Do I need an architect for a house extension in London?

While it's not a legal requirement, working with a qualified architectural designer ensures your project meets building regulations, maximises your planning approval chances, and avoids costly mistakes.

How much does it cost to hire an architect in London?

A simple rear extension design starts from £800 + VAT. Double storey extensions from £1,000 + VAT. Loft conversions from £800 + VAT. Salstan offers free consultations and fixed-fee quotes.

How long does the architectural design process take?

A typical residential project takes around 4 weeks from initial consultation to planning submission. Planning decisions usually take 8 weeks for householder applications. Technical drawings take an additional 5-7 working days after planning approval.

Do you offer a design and build service?

Yes. Salstan is a full-service, turnkey practice. We manage projects from initial concept through to completed construction, including architecture, structural engineering, and building works - all under one roof.

What areas of London do you cover?

We cover all 33 London boroughs from our offices in Park Royal and Teddington. We also work across Hertfordshire, Surrey, Essex, Kent, and other Home Counties.

Can you help if my planning application has been refused?

Yes. We regularly help clients who have received planning refusals. We review the council's reasons for refusal, redesign the scheme to address their concerns, and resubmit or lodge a formal planning appeal where appropriate.

Contemporary Remodel · Garage Conversion · Wraparound Extension

Sudbury House Remodel, Garage Conversion & Rear Wraparound Extension

Sudbury, Brent, North West London

Location

Sudbury, Brent

Property

Detached family house

Project type

Front face lift, garage conversion, rear wraparound extension and full internal rebuild

Planning

Planning permission granted, Brent Council

The House and the Brief

This detached house in Sudbury, Brent had changed little in decades. Behind its red brick front and curved two-storey bay, the rooms were dated and closed off: a narrow hallway, a long through-lounge divided by an arch, a small kitchen and an integral garage that did little for the way the family wanted to live.

With a generous budget, our client wanted a contemporary home finished to a high standard throughout. The brief was to secure planning permission for a face lift to the front, a garage conversion and a rear wraparound extension, then strip the interior back and rebuild it around a large open-plan living and dining space.

Planning Permission for a Contemporary Transformation

Changing the appearance of a house on a street of traditional homes needs a careful planning case. We prepared the design and drawings for the front face lift, the garage conversion and the rear wraparound extension, and secured the relevant planning permissions from Brent Council.

The proposal kept what gives the house its character, the hipped roof and the curved bay, and reworked the materials around them, so the new front reads as a considered update rather than a departure from the street.

Before & After

As We Found It

Drag across each image to compare the house before and after the works.

Front of the house in Sudbury after the works — Front elevation

Front of the house in Sudbury before the works — Front elevation

Rear of the house in Sudbury after the works — Rear and garden

Rear of the house in Sudbury before the works — Rear and garden

Entrance hall in Sudbury after the works — Entrance hall

Original hallway in Sudbury before the works — Entrance hall

Ground floor living space after the works — Ground floor living space

Ground floor living space before the works — Ground floor living space

Design Approach

A Contemporary Face Lift to the Front

At the front, the house keeps the curved two-storey bay and hipped roof that define it, while almost everything around them is renewed. The red brick is finished in smooth white render, the leaded casements are replaced with slim black framed windows, and a new dark tiled roof sharpens the outline.

A flush black front door, wall washer lights and a resin driveway complete the entrance. The converted garage beside the house is rendered and glazed to match, so the frontage reads as one composition.

Full Internal Demolition and Rebuild

Inside, the house was taken back and rebuilt. The new entrance foyer is lined with a travertine-effect feature wall and a floating oak staircase, each tread lit from beneath and edged with a frameless glass balustrade. Full-height storage with a lit display cabinet keeps the hall clear, and a guest WC finished in dark stone-effect tiles sits just off it.

At the front, the bay-windowed room becomes a formal reception. Beyond the hall, the walls of the old through-lounge, kitchen and rear rooms make way for one large open-plan kitchen, dining and living space that runs the full width of the rear wraparound extension.

A Rear Wraparound Extension for Living and Entertaining

The rear wraparound extension is covered by a pitched, dark tiled roof, with triangular clerestory glazing set beneath the gable and full-width black sliding doors opening onto a pale porcelain terrace. Rooflights, including a lantern over the living area, bring daylight deep into the plan.

A curved kitchen island with fluted timber fronts anchors the room. The dining table sits beneath a sculptural pendant, and the living area is framed by a bespoke media wall with backlit shelving and a large picture window to the garden.

Garage Conversion and Upper Floors

The former garage has been converted into a ground floor double bedroom with a large ensuite, a flexible suite for guests or extended family. Upstairs, the house now has three double bedrooms and a large family bathroom, reached by a landing lit by a cascade of alabaster pendants beneath an arched window.

Bathrooms are finished in large-format stone-effect and terrazzo-effect tiles, with walk-in showers, floating basins, bronze and brushed brass fittings and concealed lighting.