Gable House

A new beginning, made for family life.

Returning from years abroad, Claire and Greg were ready to settle close to family and create a home that would grow with them. They found a bungalow on a leafy street in Essex and initially planned to extend and refurbish. But it quickly became clear from initial sketching and feasibility work that the best way forward wasn’t to renovate, it was to start afresh.

The opportunity to design a completely new home, tailored to their family’s way of life, was one they wholeheartedly embraced

The brief

From the very first meeting, we got to know not just the clients’ needs, but their personalities, including those of their two young sons. We explored how they wanted to live, what made them feel at home, and what would make the new house feel distinctly theirs.

We paid special attention to the children’s spaces, bringing imagination into the design with mezzanine cargo-net hideaways and climbing wall access – playful features designed to delight.

Claire and Greg each brought their own references and aesthetic preferences to the table. Instead of trying to blend styles, they trusted us to interpret and distil the essence of their ideas, creating a scheme that felt balanced, intentional, and deeply personal.

The design

The resulting design is bold yet calm, full of natural light and carefully composed spaces. A pair of gabled forms run the length of the house, front to back, linked by a glazed central corridor that opens up opportunities for light, flow and connection throughout.

The interiors are soft and modern, with white walls, birch ply joinery, and a muted palette lifted by touches of emerald green. The architecture is simple and confident, with an understated light-industrial edge.

Externally, the forms give rhythm and identity to the house, while helping it sit comfortably in the street. This was particularly important given its context — a neighbourhood of predominantly single-storey bungalows.

Planning

Planning was a key consideration. We carried out detailed research on the local character, identifying a mix of chalet-style homes and two-storey properties in the area. This helped us shape a proposal that was ambitious yet sensitive.

The gable roof form allowed us to create a vaulted upper floor while keeping the ridge height lower, addressing potential concerns around scale and neighbour impact. The approach was well received by the local authority and planning was granted on the first submission.

The outcome

Gable House is a home built from trust, shared ideas, and a desire to create something lasting: a forever home that reflects this family’s energy, love, and sense of fun.