Cottage Extension with a Traditional Conservatory, Winkfield Row

Location: Winkfield

We recently designed and installed a traditional conservatory for this charming detached cottage situated in the beautiful village of Winkfield Row, in the Berkshire countryside. The period property is as pretty as it is quaint.

The Berkshire homeowners had lived in the period cottage for many years and decided to carry out a range of improvements to ensure their home was energy efficient and relevant in the 21st century.

As with many period cottages, the living spaces are very contained with low ceilings and small windows and not much light.

Part of the brief for phase one of their home renovation project was to create extra living space from their living room to improve the natural light flow and practicality throughout the ground floor.

One of the brief fundamental requirements was to ensure a seamless blend between any new extension and the original cottage.

Our architectural designer Michael East contacted the Winkfield Row homeowners to arrange an appointment at our Bracknell showroom to discuss their requirements for their home renovation project. He discussed a few design ideas, from a garden room to an open-plan dining area and kitchen extension.

The Winkfield Row homeowners describe the issues they experienced with their existing black wooden windows, which weren’t performing their best and required a lot of regular maintenance.

As the owners could no longer carry out the upkeep themselves, the cost of repainting and repairing was no longer the most economical option.

The homeowners were keen to replace their wooden windows with our virtual maintenance-free timber effect double-glazed windows from our Evolution Flush range.

Although the cottage is not grade ii listed, there are some period features of the cottage that date back to the 1700s and it is situated within a conservation area. Planning permission was required to ensure that the new extension was in keeping with the property and surrounding village.

Michael explained how engineered wood and microporous paint innovations had improved Thames Valley Timber’s wooden windows and doors range.

Our timber casement windows are naturally resistant to rot, mould and atmospheric corrosion. That has made a difference to the quality and length of time between maintenance.

Timber windows will not twist and warp, require very little maintenance and provide 21st-century security and insulation performance.

Dating back to the 19th century, flush timber casement windows are a very traditional window design and have featured for centuries in Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian properties.

Michael recommended our timber flush casement windows and French doors with sidelights for the cottage extension.

The Winkfield homeowners were looking for a soft tone, nature-inspired exterior frame colour that would blend effortlessly with the surroundings and contribute to the overall character of the period cottage.

They decided on a dual colour for the timber windows and doors and chose RAL6027, a quintessential shade of light green for the exterior and RAL9010 white for the interior.

Every element of the cottage extension was carefully considered and cleverly designed inside and out to ensure that the new glazed extension did not visually overpower the existing cottage and would be approved by the local Conservation Officer.

The entire cottage extension project was coordinated by Michael, who worked in collaboration with his builder to knock through and open up the space and coordinated the schedule with his team of local plumbers, electricians, and Thames Valley Windows fitters.

The period property has been sympathetically renovated with traditional craftsmanship throughout the cottage extension to provide a stunning contemporary interior that successfully blends period features with modern-day luxuries.

This beautiful cottage extension opens the living area into an impressive, light-filled space and feels like it has been part of the cottage forever.

The exterior of the period cottage has been transformed with a modern, clean aesthetic of white render. The straight lines and slim profile of the flush casement windows with astral bars add definition and character, along with black wrought iron monkey tail handles and hinges.

Although now our Winkfield homeowners have had the chance to live with the new double-glazed flush casement windows and doors, they have noticed the positive change to soundproofing, energy ratings and heat retention.

PRODUCTS USED:

Timber Windows

Suppliers:

Architectural Designer: Michael East

Architect: Michael East Architectural Design

Contractor: Bob Keen

You may also be interested in reading one of our blogs;

Timber Windows and doors

What is the Benefit of a Factory-Finished Timber Window?

What is the Difference Between Solid Timber and Engineered Timber?

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