Journal402 posts, 2017 to 2026

The design and build journal.

Every job teaches something. This is where it gets written up. Planning, basements, costs, finishes and the people who build them.

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LatestHome renovation3 min read

Snagging and handover on a London renovation

Practical completion is not the day everything is done. What snagging covers, how a defects period differs from a warranty, what a handover pack needs.

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Seen on siteOur own photographs

Three notes, and a room we have built.

Each picture is a finished NU room on the subject the note is about.

  1. Kitchen with a dark marble island, bronze units and integrated ovens.

    Interior design2 min read

    Chelsea home renovations: high-end kitchens and living spaces

    Planning a Chelsea renovation? Explore layout, planning, structure, MEP, cost and design considerations for SW3 and SW10 period homes.

    Kitchen with a dark marble island, bronze units and integrated ovens.
  2. Open plan living, dining and kitchen under a long rooflight.

    Extensions2 min read

    Kitchen extensions Chiswick W4: high-end family spaces

    NU Projects specialises in high-quality kitchen extensions in Chiswick, W4, creating calm, elegant family spaces that connect to the garden.

    Open plan living, dining and kitchen under a long rooflight.
  3. Kitchen in dark figured timber with a dark marble worktop.

    Extensions2 min read

    Kitchen extensions in Kensington: how to add space without losing period character

    Adding a kitchen extension in Kensington W8 without losing period character. Conservation area rules, planning advice and the design approach.

    Kitchen in dark figured timber with a dark marble worktop.

The writing17 pages

Read the work.

  1. Architecture3 min read

    Listed building consent in London

    Listing does not stop at the front door. How listed building consent differs from planning, why a conservation area is separate, and what you can change.

  2. Home renovation3 min read

    Stage payments on a London renovation

    How stage payments and valuations work on a London renovation, what retention holds back, how provisional sums differ from contingency, and what to ask.

  3. Basements3 min read

    Basement waterproofing and pumps in London

    What keeps a London basement dry. Waterproofing as one coordinated design, when pumps are needed, alarms, servicing and costs.

  4. Loft conversion2 min read

    Loft conversion staircase and headroom explained

    Where the loft staircase goes decides the floor below. Headroom, the measured section, dormer or mansard, and what a London loft conversion costs to build.

  5. Extensions3 min read

    Planning permission for a London extension: timing and refusals

    A decision date is not a start date. What sits either side of the council decision, plus pre-application advice and refusals.

  6. Extensions4 min read

    Side return or rear extension? Cost and how to choose

    Side return or rear extension for a London terrace? What each one is, what moves the cost of each, and how a design and build contractor chooses.

  7. Architecture6 min read

    What a main contractor owes an architect at tender

    Six things a tender return should give an architect. Bill of quantities, method statements, shop drawing sign off and subcontractor detail.

  8. Home renovation3 min read

    The Fulham house that started in a coffee queue

    A basement, a rear extension and a full renovation in Fulham. One contract and one team. Three years from the first drawing to handover.

  9. Interior design3 min read

    The paint job that became a whole Chelsea house

    A small decorating job in Chelsea we nearly turned down. It became a whole house. It also taught us what discretion is worth here.

  10. Home renovation2 min read

    Full house renovation cost London: why the band is so wide

    Why a London full renovation is quoted as a band. What puts a project at each end. How to use the figure before drawings exist.

  11. Extensions3 min read

    Rear extension cost in London, what the number covers

    What a London rear extension costs per square foot. What the build rate covers, what moves it, and how it compares with a side return.

  12. Design and build3 min read

    Open-book estimate for a London renovation

    An open-book estimate shows what each element costs, what is assumed and what is excluded. What to look for in a London renovation quote, and what to ask.

  13. Interior design3 min read

    Bespoke joinery studio, Fulham High Street

    Inside the NU Projects design studio on Fulham High Street: Cochrane Bespoke hand made kitchens, wardrobes, vanity units and furniture. Come and see it.

  14. Loft conversion4 min read

    Loft conversion cost in London, and what moves it

    What a loft conversion costs in London, why it is the cheapest way to add a room, and how to tell a real estimate from a guess before you sign.

  15. Design and build4 min read

    Party wall agreement cost London: who handles it

    What a London party wall agreement costs, and who handles the notices and awards. Why it can delay a project but never stop one.

  16. Architecture6 min read

    Architect vs design & build: which should you choose?

    Compare architect-led and design-and-build routes for a London renovation, including accountability, cost, programme, design quality and risk.

  17. Home renovation3 min read

    I never planned any of this: 16 years building luxury London homes

    Sixteen years of building high end London homes, told by the founder. Trust, planning ahead, the small details and the people who make it work.

  18. Home renovationArea guides9 areas

    North London area guides

    One guide to each area. The houses, the planning position, and the work each place takes.

The full archive402 posts

Every post, by year.

Open a year and read down the list. Nothing here sits behind a pager.

2026113 posts
202542 posts
202443 posts
202363 posts
202219 posts
202138 posts
202030 posts
201932 posts
201821 posts
20171 post

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