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The changing trends in self-build and renovation
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My husband and I are just about to embark on our sixth self-build, so we feel we have gained some useful experience with regards to design and costs. Some of the self-builds we see in magazines these days are either wacky or unliveable. For example, one house you’ve featured has total open-plan living downstairs, with a bedroom in one corner and a bathroom in the other. We don’t see the appeal of displaying our bits and bobs while at home; especially as the whole front is a glass wall open to the road! When planning any living space, one must walk through each area and imagine how you would like to use it. In our case, for instance, we would prefer that our guests do not stroll through the kitchen to get to the toilet, so we always put these facilities by the entrance. Surely we should distinguish between style, fashion and practicality? Houses are meant to be lived in; they’re our haven from the world, not a display cabinet for everyone to see what we’re up to.
Philip and Sue Jones, via email