Tag Archives: New Build

Thatched cottage

6th May 2022ResidentialBakers of Danbury, bathroom, bedroom, befordshire house fire, bespoke wooden furniture, Billericay, breathable plaster, breathable render, converted loft space, cottage rebuild, do over, ensuite, extended pool house, extension, fitted furniture, Grade II Listed Home, house changes, house fire, house fire insurance builders, house renovation, internal refurbishment, kitchen extension, lambs wool, lath and plaster, lime render, listed house, listed house renovation, Loft conversion, loft space, New Build, new build extension, new oak trusses, new thatched roof, oak truss, pool house, redecoration, Refurbishment, render for old properties, renovation, Renovation Listed Home, roof thatcher, royston house fire, slate roof, structural oak repairs, thatched cottage, thatched cottage house fire, zinc roofRachel Finlay

Summary = A complete restoration of a fire damaged thatched cottage.

Value= £550,000

Location= Bedfordshire

Bakers are near completing a restoration of a three-bedroom thatched cottage after it had been devastated by a fire, which broke out in the roof.

When works started in July 2021 Bakers removed all of the fire damaged interior, saving the floorboards where possible, installed new oak roof trusses and carried out structural oak repairs throughout the property. The existing kitchen extension was demolished to make way for a larger 8m x 5m modern kitchen/utility room extension.

A complete renovation was necessary out throughout the whole property; upstairs Bakers of Danbury installed a new fitted family bathroom and ensuite and refurbished all 3 bedrooms some of which feature exposed timbers. On the ground level Bakers refurbished three reception rooms, two studies and one cloakroom. The existing parquet flooring was refurbished throughout downstairs. The new extension had a high specification kitchen and utility room installed together with an additional downstairs cloakroom.

A completely new electrical and heating system was installed throughout the property, and new underfloor heating was installed to the new extension. Lath and plaster was installed to the interior walls and ceilings, lamb’s wool insulation installed within the walls and a breathable lime render was installed to the external walls of the property. The existing property was part thatched roof and part slate tiled roof, both the thatched roof and slate roof was replaced with new by Bakers of Danbury. Bakers of Danbury installed a zinc roof which features two skylights to the new extension.

Listed House Renovation

13th January 2022ResidentialBakers of Danbury, bathroom, bedroom, bespoke wooden furniture, Billericay, converted loft space, do over, ensuite, extended pool house, extension, fitted furniture, Grade II Listed Home, house changes, house renovation, internal refurbishment, listed house, listed house renovation, Loft conversion, loft space, New Build, new build extension, pool house, redecoration, Refurbishment, renovation, Renovation Listed HomeRachel Finlay

Summary = A listed house renovation and remodeling

Bakers recently completed phase one of remodeling and refurbishment works to this early 16th century Grade II Listed house, whilst the family remained living in the property.

Works included internal remodeling, extensive new electrical and mechanical installation, joinery, ceiling and wall repairs, new cornices, decorating and some external works.

The ground floor was replaced with an insulated limecrete floor and finished with limestone flagstones. New timber paneling was fitted to some areas all fireplaces and surrounds were refurbished. Repointing was carried out to the inner fireplaces and a timber fireplaces with marble slips were installed to some fireplaces.

Most walls were replastered with haired lime and quirked beaded corners installed. Redecoration was carried out throughout the property.

All plumbing and heating system was installed with new period radiators throughout the property. Period sanitary ware was installed to three bathrooms. A completely new electrical system was installed.

Bakers’ in-house joinery workshop manufactured a number of bespoke fitted furnishings for the kitchen and some replica intenal doors to match the existing.

Externally, Kien render and paint (breathable mineral based render and paint) was applied and all timber box frame sash windows were refurbished.

