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Design details Dormer windows

Here are the main style options – the right shape for your property will depend on the style of the external appearance and the pitch of your roof

Whether you’re converting a loft or building a new one-and-a-half storey home, a dormer could be the best way to bring extra headroom and daylight into the upper level of your property. Dormers come in all shapes and sizes, but they’re notoriously difficult to get right in terms of how they blend in with the rest of the dwelling. There’s a fine line between gaining as much space as possible inside and making sure it looks in proportion with the other external features. Get it right and you’ll have a practical, attractive feature; get it wrong and it’ll be an eyesore that ruins your property’s kerb appeal.

Architect Kieran Gaffney advises creating a model out of card so you can see the project in 3D. “We often do this to visualise the overall design; you’ll quickly see if the balance is right,” he says. The key thing to remember is that bigger does not necessarily mean better – read Kieran’s advice on how to perfect the look in the Q&A box (opposite).

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Build It
July 2017
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