Invigorating a Boring 1960s Home

James Rippon James Rippon
Extension and Refurbishment in Fernhurst, West Sussex by ArchitectureLIVE, ArchitectureLIVE ArchitectureLIVE Modern houses Wood Wood effect
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Cladding the exterior of your home is one of the easiest, most cost-effective and visually impactful ways to transform the look and feel of the exterior of your home design. Many mid-century homes built in the UK are now looking very tired, outdated and lacking any spirit. One such home was this property in West Sussex, which was typical of mid-century houses, characterised by small rooms, lack of living space and a poor relationship with their surrounding gardens.

After being extended to allow the occupants to live more comfortably, and covering the existing structure in the same black timber of the extension, the home has been completely revamped, inside and out. Not only does the new black cladding and extension give the home a unique visual aspect, it also enhances the thermal property of the house, lessening its impact on the environment.

Join us for a closer look…

Black beauty

Undertaken by the expert architects at ArchitectureLIVE, the home in Fernhurst, West Sussex, is almost completely unrecognisable from its original design. 

Home buyers have now well and truly caught onto the fact that you can buy an affordable home and completely transform it through the straightforward process of cladding.

Thermal properties of cladding

Insulating a home does not necessarily have to come from the inside, as the exterior can also be altered to improve the thermal property of the home. Many brick homes constructed before 1920 were built using 'solid' rather than 'cavity' walls.

The difference between the two is simple: cavity walls have a small gap between them to prevent heat loss, whereas solid walls do not. Although this home is not quite that old, it will still benefit from the cladding, serving an aesthetic purpose as well as a functional one.

Blending old and new

Upon closer inspection of the new black extension and exterior, we realise how easy and effective the cladding has been to modernise and transform the existing brick home.

Double-height ceiling

Here we see the extended part of the home, which is made of the new open plan kitchen, dining area and loft study space, above.

Thanks to the new extension, the owners can move around their remodelled home much more freely, no longer restricted to the small, poorly connected rooms of the home's previous design.

Loft study

Seemingly floating above the kitchen is the new study space, which makes best use of the double-height ceiling of the new design.

Rather than build a two-storey extension, the owners wished for a comfortable and roomy double-height living area, with a loft above to keep the kitchen intimate and separate from the living area.

Fresh new bathroom

The bathroom has also been given a fresh facelift, opting for a more colourful palette than the rest of the home dominated by monochrome tones.

To tour another gorgeous Sussex home, check out: A Stylish Family Home in East Sussex.

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