I think the pictures speak for themselves but here is what Alex had to say:

“We decided to opt for much more than a ‘bog standard’ extension and Living Oak provided the perfect solution. The build itself was efficient with conscientious builders whose attention to detail was excellent throughout the build. The finished extension is fantastic! It has provided not only more space in our home, but more living space which provides a sense of well being and relaxation for us to enjoy as a family.   Since the build we have also had our house valued and are very happy with the increased valuation of our property as a result of the Living Oak extension.  I would recommend Living Oak to anyone who wants more than just an extension, they provide a great new space which will improve any home and the time spent in it!”

Of course the frame is a very important part of your project but we generally like to design minimal frames as too much oak can be overbearing. It is also essential to consider how the oak fits in with the other materials and finishes that sit beside it or in the same room. Too often this is an afterthought, especially for clients who might have purchased the frame from a frame only supplier leaving the builder and / or the client to work out the best detailing.

The lighting – this can often be left until after the structure has been created, which with framing can cause problems as we don’t want to have unsightly cables sitting on our oak. What we do for clients is discuss what lighting they would like from a functional point of view but then also add in additional aesthetic lighting on a separate circuit that will really highlight the frame and create a fantastic feel to the space.

The finish for the ceiling – this client has gone for clean white plasterboard to suit her space but as an alternative this could be done with exposed softwood rafters and sarking board as you may have seen on other projects.

The glazing – we detail this in a very specific way that allows for any movement of the frame. The glazed units are mounted externally and held in place with dry oak cover boards.

Bathroom – whilst we might not want lots of oak frame in a bathroom it can look nice to have small oak features like this oak basin stand.

Lorna & David already had a lovely kitchen space so we did not need to take out any walls but instead removed their kitchen window and replaced with a lovely piece of granite to form a breakfast bar so that friends could sit and chat while he knocked up something yummy in the kitchen.

Prior to starting the project we discussed how they could use the new space and how it would work for them. At one end they place a dining table next to the wood burner whilst at the other end had a sofa with a coffee table which was perfect for a sunny Sunday morning with the papers.

Helen & Tony knew they wanted to have an oak framed house for their family, with 4 growing kids and a dog, so we designed and built them this 6 bedroom oak framed house to replace the old 4 bedroom property.

The old makes way for the new

The oak frame arrives

On the day of the frame being finished we invited Tony & Helen’s friends and neighbours for a barbeque and drinks to celebrate its completion.

Homely open plan kitchen

Large ‘L’ shaped living space

The rear elevation with large light filled conservatory

Tony & Helen looking forward to moving into their new home.

Whilst the customer loved the traditional oak framing & the design we came up with for them they were keen that their own contemporary style be reflected.

Our solution was to minimize the oak frame and install a glazed gable in the central bay for visual drama & use a clean plasterboard finish with sand blasted oak.

A lot of thought & planning went into capturing natural light & using artificial light to reflect high gloss finish kitchen units, flooring & brushed steel fixings & appliances.

Overall we managed to create a large, fresh modern kitchen & dining space with strong structured framing, clean lines & a cohesive end result.