Grand Designs

Grand Designs magazine is essential reading for anyone who is building, renovating, or improving their own home. In each issue you can expect to find 40+ pages of inspirational real homes complete with in-depth project details and exclusive tours of new TV houses. Up-to-date information allows you to stay abreast of the latest architecture, design and construction ideas and innovations. Practical project features include advice from industry experts on a wide range of challenges such as building on an awkward plot, overcoming a lack of light or space, or working with a tight budget. And, as designing a kitchen or bathroom is one of the most complex – and expensive – room transformations to tackle, every month you’ll find a project feature on each, along with beautiful real-life case studies.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Architecture update

Kevin McCloud • Our editor-at-large celebrates the publishers past and present whose ingenuity has enriched our cultural landscape

WHAT LIES BENEATH

The ripple effect • Textured glass panels provide light and preserve privacy in this extended townhouse

Subscribe and save! • Sign up and enjoy the benefits of a bargain price, free home delivery and more

BLACK BEAUTY • This charred timber-clad house was built on a tight budget in just one year

LIVING IN THE WILD • It was a race against time to build a house in the rugged Andean countryside before the snowy weather set in

What Building Regulations mean for your project • How to ensure your self-build, renovation or home improvement complies with the rules

10 Terrific townhouses • Organised over at least three storeys, townhouses are space-efficient by nature, making it possible to live comfortably in the heart of a crowded town or city. Traditional layouts are quite formal, but renovators can make the tall, narrow buildings feel more dynamic and contemporary using techniques such as cutaway f loors, sunken terraces and rooftop pavilions.

8 things to know about the planning process

Architectural salvage • Advice on sourcing and using items recovered from old buildings

KITCHEN UPGRADE

Natural selection • A guide to choosing cabinets made with timber

Heart of oak • Timber cabinets help this family-friendly kitchen strike the right balance between practicality and style

BATHROOM EDIT

Almost effortless updates • Ideas for transforming your scheme without ripping out the entire bathroom

MY GRAND IDEA • Architect Andre Kong explains the thinking behind this distinctive stepped loft extension