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The word ‘basement’ often conjures up images of darkness, dinginess and fear… well, if you are a movie buff that is. However, in our world, basements are literally a dream come true.
They are a symbol of luxury with basements being converted into spaces such as cinema rooms, swimming pools, gyms and family rooms… a far cry from the images of darkness often depicted in the movies.
In London particularly, in areas such as Fulham, Chelsea, Kensington and Knightsbridge, basement conversions are a source of pride and envy amongst friends and family; each one grander than the next.
One of the most important, but sometimes overlooked aspects about basement conversions is lighting. Given, it’s position within the home, both literally and figuratively, basement lighting needs to be a well-thought out plan.
If you are converting your basement, we recommend working with your lighting designer and builder to create a lighting plan that suits the purpose of the room, whether it’s a TV/Cinema room, gym or wine cellar.
Basements, by virtue of their location, do not get much natural light. One of the key factors when designing the lighting is to understand where there is, if at all, any natural light and how to best make use of it and maximise its impact within the space.
On a slightly technical note… although your lighting designer and builder will know this, it’s always good to know a little something yourself
Think about the ambient lighting. The ambient lighting is the overall lighting in the room. How bright do you want your space? If it’s a cinema room for example, you may want a more subdued form of lighting than if it’s a games room.
Ceiling lights are normally recommended to create enough light for a dark space. Explore ways of getting light into the ceiling through wall lights or coffer details. Often, washing the walls with light will help the space feel light and bright.
That leads on to the colour of the room. If your light is designed to reflect the walls, to “wash the room,” think about using lighter colours for the walls. Lighter colours reflect light better, especially if your basement does not get much natural light,
LED lights are usually the most commonly used as they are both energy efficient and bright.
One of the clever things many lighting designers do is to create fake skylights using artificial lights to replicate the colour temperature of the natural light. Check with your lighting designer if this is possible… you may not need it if you have some natural light coming through.
It’s important to think about making basement lighting flexible and this can be done through a combination of adjustable fittings, lighting tracks, spotlights and 5 amp sockets for floor and table lamps.
Discuss using multi lighting circuits with your electrician and lighting designer to ensure this flexibility.
Another way of being creative is to use coloured lighting to emphasise the main features of the room particularly a gym or cinema room. But be careful not to overdo it or your home can look like a seedy nightclub.
With limited ceiling heights, basement conversion lighting needs to be clever and well-designed. Whilst you may have a good idea of the lighting you want in your basement; we recommend you consult a building team (like us[Symbol]) who work with an experienced lighting designer to transform a dark space like a basement into something truly spectacular. You never know what clever solutions we can come up with.
Give us a call if you’d like to discuss your basement conversion plans and how lighting might work to enhance the look and feel of the space. . We can be contacted on 0208 191 7595 or email us at enquiries@sdabuildlondon.co.uk to discuss how we can help.
We thought we’d start the new year with some inspiration… Every year, The Daily Telegraph and Homebuilding & Renovating team up to find the best individual homes the UK has to offer, from the finest self builds to sensitive renovations, brilliant extensions and imaginative conversions – and importantly, to celebrate the achievements of their homeowners.
Find out the 2019 winners here…
If you’d like some guidance on your home improvement project, give us a call on 02081917595. Or better still, book a FREE consultation with us and we’ll visit your property, discuss your ideas and share some of our recommendations with no obligation.
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We are delighted to share that our home restoration and refurbishment project has been featured in the February 2020 edition of Period Living Magazine.
You can have a sneak preview of the magazine or purchase it here.
Or if you’d like to find out more about the project and how it unfolded, have a look on our website.
The Old Vicarage in Henley on Thames was one of our favourite projects. It was a true labour of love and focused on preservation and restoration of period feature whilst adding a touch of the modern.
If you’d like to learn a little more on the ‘hows’ of renovating a period or listed building, have a read of one of our blog posts written last year – “How complicated is it to work on a listed building.”
Give us a call if you’d like to discuss a home restoration project. We can be contacted on 0208 191 7595 or email us at enquiries@sdabuildlondon.co.uk to discuss how we can help.
To have a look at the kind of work we have done, why not download our free brochure? And if you need any help with managing your building project, our free project management checklist has been hugely popular.
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The simple answer is yes, of course you can. But there is a process… one that is a little more complicated than an extension or a loft / basement conversion, but it is a route that has been taken by some of our clients.
Why would you want to convert a house into flats? Perhaps you need to downsize an existing property if the kids have moved away. Or you want to explore the potential of additional income by dividing a large home into multi-dwelling spaces and rent them out.
In London, this is what maisonettes essentially are- large homes that have been converted into two or more flats.
There are a number of factors to consider if you are thinking about converting your home into flats. Some of these are:
- Planning permission… You will need planning permission from the local authority, so we recommend you appoint an architect who knows what your local planning team are looking for. If your property is in a conservation area, the regulations are likely to be even more stringent.
- Building Control Approvals… This is will include guidelines on access and separate entrances, noise-proofing, ceiling heights, windows and doors, fire safety, drainage and other details.
- Utilities… You will need to create separate gas, electricity and water connections for each flat.
- You will also need separate boilers for each flat.
- It goes without saying that each flat will need its own kitchen facilities and bathrooms.
- You will also need to consider the legal aspects … who will own the freehold of the property? Will these be share of freehold or leasehold properties. You will need to appoint a property lawyer to deal with these aspects. A freeholder owns the entirety of their building and accompanying land, while a leaseholder only owns a certain part. Being a leaseholder is common if you live in a flat or maisonette. You’ll likely own your contained living space, but areas like the hallway will be managed by the freeholder of your building. If you’re splitting your property, it’s likely you’ll be the freeholder. However, if you plan on selling one (or both) of your new homes, your solicitor would need to draw up new leases, giving the new owners a leasehold.
- Garden access and parking. If applicable, you will need to determine who has garden access and who has parking (if off-street parking is an option).
We have been working in the West London area for several years and are well-versed with what the local councils are looking for in planning applications… especially the councils of Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham and surrounding areas.
Give us a call if you’d like to discuss your home to flat conversion plans. We can be contacted on 0208 191 7595 or email us at enquiries@sdabuildlondon.co.uk to discuss how we can help.
To have a look at the kind of work we have done, why not download our free brochure? And if you need any help with managing your building project, our free project management checklist has been hugely popular.
Read More
What’s hot in 2020 in home renovation and design? To be a part of the “trendy” brigade, have a look at this article in Houzz. Are you ready for bright colours, sustainability and funky lighting?
If you’d like some guidance on your home improvement project, give us a call on 02081917595. Or better still, book a FREE consultation with us and we’ll visit your property, discuss your ideas and share some of our recommendations with no obligation.
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