LITTLEHALES: LARGE RENOVATION AND EXTENSION
LOCATION
Newport
SCOPE
Layout exploration, kitchen design development, exterior material studies, utility room design
THE CHALLENGE
Littlehales is a substantial renovation and extension project that was already under construction when the homeowners approached Unreal Designs. Whilst builders were on site and work was progressing, the family still had concerns about several key aspects of the design and wanted reassurance they were making the right decisions before committing further.
In particular, they were unsure about the entrance hall and staircase arrangement, the proposed kitchen layouts and the overall direction of the exterior design. The challenge was to evaluate these decisions before they became costly to change and gain confidence that the finished home would support the way the family wanted to live.
WHAT WE EXPLORED
The kitchen quickly became one of the most important areas of the project. Neither the architect's proposal nor layouts produced by a kitchen designer fully met the family's expectations, so a completely new kitchen layout was developed. Multiple options were explored to better reflect how the family wanted to cook, entertain and use the space, helping unlock a direction that immediately felt more aligned with their vision for the home.
The entrance hall was another key area of focus. Different layout options were tested to understand how the space would feel on arrival and how it would connect with the rest of the ground floor. By experiencing these alternatives at full scale, the family could better understand the impact each option had on the openness, flow and character of the home.
Beyond the internal layouts, the virtual model was used to explore different exterior material palettes, window styles and colour schemes. Seeing these options applied to the house in context made it far easier to understand their impact on the overall appearance of the property and helped guide the final design decisions.
As the project evolved, the family returned to Unreal Designs to explore utility room layouts for two different house configurations. What began as an urgent exercise to validate key design decisions became an ongoing design tool, allowing ideas to be tested and refined as the renovation progressed.
CLIENT FEEDBACK
We are now feeling so much more confident with the design... They take a huge amount of worry away, saving time, energy and money.
Zoe Pope
THE OUTCOME
The virtual model provided confidence in a number of significant design decisions, from the entrance hall arrangement and kitchen layout through to exterior materials, window designs and utility room configurations. Rather than relying solely on plans and elevations, the family could experience the proposed spaces at full scale and understand how they would function in everyday life.
What began as a one-off exercise to resolve a few areas of uncertainty became an integral part of the wider renovation process, helping ensure the finished home better reflects how the family wants to live whilst reducing the risk of costly changes later in the build.