Replacing a tired conservatory with a contemporary, glazed extension has transformed life at home for Natasha Vaughan and her husband. Gone is the cold, draughty conservatory. In its place is a bright new entertaining space opening onto a stylish decking area.
Here, Natasha talks us through how she approached the design of her new living space and how the flush threshold between the inside and outside areas helped to create a seamless, free-flowing feel.
The time had come to get rid of the conservatory at the back of our house to create a bigger and more up-to-date living space. I’d watched the TV show ‘Your Home Made Perfect’ with architect Laura Jane Clarke and I absolutely love her work. So I contacted her to see whether she could help with our extension.
She came back with some sketches, and my husband and I instantly loved her concept. It was a single storey extension with two walls of glass and a floating corner. Immediately we could see how open the new space was going to feel, and soon we were ready to get building.
We knew we didn’t want bifolds, so we were definitely going to go down the sliding doors route. I don’t like the way bifolds protrude out from the wall when they’re open, and I also thought I might get my fingers caught in the mechanism!
But it was actually quite hard to find a company that was happy to do the glazing for a floating corner. And some contractors I phoned took 10 days to get back to me with a quote. Whereas when I called up Minima Sliding, they gave me an idea of cost pretty much instantly over the phone. They explained everything clearly and made it all very simple to understand.
It feels so bright, light and open. When you walk through front door, you can see right the way through to the garden. Going for the floating corner has made all the difference, because there’s nothing in the way of the view. It wouldn’t have felt the same if there had been a column in the way supporting the corner of the roof. We also love the fact that the floor-to-ceiling glass frames the view. It gives the new space real wow factor.
One of the key things for us with the design was to be able to walk straight out from the new room onto the decking without any steps up or down. Ultraline doors are about as flush as they come. You could walk out onto the decking blindfolded and you still wouldn’t trip over. It’s amazing and we absolutely love this element of the new space.
We’ve also found that we spend so much more time in the garden now. On warm evenings, we slide the doors back and then move easily between inside and out. The garden and the new decking looks amazing, and when you’re sitting outside and looking back at the house, the new extension looks stunning, too!
Yes, it has. We completed the project in November 2021 and we had a big Christmas party which worked really well. The new extension leads off the kitchen so it’s perfect for entertaining. And it’s so warm in there, even in the winter. It’s only once the new doors went in that we realised we hadn’t been warm for 20 years! The old conservatory was cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. So doing the new extension has transformed our living space from a tired, cold room to a warm, stylish, glamorous space. We love it!
They’ve been brilliant. They responded quickly to all our queries. And when we did encounter a little problem, they handled it swiftly and expertly. Their customer service is absolutely fantastic. There aren’t any downsides I can think of really. I’m pleased to say everything went very smoothly!
Need help with your extension or garden room project? Contact us to find out more about Minima Sliding’s award-winning, flush threshold sliding doors.