Garage conversion to dining room: 108 Mayfair, Tilehurst

The house and the brief

108 Mayfair is a semi detached house in Tilehurst with an integral garage at the front. Like many garages of its era, it was too narrow for a modern car and had become a storage space. The owners wanted a proper dining room next to the kitchen, without the cost and disruption of extending the house.

Converting the garage

The design turns the garage into a dining room that opens off the hall and sits beside the kitchen, creating a natural link between cooking and eating. The garage door is replaced with a white uPVC window to match the existing windows, set above a section of brickwork that matches the house. The window height was aligned with the neighbouring window head so the front elevation keeps a consistent line. A small storage area is kept at the back of the former garage.

Getting the details right

The success of a garage conversion depends on the infill. If the brick, the window or the sill height is wrong, the old door opening remains obvious. Our elevations specify brickwork to match the existing and a window of the same style and proportions, and the floor plan shows the internal walls, door position and dimensions of the new room.

Planning route

Many integral garage conversions are permitted development, but on some estates permitted development rights or the use of the garage are controlled by conditions. We checked the position and prepared existing and proposed elevations, floor plans and a site plan for Reading Borough Council, showing the remaining parking on the driveway.

Why it works

The conversion adds a usable room with almost no change to the appearance of the house. It is one of the most cost effective ways of gaining space, and it can often be completed in a few weeks once the drawings and approvals are in place.

Practical points inside

Inside a converted garage, the floor is usually lower than the house and uninsulated, so the conversion raises and insulates the floor to meet the hall level. The new external wall below the window is built with insulation behind the matching brick, and the room is ventilated and heated like the rest of the house. These details are covered at building regulations stage, but we plan the room so they can be achieved without losing height or space.