Big Ideas

THWARTED IN THEIR ORIGINAL EXPANSION PLANS, THE OWNERS OF THIS STEADING TOOK A VERY DIFFERENT APPROACH TO GET THE SPACE THEY NEEDED

- Caroline Ednie

Converting the attic to gain an extra room is a tried and tested method of expanding a home without too much expense or upheaval. Michelle and Scott Leslie, the owners of this traditional steading in rural Aberdeenshire, had always had it in mind as a fall-back during the years they’d lived there. They’d known when they bought the cottage that it might one day be too small for them (it was sold with planning permission in place for an extension to the gable end), but it was 13 years (and two children) later before they were ready to act. “Unfortunately,” says Michelle Leslie, “as soon as we did, we realised that altering the attic wouldn’t actually be possible without raising the roof to meet minimum height standards. So we needed to look at alternative solutions within our budget.”

The couple, who both work in the oil industry, got in touch with Nikki Ritchie of Stonehaven-based Hyve Architects. “We’d seen some of Hyve’s designs in the local area and really liked its contemporary approach,” says Leslie. “Our brief was for an extra bedroom with an en-suite. We were also keen to create a dining area; we have a nice big kitchen but there’s only room for the four of us to eat, so we were hoping for a larger space where we could dine with friends and family.”

Following these initial discussions, Hyve put together three design proposals; of these, the owners decided the option of converting the garage and then linking the house to the garage via an extension to the rear would be the most cost-effective and spatially savvy solution.