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.

We really enjoy working on barn conversions.

Giving an historic building, now defunct, a new lease of life is a very fulfilling project. The key is not to lose the character. Here is a before and after image of a Grade II Listed barn we converted in Hampshire. The intention was to retain as much of the historic fabric and character of the barn as possible whilst converting the barn into usable residential space. Constructed by the talented team at Moulding The Builder, we think we were successful in retaining the essence of the original building whilst at the same time reinstating lost features such as the double height threshing door openings.

First impressions count. First impressions for a home, really count.
The portico of this elegant Grade II* listed town house was in need of some real tender loving care before we started our restoration project. The restored timberwork provides the sort of entrance you would expect and really sets the tone for the beautifully restored interior within.

We feel that when working on listed buildings we have a responsibility to be sensitive to them and their history. Over restoring a building is often as bad as doing nothing at all.

This Georgian townhouse was in a very poor state of repair having been both a hotel and offices for many years. Lots of elements needed repairing, but we had to be careful to do it in such a way that the repairs were not obvious. The craftmanship in this field of Moulding The Builder is evident on this rubbed brick window head and key stone where they have executed our repair scheme in such a way that looking at it now, it simply looks ‘right’ rather than rebuilt.

We consider ourselves very lucky to work on some beautiful barns. A key principle we adopt is to ensure that wherever possible the building keeps its character and still retains a barn like quality rather than that of a regular house.

Our scheme for this Grade II listed barn in Wiltshire carefully exposed the historic timbers in the former hay loft to ensure the buildings history could still be read. Careful placement of elements ensured we could incorporate the office and home cinema the brief required, without compromising the listed structure.

We don't only work in the country; our projects often take us into the town.

This project in a Conservation Area reworked a former car dealership in a pair of Grade II Listed buildings dating back to the late 1700s/early 1800s. The key move was to treat both buildings as separate, removing the unattractive and awkward 1970s single frontage and replacing with two new timber shopfronts more in keeping with the style of the individual buildings.

Old buildings often throw up unexpected challenges… For example, how to access the wine cellar of the Grade II* listed Georgian townhouse without compromising the original plan form of the room it is accessed from.

The solution was perhaps more Thunderbirds than George III, but installing a gib door and floor hatch minimise the visual intrusion and negate the need to bisect the space with an alien staircase. Sometimes our conservation work can challenge us, but the opportunity to work out neat solutions like these is why we relish that challenge.

When working in traditional styles of architecture it is important to get things ‘right’. Many different elements need to coalesce correctly for the finished scheme to look comfortable.

Take for example this country house in the North Wessex Downs AONB. Carefully modelling the form of the house by breaking the mass of the building into two forms with different but complimentary looks, rather than simply using the same style of all elevations gives the overall scheme a more interesting aesthetic of contrast that reflects a narrative of development over time.

The application of the Golden Section ratio to plan, elevation and openings of the building ensures comfortable proportions in keeping with traditional forms. Careful selection of materials (reclaimed brick, render and timber windows) allows the building to feel grounded and ‘at home’ on the site from day one.

All of these carefully considered choices add up to a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Our conservation expertise mean we are privileged to get invited to visit some amazing buildings which aren’t open to the public and see ‘through the keyhole’.

Case in point, this Grade I listed castle from the 1840s. We were appointed in an advisory role by potential purchasers to inspect the condition of the building and examine the feasibility of reconstructing a lost orangery building. We often get involved with properties during a purchase or sale and being involved at an early stage allows us to develop a thorough understanding of both the project and the client brief and requirements.

Sometimes things which were never supposed to be seen, reveal themselves during the course of our work on historic buildings. Carefully incorporating these features into our work gives an opportunity to celebrate the inherent beauty of this kind of vernacular detail.

In this case while undertaking conversion works to an historic barn in the Vale of Pewsey, we uncovered a series of roof trusses, which we subsequently exposed and incorporated into the spaces we created within the roofspace. Historic notches from previous configurations add to the narrative of the history of the building and this layer of history is now able to be appreciated, rather than hidden away in a dusty loft.

We’re pleased to have recently gained Listed Building Consent for a scheme of repair and maintenance for this Grade II* Listed Queen Anne gentleman’s residence in the North Wessex Downs. Featured in Country Life Magazine, the building dates back to the early 1700s and we are looking forward to things progressing with this interesting project.

We have a passion for old buildings and are lucky enough to work on lots of interesting pieces of historic architecture. We always base our schemes on thorough historic research, such as this report recently completed by our very own Gemma Kingsbury on the former Harris Bacon Factory Social Club in Calne.

We also like to share our knowledge, so we've lodged a copy of the three volumes we produced at the Calne Heritage Centre for future reference by all.