Ugly House to Lovely House

We’re no stranger to working on Channel Four TV projects alongside architect & presenter George Clarke and have done so since we first appeared on The Home Show back in 2008. One project that stands out was featured on Ugly House to Lovely House in November 2017.

The show, by Amazing Productions, is presented by George, who is best known for featuring in Amazing Spaces. It focusses on finding the least attractive houses in the neighbourhood and building them into something that would be the envy of the neighbours on the street.

Background

A HOUSE which once resembled an “ugly block of flats” was transformed into a contemporary haven. Wendy and Allan Ramsey owned their property in Colchester, for two years and described their 1960s build as resembling a block of flats whilst also admitting that is was unattractive from the outside.

They saw the properties potential and made it their mission to transform it into a beautiful home. Mr Ramsey said: “It was very bland; I didn’t like the look of the house from the outside when I first saw it. But inside there was so much light, it was really nice. “We wanted it to look more contemporary, we used to drive past this house, and it was one that just didn’t stand out in your memory. “We didn’t think it was very attractive and we wanted it to have the wow factor.”

They turned the five-bedroom house into a four-bedroom home with extra dressing room, living space and built a large extension on the back. The front of the property now boasts an entrance staircase and driveway.

What we delivered

We manufactured and installed all the glazing throughout the house. The glass front door and sidelights, and the aluminium casement windows throughout the property undoubtably improved the look of the house, but it is the rear extension where the impressive nature of our products is truly showcased.

A double height atrium of glass consists of our impressive lift and slide doors spanning the full width of the house. The upper atrium consists of aluminium curtain walling, an impressive glass façade that looks strikingly impressive from both inside and outside of the property. Curtain walling is commonly used within commercial buildings such as office towers, but we have the expertise to utilise it within high-end residential developments. Completely bespoke based on the location of the project we can manufacture and install huge walls of contemporary glazing often spanning several floors to create a dramatic glass feature like what has been achieved on this project.

The open-plan interior space is encased in a wall of glass, framed picture windows taking in the views outside. The large six panel sliding door opens from the middle slide to both sides creating a huge clear opening that instantly connects the interior and exterior space.

What did the homeowners think?

Mr Ramsey said: “It is everything we wanted to build and more, it’s just stunning and the design blew our minds. “The back extension is my favourite part, it’s amazing to look at and it’s the biggest statement of the home. “Likewise, with the entrance, there was a lot of wasted space which has now been utilised to its full potential’.

Express Bifolds Projects Featured on TV since 2008

We have transformed more than 40,000 homes since our inception in 2007 and it wasn’t long before our work began to be featured on National TV.

You can explore our two most recent Grand Designs appearances via the thumbnails below, or you can learn more about our work on the BBC’s DIY SOS, Double your House for Half Your Money with Sarah Beeney, Cowboy Builders with Dominic Littlewood & numerous projects championed by George Clarke by clicking here.