Buildburo. Local builder in London's Chelsea, Kensington & Westminster

Main Contractor, Local Builder for renovation & refurbishment of luxury residential property in West London's Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster

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Modernise interiors or keep period character

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If you own a period property in London, perhaps in a conservation area or even a Listed building,  you may consider doing some building work or interior renovation work so it is more comfortable and practical for you to enjoy. You will need to ask yourself a couple of questions regarding the nature of the refurbishment work that needs doing and what you want to end up with. The biggest decision to make on the interior of your property is whether to preserve the style of the property in your renovation or to bring it up to date and in line with modern tastes.

Period property renovation

Often when your house needs renovating, you don’t want to lose the specific character it oozes because of the architecture or its interior period style. Indeed, some of the Georgian, Regency, Victorian or Edwardian homes in London are considered the most beautiful in the world. When renovating period property in London, an experienced construction company with experience operating in London over several years will be able to preserve your property’s character or even enhance it with their construction work.

Modern overhauls for period property

You may prefer the idea of injecting a more modern style into your interiors and changing the layout. Happy with the character and period style of the exterior of the house, you may be more concerned with modernising your interiors so they work much better and have a more contemporary design. Again, this is perfectly possible, even in conservation areas and you must be clear and communicate your specification so that your interior designers incorporates them into your building plans and the builders can create the home in London you so desperately crave.

good interior design lets personality shine

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Interior design of your home is of huge importance and determines how comfortable you are. All interiors say a lot about who you are and what you are like. In short, the interior design of your home reflects your personality, and good interior design should let your personality shine through. Moreover, your guests and visitors are likely to give you the kudos and put a certain amount of stock into the way your home is presented, and the closer your property is to your personality and the way you like to live, the more effective your interior design is. This is why renovating a property that is not quite “you” makes a lot sense.

When you are happy with the interior design of your home, you feel more at home there. Finding a good interior designer, and a high quality renovation company who can design and build beautiful homes in London is not always straightforward. A company offering all the different disciplines involved in a renovation project means you can often achieve more with less, create a stunning interior more easily and faster, and everything is pulled together as it should be with a lot less effort on your part. You also have a much better chance of achieving the look you want with fewer headaches and problems.

Strong communication with a dedicated project manager and interior designer means your vision is articulated accurately to the residential architect, engineers, builders and decorators. Interior designers often create impressive blank canvases for you to fill with your own possessions and stamp your own personality on a property by applying those little finishing touches along with furniture, art and decorative pieces.

renovation experts create space in small homes

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Among the techniques your team of expert renovators are likely to look at using will be an increase in light. Natural light is very important in all modern homes, but it is even more crucial when there’s not a lot of space inside. Extra light pouring in through skylights and windows can help make your whole home feel much brighter and give the impression of being larger as a result.

Another technique used in London property is to actually open spaces up, physically. It’s not uncommon for contemporary renovations to involve a little work on the walls, either to move them or remove them, open them up or to create half walls where they used to be. This allows light to flow from room to room, creating a much more positive atmosphere.

Hallways, landings and staircases always benefit from a extra natural light because they are the parts of the house that welcome you home every day. It’s important to see what ideas your architect and builder can come up with together to see how you can open these areas up an make them feel more spacious. It is really useful for your residential architect and your local builder to work together from the very beginning of your renovation. This gives the most time for solutions to be created and opportunities explored. Often in this scenario, building expertise and design flair combine to make 1+1 add up to 3.

It’s even possible for your architect and builder to work along side an interior desiger to boost your options further in terms of storage space and so on. This is an important consideration, particularly if your property has a relatively small footprint or limited storage space currently.

the best approach to renovation

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Consistency and teamwork are absolutely crucial to the success of any renovation, refurbishment or building project as well as being prepared and planning it out. Great teamwork is not always easy to achieve or straightforward, especially if interests vary.

Difficulties often arise because of miscommunication, delays in relaying messages or decisions and a lack of togetherness when it comes to putting certain key elements or practices into action. This can cause a renovation project to stall, leading to logistical problems and putting pressure on your budget and timeline. The key is to avoid situations like this arising at each and every opportunity.

This can be difficult when you have appointed and are dealing with a collection of independent, unconnected contractors, even though you are their client. If your residential architects, local builders, interior designers and project managers are not all singing from the same hymn sheet, problems are likely to occur.

Fortunately, London is home to some very reputable design and build companies that specialise in bringing all of these different elements of a project under one roof. If your architects, interior designers and builders all work for the same construction company in London, everyone shares the same goals and your renovation project will benefit.

