The trails all lead home

Calum and Gladys Trail looked at a lot of options for pursuing a self-build, and they managed to find the answer under their noses, on their existing site in the north east of Scotland TEXT TOM BODDY IMAGES NEIL GORDON... View Article

Raising the roof

LISTEN HERE 🔊 When David and Lisa Collins’ circumstances changed, a tired 1960s bungalow in Leeds offered not only the chance to build their dream house, but also gave them the perfect opportunity to move nearer to their daughter TEXT... View Article

Access all areas

A kit home has plenty of benefits – including its price tag – but buying a ‘house in a box’ doesn’t mean sticking to the plan, as this wheelchair-friendly redesign near Cornwall’s Atlantic coast illustrates TEXT CAROL BURNS IMAGES EWEN... View Article

Breaking down barriers

For Patsy Parr, getting approval and building her first home in her native rural Staffordshire meant overcoming countless hurdles, but project management experience, plus a bit of family knowledge, resulted in an award-winning build TEXT ROSEANNE FIELD IMAGES IZAAK CAAN... View Article

Practice makes perfect

Serial self-builder Mark Young’s fourth project, an ICF-built family home, has scored so many hits on his family’s wish list that it might be his last project TEXT ROSEANNE FIELD IMAGES MARK YOUNG Back in the November/December 2018 issue of... View Article

Recipe for success

Cooking-mad ex MasterChef contestant Ashley Byrne and his wife Alison have managed to create an eye-catching contemporary home through close working relationships with their architect, builder and suppliers – so who says too many cooks spoil the broth? TEXT JESS... View Article

A spiritual renovation

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A passion for saving old houses meant that Glasgow architect Emma Jane literally took her work home with her, with an old church officer’s property TEXT NIK HUNTER IMAGES ROBERT PERRY For some time, Emma had been... View Article

Brave new home

After an almost traumatic experience with her first self-build, Poppy Robinson bravely decided to take on another, conquering her fears to produce a bright and eco-friendly forever home TEXT TOM BODDY IMAGES NICK AUSTWICK PHOTOGRAPHY & ORIGIN On the Lincolnshire... View Article

The art of restoration

A historic 100-year old house designed by a St Ives artist has become a decade-long labour of love for the owners to save it from demolition TEXT & IMAGES EWEN MACDONALD It is a sad truth that it is often... View Article

A meeting of minds

Bob and Carrie Forsyth had very different ideas about their ‘forever’ home until they set eyes on a dated 1950s ‘fixer-upper’ near Leeds, and decided to compromise, including with the planning department TEXT HEATHER DIXON IMAGES BEVAN COCKERILL Bob Forsyth... View Article

Jane of all trades

As an architect, Jane Burnside has created many stunning contemporary homes. However, also taking on the role of project manager and interior designer – and even cook – on her own self-build on the Isle of Mull required a whole... View Article

Saving for retirement

LISTEN HERE Outbuildings on the site of a historic farmhouse in rural Hampshire have been cleverly transformed into a ‘later living’ home, by an owner who was keen to downsize, in a project that triumphed over Covid TEXT TOM BODDY... View Article

Joining the dots

Craig and Hilary Joiner had no intention of embarking on a massive building project in the Eastern Highlands – or to spend five years in the planning system – but they went with the flow and reaped the benefits TEXT... View Article

Dig for victory

A mother and daughter collaboration created a bespoke city pad that shows just how much can be achieved on brownfield sites, even picking up a design award TEXT & IMAGES EWEN MACDONALD Bristol has long been a trend-setting place. So,... View Article

Keeping it in the family

It took blood, sweat and tears for Gill and Tim Denham to transform a derelict 19th century cow barn in County Durham into what is now a stunning five bedroom holiday let TEXT HEATHER DIXON IMAGES DAVE BURTON Perched on... View Article

Victorian value, unlocked

When Amanda and Kevin decided to renovate their Victorian home in south London to provide better space for their family, their chosen architects managed to unlock the home’s full potential and achieved a trouble-free project TEXT ROSEANNE FIELD IMAGES LORENZO... View Article

Shaping their future

LISTEN HERE Designed with a contemporary form to fit into the picturesque landscape of New Zealand’s Cass Bay, the architect of Aaron and Christine Green’s new curving copper family home has produced a unique building TEXT TOM BODDY IMAGES AARON... View Article

Environmental health

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A mental health building by Medical Architecture in north London took a simple, ‘first-principles’ design approach to providing access to external space and daylit interiors, as well as greater independence and wellness for users. James Parker reports... View Article

Restoration drama

Carl and Rachel Philips invested everything they had in breathing new life into one of the oldest, and most fascinating, properties in Stratford-upon-Avon TEXT HEATHER DIXON IMAGES CARL PHILLIPS Carl and Rachel Philips’ house is so old, and so ‘wonky,’... View Article

Sussex ups and downs

For Ian Perry and his wife, building their own home in the Sussex countryside meant finally fulfilling a dream they’d held onto for many years, but it was a voyage of several discoveries, including Covid challenges TEXT ROSEANNE FIELD IMAGES... View Article