ran smoothly. The couple’s phased approach was dictated by budget and there is more to do, with an air source heat pump planned shortly to replace their gas central heating, plus solar panels for the roof. Together, these additions will further reduce the day-to-day running costs of their home, while also reducing the carbon impact of the family’s energy use. Even without these measures, the EC has gone from an ‘F’ on purchase to an incredible ‘’. hat’s better than a new build,” says Michael. “The assessor was limited by his software, and we were even pulled down by the existing building, so it’s uite something. The eco-credentials continue inside with a highlow approach that combines ecofriendly nonVC paint with everyday products, such as an engineered fl oor from . ichael was also lucky that Anna agreed to take on the


Where trendy eco products were out of reach, Michael specifi ed agricultural products instead


interior design, since she has an exceptional eye, despite not having a background in design. nspired by the nearby meadows, Anna’s concept was to create the sense of sitting in a meadow, with colour up to a horiontal line around the room. A bold approach, but one that answered the uestion of how to make their eightyearold daughter’s room sophisticated. he shower room takes the same inspiration, with light falling on almost iridescent ellige tiles and a terrao fl oor that echoes the scattered petals of wildfl owers. he interior style in the new extension edges more towards the ‘raw’ trend in architectural design. Michael selected oinerygrade oists for their lack of knots and then simply planed and coated them in preservative. etween each exposed beam is high-quality birch ply. The effect is organic in feel, with a simplicity that places the focus on the views through the windows and the serenity of the spaces. t’s normal materials, ust done carefully,” says Michael. Although their family grew with the arrival of their son in 2019, the phased approach has made the proect less of a slog. ichael was


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