Architectural Design & Interior Architecture | 3D Visualisation | Architectural Support
The Apiary
Concept design · Space planning · Planning application · Design coordination
The brief
This couple loved their location but the house wasn’t working for how they live and work. It was a two-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalow with a separate kitchen and two living rooms, so there was plenty of floor area, but it was poorly arranged. Both of them work from home, so they needed a proper office, separate from the places they relax and sleep. They also wanted a better bathroom arrangement, a master bedroom with an ensuite, and a kitchen that connects to the rest of the home. They wanted to stay put and make the most of what they already had, so our starting point was the existing footprint.
Rethinking the layout
Before drawing anything new, we looked at how the couple move through the house day to day, and how a working day sits alongside the rest of their life. The result was a reorganised plan rather than a big addition. The separate kitchen now opens onto a new dining area, with a cloakroom and bench by the garden entrance.
The living room is extended and has a direct connection to the terrace. The space that was the central second living room is now a master bedroom with an ensuite and beside it sits a snug or study, a dedicated office that keeps work out of the living spaces. The two original bedrooms are now bedrooms two/office and three, served by a new family bathroom. The home has gone from two bedrooms and one bathroom to three bedrooms, an ensuite and an additional bathroom, with an open-plan kitchen and dining area, all within the original footprint.
A home that can change
The way people live changes, so the plan was designed to adapt. The office is its own room rather than a corner of another space, which means it can later become a guest room, a hobby room or another bedroom without any building work. The two additional bedrooms give the couple space for visitors now and flexibility for whatever comes next. It’s the kind of thinking that’s easy to overlook at the start and costly to fix later.
Coordinating the experts
Changes like these only work if the building can support them. Opening up the kitchen and living areas, extending the living room with a new cavity wall and foundations, and adding rooflights to bring daylight deeper into the plan all needed the input of a structural engineer. We designed the layout and coordinated with the engineer from the start, so structural requirements were built into the plan. We also worked with building regulations specialists, who took our design through technical design and compliance. This is why bringing in the right people early matters: the design stays realistic from concept to construction.
Beyond the walls
The improvements continue outside. We reworked the parking arrangement with a permeable parking area and a low-level retaining wall, and designed hard landscaping to connect the extended living space with the garden. New powder-coated aluminium windows and carefully matched cladding on the infill elements keep the house looking consistent and tidy. We prepared and submitted the planning application and stayed involved through to technical design.
The result is a home that fits the way the couple live and work today, and has the flexibility to change with them.
The result is a home that fits how the couple live and work today, with a dedicated office, a proper master suite and an open, sociable heart to the house. Just as importantly, it’s a layout that can grow and adapt with them, so the house keeps working well whatever the next chapter brings.