Stone Replacement & Conservation

29th September 2021Residential3.5 lime mortar mix, Bakers of Danbury, bathroom, bedroom, Billericay, clunch window, cobbled flint repointing, cobbled walls, converted loft space, edgehill yorkstone, ensuite, extended pool house, extension, flint chippings, gable end quoins, Grade II Listed Home, house renovation, internal refurbishment, Loft conversion, loft space, New Build, new build extension, pool house, quoines, Refurbishment, renovation, Renovation Listed Home, replacement clunch, replacement stone, replacement yorkstone, stone window jambs, stone window sills, stone window surrounds, stone windowsills, stonemasons, tottenhoe clunch, yorkstone cills, yorkstone windowsillsRachel Finlay

Summary = stone replacement and conservation work to a residential property, which included stone quoins, stone window jambs, stone window surrounds, stone windowsills and stone lintels

Challenge = Exposure to the weather had deteriorated some of the stonework. New replacement stone had to be sourced and cut to size to match the original pieces.

Solution = Located on the edge of Royston Heath, which is famous for the former horse racecourse, within the ancient town of Royston in East Hertfordshire; this traditionally built property was originally three separate cottages. An earlier sympathetic conversion to all three cottages has provided one beautiful, spacious residential property, which features flint cobbled external walls and stone quoins. Exposure to the weather had sadly deteriorated some of the stonework.

As Bakers of Danbury Ltd were carrying out repair and conservation work to the local church, St John the Baptist which had been devastated by a fire back in 2018, the owners of this property asked Bakers to carry out stone replacement and conservation work to their property. Bakers’ craftsmen measured the individual stones they had identified as being beyond repair and made templates for replacement stones to match the original. Bakers of Danbury’s sister company Collins and Curtis Masonry Ltd carefully selected Tottenhoe Clunch directly from the quarry to match the existing Clunch stonework to this property.

All stone quoins to the main gable end were replaced, together with complete window jambs, surrounds and lintels, cut and profiled by stone masons to match the existing. Yorkstone from “Edgehill” quarry was used to replace the windowsills.

The existing flint cobbles were carefully reinstated, where they had been disturbed, and repointed with an NHL 3.5 lime mortar mix with selected graded aggregate sands and fine flint chippings incorporated to match the existing mortar.

To hear more about similar projects about stone replacement and conservation visit our Latest News page or the Bakers of Danbury Facebook page.

Refurbishment of Barbican Centre

23rd March 2021Heritageacoustic absorption panels, architectural joinery, Bakers of Danbury, barbican centre, barbican concert hall, barbican London, bathroom, bedroom, bespoke bathroom, bespoke bathroom furniture, bespoke fitted kitchen, bespoke furniture, bespoke joinery, bespoke kitchen, Billericay, built-in wardrobes, concert hall London, Conductor’s suite, converted loft space, day beds, daybeds, dressing room refurbishment, ensuite, extended pool house, extension, fitted kitchen, fixtures and fittings, Grade II Listed Home, Grade ll Listed house, hand built tv units, house renovation, internal refurbishment, kitchenette area, kitchenette areas, Loft conversion, loft space, London concert hall, multipurpose room units, New Build, new build extension, new timber veneer panels, pool house, Refurbishment, renovation, Renovation Listed Home, tv units hand built, vanity unitsRachel Finlay

Summary = A comprehensive refurbishment to the Barbican Centre and backstage dressing rooms, within a tight seven week programme.

Client = The Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London (as owners, founder and principle funder of the Barbican Centre)

Challenge = All works were carried out within a functioning backstage of the Concert Hall.

Solution = The Barbican Centre is the largest multi-arts centre in Europe, and forms part of the Grade 2 listed Barbican Estate, reflecting its special architectural and historic interest. After a successful tender through the City of London procurement portal, Bakers of Danbury carried out backstage and stage flooring refurbishment works to the Barbican Centre, within a tight seven week programme. Specifically, this included comprehensive refurbishment works to all twenty one dressing rooms serving the Concert Hall, with the Conductor’s suite and five other dressing rooms refurbished to a 5 star hotel standard. The project also included repair and restoration works to the existing solid Canadian Maple stage floor and riser sections of the Hall's stage area. As it was condensed programme requiring close coordination of a number of complex works packages, we assigned both a Site Manager (Lee Kerrison) and Assistant Site Manager (Ken Marshall) to the project full-time to proactively manage the delivery and ensure it remained on-track and within budget.

