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

Moving on up

Architecture update • Original projects to inspire your own self-build or renovation

Mixed materials

Inside story

Collectors’ paradise

A new view

Kevin McCloud • Forget Doctor Who, there are real Time Lords among us says our editor-at-large, who pays tribute to one of them

A new beginning • Built at the end of a 1960s terrace, this wedge-shaped house is a perfect fit for its intrepid owner

Coastal saga • A chance encounter with a for sale sign led one homeowner to embark on a self-build odyssey

Tranquillity in the city • Though renovating this house was not trouble-free, the result is a series of serene spaces inside and out

A private view • One husband-and-wife creative team pooled their ideas and built a lakeside family home

That sounds good • Innovations that reduce the noise in your home and support wellbeing

How to gain planning permission • Familiarise yourself with the process, which information is required and how long it takes

10 Energy-efficient home projects • Self-builders and renovators aiming to save money on their energy bills, generate their own electricity or even ditch mechanical heating and cooling altogether look to strategies for airtightness, insulation and renewable power supply. Whether working on a new-build or retrofitting a home, architects respond to this demand with energy-conscious designs, innovative construction methods and the latest sustainable building practices.

What your builder wishes you knew • Advice from construction experts to ensure your project runs like a dream

Air-source heat pumps • What to consider when investing in this renewable heating and hot water system 

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

Manmade mineral

KITCHEN UPGRADE

Easy does it

Sculptural quality

New nostalgia

Pulling power

Super shapely

The art of smart

Make it bigger and brighter • Remodelling design ideas to gain more space and light

A height advantage • Looking more spacious than its small footprint, this kitchen benefits from a very high ceiling

As you like it

Look to the past

BATHROOM EDIT

Line drawn

Where to keep it all? • Smart storage solutions, from built-in furniture to units on wheels

The Bamboo Flooring Company

MY GRAND IDEA • Architect Oliver Cradock on improving the layout and energy efficiency of a 1960s bungalow