By reducing the risk of communication problems and eliminating misunderstandings between different contractors involved in your project, you will have more confidence in what is being proposed, scheduled and carried out and that the completed property will meet or even surpass your expectations.

Old London properties benefit from modern materials

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One of the most appealing things about living in London is the array of wonderful period town houses and older properties on offer. These stunning properties often make fantastic, comfortable homes and they make a wonderful impression on your guests, friends and family.

However, it is important to remember that older properties in the capital city are sometimes in need of significant modernisation. If no previous owner has taken the steps to bring the property into the modern era, then it will be up to you to make the necessary changes. Sometimes, a refurbishment has been completed but it was over 20 or 30 years ago and is tired and needs completely renovating. The woodwork might be worn, the flooring tired and creaking, the doors might not be closing properly or the windows might be in need of attention.

It can seem like something of a challenge to update one of London’s older properties to make it suitable for today’s modern lifestyle, especially in a conservation area or if it is a listed building. You should use the expertise of one of the capital’s reputable construction and local building companies. They can often advise on what is possible and what is not, before you go and meet with an interior designer or an architect. If you are looking for qualified architects, expert craftsmen, specialist trades and interior designers, London is definitely the place to be. It is sensible for property owners to seek the opinion of a respected residential architect, discussing their ideas with a local building company at the initial design stage. Considerations such as what might work well, what could be a challenge to build, is there  a different way to build something or achieve almost the same effect without the expense, what’s possible, what elements need to be considered and how long the renovation of this old property might take.

Local building companies bring all aspects of renovation under one roof to make the process of having your home refurbished or modernised much easier. Importantly, you need to have the whole project managed as well – and if your construction partner knows their stuff, they can often do this for you at no extra charge. When the builder and architect are working closely, they can incorporate modern building materials that more energy efficient, smaller, neater, stronger, lighter or more malleable. Working as a team with you as the captain, is the best way to transform your older property into a home that meets the contemporary needs of you and your family.

interior renovation keeps character and creates space

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If your home is relatively small but you love the property location and its character, you can reconfigure the interior and layout of your London home whilst keeping within the original footprint and boundaries of your London property. Of course, some people choose to extend their space to give them a bit more room indoors, sometimes outwards, sometimes upwards for a loft conversion, sometimes downwards for a basement conversion or excavation. When trying to make the most of the space available to you, sometimes these projects simply aren’t possible or allowed – especially in London conservation areas and where space is a premium for everyone. Besides, any outdoor space you do have, you’re most likely to want to hang on to it.

Interior renovation is a great way to create more internal space without compromising your outdoor space or garden. It’s a good idea to bring in an experienced team of renovation experts and a fine local builder to help you refine your current layout and designs, whilst giving you some really good ideas about what refurbishment work would be needed to open up the most space in your home, give you the storage you crave and keep your options open going forward.

Renovating your London property gives you the chance to work with the home you love and maximise its potential. You keep hold of your property’s wonderful character and charm that won you over in the first place, whilst making a few practical and aesthetic improvements to your home in London. Over time, we find this transformation becomes the icing on the cake for many property owners and just makes you love your home even more.

Professional interior design transforms your home

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Professional interior design has an enormous impact and transforms your property into a stunning home after your renovation project has been completed. The attraction of using professional interior designers is strong and often more affordable than you might think. You’ll be able to take advantage of their significant expertise, get hold of materials, furniture and wall paper that normal people cannot find or get access to, including the latest cutting edge home design and technology. Professional interior designers know the latest trends, designer furniture trends and often attend international design fairs. They offer you plenty of advice on how to create a look that is in line with your vision and fits your lifestyle.

Aesthetics are a huge part renovation. For many home owners in London, changing the aesthetics and interiors of a property is the biggest motivation for embarking on a refurbishment project in the first place. Other motivators for refurbishment include structural or environmental concerns. The aesthetics of home renovation are determined by your interior designer and can be incorporated early in the architectural design stage of your renovation.

It is important to take the advice of your interior designer on board, but that does not mean you should approach your project without very clear ideas about how you want your finished property to look. You will have some particular personal preferences, some may be strong, others you will be willing to take advice on. When your refurbishment is complete, you will want your renovation to accommodate your tastes, so don’t be shy about sharing these with your interior designer so they are working on a colour palette and a design that you will be happy with once the transformation is complete.

Professional interior design saves time for stunning looks

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Most renovation projects have an intense but exciting period of interior design at the end. The interior design stage of a renovation is often the most exciting, because it is where the project really beings to take shape and come together. Until you get to the interior design stage of refurbishment project, it is often difficult to visualise how the finished project will look.