As all works were carried out within a functioning backstage of the Concert Hall, temporary walkways were created to enable the Barbican Centre employees to carry on about their business, without coming into contact with the works underway. During the preconstruction stage the Contract Manager liaised with the Client to provide program updates, agree alternative access routes, times of working, periods during the day when noisy works were minimised, as well as providing briefings to building occupants who lived in residential flats above the Concert Hall. In addition to the Site Manager’s daily inspection of works, Bakers’ Contracts Manager held a weekly site meeting with the Site Manager to inspect works, checking quality, health and safety and the progress against the project programme.

The refurbishment works to the dressing rooms and Conductor’s suite included new kitchenette areas, acoustic absorption panels and new timber veneer panels to walls within hardwood frames, redecoration of ceiling panels and carpeting. Fixtures and fittings; multipurpose room units, vanity units, built-in wardrobes, daybeds and tv units hand built out of Cedar of Lebanon, by Bakers of Danbury’s in-house joinery workshop. Bakers’ joinery workshop was used to ensure a tight control of the supply chain in terms of quality and programming. This also enabled a close liaison between Ken Marshall onsite and the Joinery Manager in the workshop in Danbury. Assistant Site Manager Ken Marshall has many years’ experience of onsite carpentry, so was given the responsibility of managing the complex joinery from Bakers’ joinery workshop to installation on site.

Access traps were removed from the stage floor and a new lift car (and framework behind) was installed with Canadian Maple to match the existing. The stage was given an anti-slip finish and fire rated varnish. The wall panels were also given a fire rated finish. New integrated lighting solutions, data works, electrical services and fire alarm systems were also installed. This required close coordination between Bakers’ joiners and mechanical and electrical contractors.

A new air-conditioning system was required to the existing projector room which posed a considerable challenge to the distant location of the plant room. Bakers noted at an early stage that the original design of the system could not be implemented due to existing and immovable plant and structure. Bakers engaged their specialist S.V.Bullen at an early stage, held meetings with the design team and ensured that a designed solution was produced and implemented which enabled the installation of the required system within the confines of the existing structure.

A list of bespoke fittings and other items for interior fit out such as televisions, lamps, bins, tables and chairs were procured cost effectively by Bakers’ Quantity Surveyor, who worked with the Client to review the specification and provide three options per item across a range of budgets.

Refurbishment of Barbican Centre

23rd March 2021joineryacoustic absorption panels, architectural joinery, Bakers of Danbury, barbican centre, barbican concert hall, barbican London, bathroom, bedroom, bespoke bathroom, bespoke bathroom furniture, bespoke fitted kitchen, bespoke furniture, bespoke joinery, bespoke kitchen, Billericay, built-in wardrobes, concert hall London, Conductor’s suite, converted loft space, day beds, daybeds, dressing room refurbishment, ensuite, extended pool house, extension, fitted kitchen, fixtures and fittings, Grade II Listed Home, Grade ll Listed house, hand built tv units, house renovation, internal refurbishment, kitchenette area, kitchenette areas, Loft conversion, loft space, London concert hall, multipurpose room units, New Build, new build extension, new timber veneer panels, pool house, Refurbishment, renovation, Renovation Listed Home, tv units hand built, vanity unitsRachel Finlay

Summary = A comprehensive refurbishment to the Barbican Centre and backstage dressing rooms, within a tight seven week programme.

Client = The Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London (as owners, founder and principle funder of the Barbican Centre)

Challenge = All works were carried out within a functioning backstage of the Concert Hall.

