Inside Out Home

About this project

When the layout of their 1950’s dormer bungalow no longer worked for a young family, homeowners Chris and Lily Lamb initially planned to extend into their garden to create more living space. 

Taking part in Inside Out Homes on Channel 4, Chris and Lily worked with architect Zac Monro and after closer consideration, realised that with the help of the right design, their garden could become like another room. 

The architect designed a new first floor with large dormer windows and an open plan layout for the ground floor, complemented by a substantial outside decking area to create a light and spacious contemporary home. 

Use of timber

As the new decking and outdoor seating area needed to last a long time, Chris and Lily quickly narrowed down their search to hardwoods. The couple wanted a wood that would look similar to their internal oak flooring and chose the tropical hardwood Mandioqueira.

Mandioqueira is a versatile tropical hardwood from Bolivia with full Forest Stewardship Council certification. A light golden brown colour, it is naturally decay resistant and offers excellent performance characteristics.

The economical hardwood is kiln dried for optimal dimensional stability and is rated Class 3 for durability, making it suitable for exterior use and ideal for decking. Mandioquiera is also used for boat and ship building, outdoor furniture and other carpentry and joinery applications.

Large windows flood home with natural light

The architect retained the original original base of the house but designed a new open plan layout to maximise the family living space downstairs. Meanwhile, a new design for the first floor created bigger rooms with large dormer windows to allow plenty of natural light to flood in.

Seamless transition from house to garden

The homeowners wanted to make the most of their outdoor space and large sliding glass doors created a seamless transition from the house to the garden. Oak flooring inside connected with the Mandioqueira decking, to create a continuous flow between the inside and outside living areas.

To maximise the functionality of the deck, the team created a sunken seating area with Mandioqueira, featuring a bespoke fire pit table. A log-fuelled hot tub added a touch of luxury with wide steps leading from the decking into the large and peaceful garden. 

Source: Silva Timber

Photography: Chris Hepburn

Watch the episode on Channel 4