Getting the proportions of a room feeling comfortable sometimes requires lateral thinking.

This extension to a Grade II* listed country house had a low roof, but the size of the room demanded a high ceiling to feel proportionally correct. A large cover and floating central ceiling section add interest and height but disguise the hidden structure behind.

Colour can really change our perception of space.

On paper, the ensuite bathroom in the attic of a farmhouse of restoration in Wiltshire might not have looked interesting, but careful detailing and the client’s use of deep colours gives a powerful impact you might not have expected from the plans.

Long views through a house can draw your view through the building creating a long vista and making a home feel bigger than it really is. This architectural move is called enfilade.

Enfilade has been a device in architecture since the Baroque period and has been employed in a wide range of buildings from the Palace of Versailles to the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery to this restored farmhouse in Wiltshire.

The first impression of a home should be one of generosity of space, regardless of the size of the house.

If the entrance hall feels spacious and welcoming, even a small house will feel more comfortable as a result. The entrance space of this country house we restored in Wiltshire feels generous as a result of being able to take statement pieces of furniture and by opening into and adjoining space to make it feel bigger than it is.

We designed this home in Berkshire to have a striking green oak frame and large amounts of glazing, which when coupled with a reclaimed fireplace and grate create a comfortable space for our client.

Architects are always thinking about the spaces they are creating within the buildings they design. It is important to always consider the third dimension.

Generosity is not always a two dimensional construct, extra height to a space, increases the volume and makes an ordinary space feel for generous and dramatic. This stair hall in a country house we designed in Wiltshire shows exactly the result of this sort of consideration.

First impressions count. And nothing makes a good first impression like an well designed entrance hall.

For this project in Wiltshire we restored the entrance hall of this Grade II listed 19th century home, retaining, repairing and cleaning Victorian encaustic floor tiles and providing plenty of space for coats. The spaciousness of the room gives a generosity of feeling to the house from the very first room.

It is very important to us that the buildings we create have character. This character stems from the character of the place where it is, but also the character of the client.

In 2015 a country house we designed in Wiltshire won Best Traditional House in the The Daily Telegraph Homebuilding & Renovating Awards. The design was strongly influenced by the character of the client and it is apt then that in cover article by Jason Orme in Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine about the project was entitled ‘Character Building’.

The drawing room of this Grade II listed Georgian house we have been working on the restoration of in Wiltshire is a very comfortable room. But the glow from the open grate makes it feel even cosier. The relaxed ambiance this creates is something we strive for in our work, a home that puts you at ease in comfortable and reassuring surroundings.