When Rebecca and Russ moved into their 300-year old Cotswold cottage back in 2016, they knew they had some work to do to make it habitable but were keen to retain the original features and charm of this historical home.
With only two bedrooms and a very small kitchen, the couple opted for a large extension to create the space they needed for family life. “We went for a contemporary extension which is in a completely contrasting style to the original cottage. We worked closely with our architect, Terry Pinto from PAAD Architects on various options, but this was the route we ultimately chose to achieve the internal space we wanted. The planners were supportive as it would have been difficult to do something to try and match the style of the cottage.”
Whilst Russ and Rebecca were finalising their extension plans, they looked to replace the existing windows as soon as possible. They chose the Internorm product. Opting for a traditional colour to complement the existing Cotswold stone, with the added benefit of modern triple glazing and integrated blinds offering excellent thermal efficiency at the same time.
Work finally began on the extension in 2019 with Russell project managing the build. “We managed to get the shell up and weather tight before the pandemic hit.” That aside, the most challenging part of the project was how much of their land had to be dug out. “It was quite major as we are on a slope and access is tricky.”
The stunning extension is built from a highly insulated timber frame to help blend the traditional with the contemporary. For the windows and doors, Russell and Rebecca chose Internorm again. “We were sold on the concept of the blinds being controlled by the Loxone home automation system and having lived with the Internorm product in the cottage for a few years already, I knew how amazing the performance is.”
The couple chose Internorm HV450 Ambiente for the cottage with integrated pull cord operated blinds. The Ambiente profile in the Pebble Grey RAL7032 works beautifully with the traditional appearance of the cottage whilst also giving great performance. For the extension, the doors are HV450 Homepure with PV powered integrated blinds, smart connected with Loxone. The couple’s home also features a HS330 sliding door and AT540 front door.
Four years on and the family are as happy as ever. The extension has transformed the property into a 4/5 bedroom family home, with the kitchen/diner space they always dreamed of! The extra space has been great as we’ve since had two children, so I’m not sure we could have stayed here without the extension. We are very lucky that the home is warm and cosy with the mix of old and new and we love the light from all the windows. I do also love our woodburner on a long winter’s night. We’ve also found a well which we have made a feature of in the old cottage. We’re very happy here for sure.”
