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Guide to Interior Design;

Thinking of re-vamping the existing rooms within your home, but haven’t got the time or the inclination to tackle it yourself?

‘Interior Design’ to many can be something of an enigma, yet a number of people develop wonderful ideas themselves but cannot necessarily express them, therefore, allow g2 Design to develop your concept ideas and initial thoughts to aid you in shaping the perfect space/s within your home.

So, what do we understand by the term ‘Interior Design’?

A dictionary definition depicts that it is ‘...the process of shaping the experience of interior space, through the manipulation of spatial volume as well as surface treatment...........draws on aspects of environmental psychology, architecture, product design and furniture design in addition to traditional decoration.‘

Essentially, Interior Designers deal with all aspects of the internal space provided in all sorts of buildings and is likely to be involved with varying types of work; E.g. Commercial projects, offices, hotels, gyms, restaurants, public spaces and others as well as all types of domestic work.

Interior Designers will detail all aspects involved with the interior space; the surfaces (walls, floors, windows) of a property, the colour scheme, style, paints, wallpaper, flooring, fabrics, furniture etc.

Interior designers would not usually get involved in the major structural changes of the property, yet g2 Design are capable of dealing with the simple refurbishments through to major structural changes.

G2 Design offer interior design consultancy providing innovative design solutions to both private clients and the commercial sectors. We would thrive on working within lavish budgets but can just as easily work to financial constraints whilst still meeting client expectations.

Concept Design to Full Design;

Whether you want a cutting edge interior design for your entire house, or simply want to revamp and add some style to one room, we can cater for all your needs.

Our imagination is endless and our designs are original and ground breaking. We are experts in both traditional and contemporary interior design to suit any taste.

We have an experience in providing quality interior design for all sized projects, from apartments and houses to offices and large developments; no project is too big or too small.

G2 Design offers a fully comprehensive service from initial concept design through to completion. Using our highly skilled team members we ensure that the interior design concepts are implemented to agreed quality standards, budget and timescales.

The information listed above should be viewed as guidelines only and are intended to give you some insight into the varying considerations that have to be made at the design stage. All buildings are unique and therefore will have differing issues surrounding the design. Please contact g2 Design to arrange a complementary appraisal of your property and needs.

Guide to Loft Conversions;

Loft conversions have always been a popular way to create space within the existing envelope of any building.

The trend is even more popular now with the ever increasing costs involved with moving home. Therefore people are actively looking into ways of increasing their property´s value by converting their loft space which is proving to be a cost effective way of developing your home without using additional space on your plot of land, therefore, allow g2 Design to develop concept ideas and initial thoughts to develop the ideal space in the loft.

A loft conversion can add a considerable amount of floor space to your home, but do bear in mind that some of the walls and ceilings will usually be sloping to fit beneath the existing roof, so you may not have full head height across the whole room.

Most commonly, the solution for gaining more head height is to introduce dormer windows. Larger roof heights may not require dormers, but instead skylights/rooflights may be inserted flush to the roof line.

Design Considerations for Loft Conversions;

Structure

The loading placed on any new loft conversion build will prompt questions of the suitability of the existing load bearing walls and foundations of the property. Also the suitability of any existing lintels and the roof should be examined. Whether the roof is traditional, trussed rafter, trusses or other is likely to have a direct bearing on the practicality and the design. Structural calculations may well be required.

Fire (means of escape)

There are many design considerations regarding escape, therefore, those listed below should be viewed as an indication to the design solution only. The new upper storey must be served by a fire protected stairway enclosure with a minimum 30 minute fire resisting construction and should either;

• Extend to a final exit,
• Exit through a window within the loft space of size 0.33m2, or
• Give access to at least two escape routes at ground level, each delivering to final exits and separated from each other by fire resisting construction.

Doorways:

Any new door forming a part of the escape route protection should be a fire resisting door. All other doors on the protected escape route will need to be replaced with FD20 fire resistant doors too. Door frames may require to be changed also. All to achieve the appropriate fire standard and Building Regulations.

Glazing:

Any glazing in the enclosure to the existing/new stair, including all fire doors is required to be 30 minute fire resistant glass.

Smoke Alarms / Heat Detectors / Sprinkler Systems:

Dependant on the design considerations within the loft area, careful consideration should be made as to the solution for detecting fire.

Staircase:

In order for the loft conversion to be considered a habitable room, it must be accessed by a staircase. Loft ladders do NOT comply with Part K of the Building Regulations. Careful design should be made in positioning the staircase in order to generate maximum floor area within the allotted space available.

Services:

If you are planning to put a bathroom or toilet into a loft conversion, its position should be considered very carefully and where possible be close to the existing pipe work. Positioning far away may have effect on the fall of pipe work, accessibility etc. Electrical wiring, water tanks, lighting etc may need to be moved and repositioned.

The headings listed below should be viewed as guidelines only and are intended to give you some insight into the varying considerations that have to be made at the design stage. All buildings are unique and therefore will have differing issues surrounding the design. Please contact g2 Design to arrange a complementary appraisal of your property and needs.