Bespoke joinery and furniture

23rd March 2021joineryarchitectural joinery, Bakers of Danbury, bathroom, bedroom, bespoke bathroom, bespoke bathroom furniture, bespoke fitted kitchen, bespoke furniture, bespoke joinery, bespoke kitchen, Billericay, converted loft space, ensuite, extended pool house, extension, fitted kitchen, Grade II Listed Home, Grade ll Listed house, house renovation, internal refurbishment, Loft conversion, loft space, New Build, new build extension, pool house, Refurbishment, renovation, Renovation Listed HomeRachel Finlay

Summary = The renovation and internal refurbishment together with a new build pool house extension. To ensure the finished home was of the highest quality; the owners also stipulated high quality bespoke joinery and furniture to be installed throughout.

Challenge = This Grade ll Listed seven-bedroom house was in need of a substantial renovation and sympathetic internal refurbishment throughout.

Solution = The owners were aware of Bakers of Danbury's reputation for providing high quality craftsmanship and were pleased to find out, not only could Bakers of Danbury design the architectural timber work and bespoke joinery and furniture, but also can manufacture everything for the project by using their in-house joinery workshop.

In total the team designed, manufactured and installed the following bespoke joinery and furniture:

Internal bespoke fitted wardrobes

Internal doors, similar style to the original doors to comply with new fire regulations

Two new bespoke staircases with balustrades

Sash windows to match those existing and refurbishment of those windows that could be restored

Wall panelling to match the existing in the playroom and lounge area

Ornate radiator covers

In addition to the extensive joinery work, Bakers of Danbury also demolished and re-built the pool house. With new underground drainage, the new pool house now boasts tiled changing rooms throughout, themed lighting and handmade double glazed windows and French doors with fanlights to match the rest of the property.

Inside the house a beautiful oak floor was salvaged from other rooms within the farm house and re-laid to make an impressive entrance lobby. Elsewhere, the original oak and parquet flooring was brought back to life after being taken up, re-laid, then expertly sanded and finished.

As a result of the project, the home has truly been brought back to its former glory, with the attention to detail and high quality workmanship shining through. The owners described Bakers of Danbury as being “very professional, skilled and polite”.

The owners were so impressed with the work carried out, that they asked Bakers of Danbury to return and restore their stable block.

New Build Detached House

5th January 2021Residential3 bed detached house, 3 bedroom detached home, Bakers of Danbury, Bakers of Danbury Ltd, chalet style, Chelmsford, chelmsford builders, City, country home, Essex, hand cut roof, handcut roof, high specification new builds, house builders, New Build, new build detached house, new home, Refurbishment, trusted buildersRachel Finlay

Summary = New build detached house consisting of three bedrooms.

Challenge = A forever home built to adapt to the family's changing needs over the years.

Solution = Bakers of Danbury recently completed the new build detached house, consisting of a 3 bedrooms. The chalet style house was of a timber frame construction with a hand cut roof with a slate finish with rendered external walls.

The new build detached house was designed specifically for the use of the family as a forever home. The clever design will enable the house to adapt to the family's changing needs. For example low thresholds will allow disable access if it should be needed in the future.

Downstairs the house boasts an open plan living area comprising of a kitchen, dining room and lounge area. Bakers manufactured a bespoke sliding screen which gives the flexibility to separate the lounge area from the dining and kitchen area. When the screen is closed it looks like a wall, but when it is open it is cleverly hidden to provide the family with open plan living. As the house is chalet style, the two downstairs bedrooms are services by a modern wet room.

Upstairs the large landing space leads to the master bedroom, bathroom and study. The large landing area and study benefit from natural light through the feature windows at the front of the house.

The external grounds were landscaped to include a large drive laid with stone chippings, paving laid to both sides and exterior of the house with a decked entertainment area to the rear.

