L-shaped loft conversion in semi detached property in Wimbledon
After this client had their kitchen renovated, they caught the decorating bug and decided to add on a loft conversion to their semi-detached property in Wimbledon. Their kitchen had been done to an incredibly high standard, and they wanted a loft of equal quality. The couple enlisted Graham and his team of loft conversion specialists to bring their loft space up to the standard of the rest of the property. The loft gave them a large master bedroom with a separate bathroom in the back addition room. ‘This was an L-shaped mansard loft conversion,’ says Graham Chappell of nuspace, ‘which means you build out to half of the back addition, meaning you gain an additional room, in this case a bathroom.’
The loft conversion architects decided to bring the stairs into the bedroom, putting the door on the half landing rather than at the top of the stairs to enlarge the room. ‘Normally, there would be a wall and a door where the stairs currently lie,’ explains Graham, ‘so changing the location of the door means that the wall is 800mm bigger than usual, which makes all the difference in a small London home.’ A glass balustrade keeps the space feeling open and means that the point at which the sightline breaks is further from the bed, making the space feel larger. ‘You need a banister there for building regulations,’ says Graham, ‘so we made sure it didn’t intrude into the rest of the room by making it glass,’ he adds.
To ensure that the loft conversion was top quality, Graham included a few unusual touches like the flat roof window above the bed. ‘It’s a nice feature that brings more natural light into the bedroom and makes it look and feel more contemporary,’ says Graham. A flat roof window can be installed from as little as £1,000 upwards, and a 2-setting automated blind means that as much or as little light can be let in as desired. ‘This is a popular look with our clients who are after a more contemporary look,’ says the loft expert. The additional 2 velux windows and Juliet balcony mean that the room is filled with light, even on a cloudy day.
The ridge line of the property had been a little low to fit in a loft, so Graham and his team got their plans to raise the ridgeline approved by the planning authorities – a process in which they are well versed – and set about raising the lowest point of the roofline to enable them accommodate a loft comfortably. A plush carpet keeps the room feeling warm and cosy, and high-end furniture makes the space feel luxurious. Small touches like a mirrored radiator (to the right of the bed in the photograph) ensure that even practical items play a role in the design. Bespoke fitted wardrobes (behind) with internal lighting – a service that nuspace regularly provides – means there’s plenty of space to store away clothes to keep the rest of the room free from clutter.
The bathroom also features a huge roof-light as well as an additional window to allow maximum light into the space. Although in reality it’s a very small room, the amount of natural light, alongside clever touches like a glass shower screen, make the room feel much bigger than it actually is. It’s a proper wet room with the same tiles stretching across the floor and walls, sloping down into low profile drainage at the shower.
From the outside, the property is very unassuming. ‘You almost wouldn’t have thought it would be possible to put a loft into the roof,’ says Graham, but with a few tricks of the trade the client gained a beautiful new master bedroom with a plush little bathroom.
