CONVERSION AND RENOVATION
Jonny Rowe and Sian Rees captured the light and made use of every inch of space in their cleverly designed loft conversion
HOMEOWNERS Jonny Rowe and Sian Rees
LOCATION Leytonstone, east London
HOUSE TYPE Victorian terrace
PROJECT Loft conversion and partial house renovation
LOFT CONVERSION SIZE 30m²
CONSTRUCTION METHOD Timber frame
BUILD ROUTE Architect oversaw the works and acted as contract administrator
BUILD TIME 18 months
BUILD COST Around £130,000
HOUSE VALUE Around £900,000
Like many adventures, the start of Jonny Rowe’s loft conversion project began with a pint in the pub. Along with his wife Sian Rees, he had been sketching out ideas to add two bedrooms in the loft of his east London home when he was introduced to architect Daniel Rees (no relation to Sian).
“I’d already spoken to a couple of other architects I shared a studio with, but to be fair it wasn’t the sort of job that either of them specialised in,” he says. ‘It was third time lucky I guess, as it turned out to be just the kind of project that Daniel excels at.”
Jonny and Sian bought the two-bedroom house in 2012, but with two growing boys, they needed more space. While a loft conversion was the obvious solution, there was an issue with the pitch of the roof and the ceiling height based on the original dimensions would have been just two metres, without taking into account the space needed for the structural framework.
As a solution, the ceilings on the floor below were lowered by 20cm to provide space for the conversion —which also ensured the floors felt proportionally aligned. “It was a little daunting at first, but our neighbours had done it the year before and that gave us the confidence that it could be done without jeopardising the rest of the house,” says Jonny.
FINALISING THE DESIGN
The couple’s brief was for a suite-style main bedroom with a multifunctional second bedroom that would feel like part of the overall space, but which would also serve as a guest bedroom when required. Daniel’s design included doors that could shut off the main bedroom when needed or open up the whole floor —to feel like one interconnected area. “This is key for how we use the space, but ultimately it’s two individual double bedrooms,” Jonny explains. “Daniel nailed the concept first time and we didn’t change a single thing from those original designs.” The couple’s budget also had to stretch to new windows throughout the house, a light renovation of the first floor bathroom and complete redecoration throughout.