Grade II Listed Barn Conversion

17th September 2020ResidentialBakers of Danbury, Barn, barn conversion, barn gym conversion, bathroom, bedroom, conversion of stables, converted loft space, ensuite, entertainment suite, extension, grade 2 listed, grade II listed, Grade II Listed Barn Conversion, Grade II Listed Home, gymnasium barn conversion, house renovation, loft space, luxury barn conversion, mezanine florr, mezzanine floor, mezzanine living space, mezzannine floor, New Build, Refurbishment, renovation, Renovation Listed Home, stable conversionRachel Finlay

Summary = A Grade II Listed barn conversion to provide entertainment suite, garages, kitchen/ bar area and gymnasium.

Challenge = The original Grade II Listed barn was in need of structural under pinning, together with timber frame and roof repairs.

Solution = Bakers recently carried out a conversion of a barn and stable block to provide an entertainment suite, garages, kitchen/ bar area and gymnasium which involved extensive timber frame and roof repairs, as well as structural underpinning.

All existing timber weather boarding was removed and repair work and straightening carried out to the existing timber frame. Repairs were made to the brick plinth and the roof completely stripped and restored with reclaimed peg tiles.

Bakers' joinery workshop hand crafted new doors, oak staircase and sepele sash casement windows to match the existing

To hear more about other projects similar to this Grade II Listed barn conversion visit our Latest News page or the Bakers of Danbury Facebook page.

Barn conversion

17th September 2020ResidentialBakers of Danbury, Barn, barn conversion, bathroom, bedroom, converted loft space, ensuite, extension, grade 2 listed, grade II listed, Grade II Listed Home, house renovation, loft space, luxury barn conversion, mezanine florr, mezzanine floor, mezzanine living space, mezzannine floor, New Build, Refurbishment, renovation, Renovation Listed HomeRachel Finlay

Summary = Barn conversion to provide a Grade II Listed luxury home.

Challenge = The original barn was in need of structural and roof repairs.

Solution = Bakers of Danbury carried out a conversion of a Grade II Listed barn to provide a luxury domestic dwelling. The original timber frame was repaired, carefully cleaned and retained.

The bedrooms were constructed on two mezzanine floors at each end of the barn, linked by a contemporary steel and glass walkway accessed by a steel, oak and glass staircase. The works included a hi-tech electronic lighting and sound system and underfloor heating.

To hear more about this and other projects visit our Latest News page or the Bakers of Danbury Facebook page.

Alteration and Restoration Works

17th September 2020ResidentialBakers of Danbury, bathroom, bedroom, Billericay, converted loft space, ensuite, extended pool house, extension, Grade II Listed Home, house renovation, internal refurbishment, Loft conversion, loft space, New Build, new build extension, pool house, Refurbishment, renovation, Renovation Listed HomeRachel Finlay

Summary = Alteration and restoration works to a Grade II Listed home.

Challenge = Retaining existing structure whilst repairing decayed and damaged roof timbers.

Solution = Bakers recently built a hand-cut oak timber framed extension as well as carrying out other alterations and restoration works to the Grade II Listed Marygolds Barn in Essex. Believed to date back to the late 16th century, Little Loveney Hall lies within a well preserved medieval moat.

Bakers' team of carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers and groundworkers led by Matt Edwards and Terry Barber have carried out extensive internal restoration and alteration works which include new floors and finishes, plastering between the rafters using thermalime, re-pointing to the inglenook fireplace and repair and re-pointing to the central chimney stack, which has three diagonal shafts.

A new Oak timber framed extension was hand-cut, traditionally jointed and assembled on site. It provides a kitchen and dining room extension as well as a first floor bedroom with en-suite.

New heating, plumbing, electricity and lighting systems have been installed. Externally Bakers have carried out timber frame and timber roof repairs which include repairing the main rafter and truss and strengthenning and repair work to the primary beams. Repairs were carried out to the dormers and new sepele sash casement replacement windows were manufactured in Bakers of Danburys Joinery Workshop and installed on site to match the existing. A new render was applied with pargeted panels to match the existing.

To hear more about this and other projects visit our Latest News page or the Bakers of Danbury Facebook page.