Of course, plans for interior design and renovation should be drawn up as soon as the project is under way so the finishing touches (which make a world of difference) can be applied as soon as building work ends. This is your chance to get really creative and take the opportunity to work with experienced and professional interior designers.

London is fairly renowned the world over for professional interior designers, mainly because the city has such rich source of creative talent, but also because designers and refurbishment companies have so much experience when it comes to renovating stunning residential properties in London.

Working with professional interior designers will transform your home in London, create a superb space to entertain and a look that is both striking and beautiful that you will enjoy and be proud of. It is also a really fun, positive and enjoyable experience. Your interior designer will do all the legwork, spend hours matching colours, wallpaper, fabrics and finishes with furniture, fireplaces and mirrors. This allows you to have complete control over your renovation project. Most attractive of all, you have excellent professional advice and save time, hours and hours of travelling around shops, (some will have a sample and others won’t) trying to match the right tone, of the right fabric, with the right furniture to create the look you want.

Ensure your local builder and architect are on the same team

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Independent residential architects and local builders are usually two very different types of people. As a result, sometimes your renovation could be more difficult for you to manage or take a lot more time than you anticipated.

If your London home needs serious attention to the interior design or layout, you will need the expertise of both a residential architect and local construction company to make a really impressive renovation a reality. It can be daunting when trying to appoint both these professionals, organise the operations in both companies whilst coordinating and scheduling activity and juggling your diary day to day. Common questions or concerns shared by many London property owners are:
Will they get on? What will happen when something goes wrong?
Are they prepared to be held to account and who will take responsibility?
How will they solve problems that arise? What will I do if they fall out?
Have they worked together before? Will they work well together on my project?
Will I be a priority to them?

It sounds exhausting just thinking about it and they are all legitimate questions to ask your local residential architect and your preferred local building and construction company.

These are all fair questions that home owners in London often ask before we start a renovation or refurbishment project. Some clients feel all this might be too much and decide to appoint a dedicated project manager to help them with this process. Good in theory, and sometimes a real asset. Generally, we find what works much better (more efficient, most cost effective and faster) is to appoint a design and build company comprising of both residential architects and local builders. Working on the same team and if possible, even sharing the same office. This means questions can be asked by nipping over to a desk and getting the answer immediately. This has considerable and tangible value, especially during large renovation projects where strong communication and excellent understanding is critical.

Sharing valuable construction expertise and inputting into building design decisions early on in the process means you avoid wasting time and resources with designs that simply will not work or be possible to construct in your home. It’s easy to underestimate the benefits of this approach. Ultimately, this sharing of expertise and responsibility saves you a great deal of trouble, eliminates a lot of stress, usually saves an enormous amount of time and may save you considerable amounts of money. It certainly offers you peace of mind that the project management is in good hands and being handled properly.

A firm made up of reputable builders and residential architects in London is likely to provide a much smoother service than a series of different providers, all offering their services independently and protecting their own interests. As well as peace of mind, there is also much less chance of little things being overlooked when one company takes full charge of a renovation project. On top of this, you have one point of contact who is in full control of the entire renovation – responsible and accountable. No one blaming someone else, no one falling out with each other, just having your best interests at heart.

In addition, your renovation will be free to run as smoothly as possible and you won’t be bothered by smaller details, problems can be dealt with (even before you know they existed) and project management is straightforward for all involved. Having shared a workable timetable for both teams with you from the beginning, you can manage your property renovation effectively with minimal effort on your part.

Historical properties transformed with modern interiors

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You know what it is like looking around the stunning properties that London has to offer. Externally, you are bound to be impressed by some of the older, more historical properties on show. Some of the houses in Kensington and Chelsea in particular are really fascinating to look at and incredible examples of the architecture of the period. That is why a large number of residential properties are either “listed buildings”, found in conservation areas, or both.

However, just because you are enchanted by the history and heritage of a property in London on the outside, that does not mean that you want a property to be historic, a throw back to the past and something of a relic on the inside. You want to take advantage of all sorts of modern comforts and to enjoy a nice, light, contemporary interior design theme within your Georgian, Edwardian or Regency property.

Renovation is the best option here. Rather than sacrifice your interior or exterior priorities in terms of aesthetics and design, local professional builders can readdress the issues you have found with your chosen property and bring it right up to date. This is modernisation usually makes a lot sense as it allows you to enjoy living in a historical property with all of today’s comforts and technology.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, interior designers in London are among the best in the world, and having your property renovated and redesigned before moving in is just a matter of contacting the right people, such as BuroArchitects with their interior design division. An excellent way to finish your renovation off with panache and elegance.

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