If you've always dreamt of building your own home but want to keep living in the same village, you can wait years for a suitable plot to come along — or you can think laterally. Our clients' lightbulb moment was realising the site had been under their feet all along: the garden of their existing home, where they had lived for nearly 40 years.
The idea was simple. The planning process was anything but.
The local authority refused the application, unconvinced that a new dwelling in the garden of an established home was appropriate in this location. We disagreed, and so did our clients. We took the decision to appeal, building a robust case around the design quality, the low-impact approach, and the sustainable credentials of the proposal. The inspector agreed, and permission was granted. It's a reminder that a refusal is not always the end of the road — sometimes it's just the beginning of a different conversation.
The house that emerged from that process is an eye-catching but understated design: a central black box clad in charred timber, a technique that hardens and preserves the wood and gives the building a quiet, grounded presence. The main living spaces wrap around this core, with exposed Douglas fir fascias that will weather and soften as the building ages. Extensive two-tiered flat roofs are planted with wildflowers, helping the house settle into its garden setting rather than sit above it.
Inside, open plan living extends seamlessly around the kitchen — an important feature for clients who love to entertain. Larch cladding rises to the ceiling in the kitchen and dining room, and the living room opens up to a four-metre high ceiling with full-height windows looking out onto the garden. High-level clerestory glazing draws light deep into the plan, and the generous main bedroom has a wide window seat making the most of views over the orchard beyond.
The building performs as well as it looks. Insulation levels run at 50% better than building regulations require, keeping running costs to a minimum and making this genuinely one of the more low-energy homes we have delivered. Rain chains, a turntable in the driveway, and a considered approach to every detail make Ty Perlan a house that rewards a second look.
"We have no hesitation in recommending Chalk. Having lived in our present house for 39 years we felt the time was right to downsize, but where to? Answer the back garden! Having only owned 2 houses in 40 years of marriage we had no idea about how you go about designing and building a new house all we knew was that we wanted a bespoke modern house, a complete change to our present house which was built in 1915.
Chalk helped with every aspect design, liaising with local planning officers ,guiding us through an appeal when the local council rejected our plans and liaising with the builder.
They visited the sight regularly and we had monthly meetings with them and the builder. Chalk checked all the finances thus taking the pressure and stress off us. We are delighted with our new house as hopefully they are”
Clive & Jeanne (Clients)
