Customer Testimonials

We fell in love with our previous home but decided to move to a more practical house in Weston-on-Trent, which needed significant renovation. Recognizing the necessity for an architect’s expertise, we engaged Stuart from the outset.

Stuart attentively addressed our concerns and took the time to understand our vision for the bungalow, which included a loft conversion, rear extension, and layout alterations. Presenting various options, he showcased 3D visuals that helped us grasp the potential outcomes, leading us to a refined design that perfectly suited our needs.

Throughout the construction process, Stuart provided good assistance as we tackled much of the work ourselves.

Now, after two years of living in Stuart’s design, we couldn’t be happier. The floor layouts are incredibly functional, and the overall space flows seamlessly. Stuart’s design suggestions proved to be priceless.

Thanks for enhancing our living experience, Stuart!

After deliberating about removing an old conservatory at our bungalow in Derby we decided we probably needed some architectural expertises into this. I contacted Stuart and we arranged an initial visit.

We decided on a couple of design options after Stuart’s experience suggested a completely different idea besides ours. He listened to what we wanted and told us how this could be achieved within our budget.

The actual 3D plans were concise and clear and we are in the process of obtaining planning through Stuart on an extension that we would never had thought of if we had not had his input. His communication and help throughout has been exemplary.

I do not doubt that investing in Stuart at Extended Ideas at the planning stage of our project has been invaluable and we are hopeful our dream home will soon become a reality.

In terms of house extensions, this is about the best I’ve seen in terms of people wanting to extend these houses

I came across Stuart (Extended Ideas) whilst searching for a reputable Architect whom provided their services to the Ockbrook area of Derby.
Having never dealt with an Architect previously I needed to ensure that they had MY interest and views as paramount importance and I can honestly say that Stuart did.

The reasoning behind seeking an Architect was simply this, after recently purchasing a bungalow which needed a full renovation I had spent hours upon hours on countless sketches and drawings but I just couldn’t come up with an ideal solution to utilise the foot-print I already had within a realistic budget I had set, so I decided to venture into the world of the Architects, which I’m so glad I did.

What Stuart did was to meticulously measure every area and aspect of my bungalow, also to take into account its views, where it was positioned and even the neighbouring properties to ensure that every detail would not only benefit from his designs but also utilised as much of the original layout as possible to its full potential.

He produced in total 3 separate designs, all of which would range in cost to achieve the finished layout, which whilst not seem important but was an absolute blessing as I could then sit each design side by side and physically visualise what I would benefit from in relation to costs and if it could be justified against each design, which in turn basically saved me thousands in the long run.

I don’t normally do feed-back or reviews but all I can say is that if like me you’ve never enlisted the services of an Architect before but believe it could potentially help, then I have no hesitation in recommending “Extended Ideas” services.

We wanted an extension to our home and felt we needed architectural support.

Today, Stuart from Extended Ideas presented two completely different designs of what our living kitchen could be like. Design one was our idea and design two was Stuart’s.

He has completely blown us away. His design is diametrically opposite to ours, but just what we now know we need.

Also, he spotted a problem with the guttering, which could have caused major future issues and caused a neighbour dispute.

Thank you, Stuart, for the awesome designs; we look forward to continuing to work together.

We have had our design built and are absolutely loving it. We are thrilled with Stuart’s architectural work and this project has been such a pleasure. The pool will be completed next year and we look forward to our continued collaboration with Stuart

We have used Stuart for two projects now and are extremely happy.

The first project he did was a single-storey kitchen extension to the rear of our house and we have been here for over 3 years. At the beginning of the project, we asked for one design as we felt confident in our needs and required an architect’s input.

He improved how our design, making it better than we originally visualised and seeing it in a 3D Plan and 3D visuals really helped us.

As the project didn’t require a planning application, Stuart promptly submitted plans to the council for a lawful development certificate because we wanted to legally make sure everyone was okay before we started building using the drawing to build from, everything went smoothly at and now we really enjoy living in the space.

With the second project, alterations to the front of our house, we had a completely different mindset. We looked at the space, wondered what to do with it and how to get the most out of it. Keen to get a Stuart’s perspective on things we asked him for two different design options. Seeing the two designs side by side we felt that we could make the right decisions.

Stuart took our chosen design through planning with no-problems. He chased-up the planners when necessary and kept us informed at every step.

Now we can’t wait to get started with the build. We feel the changes will maximise the space, give an air of something much larger than the plot suggests and give a wonderful feeling of space.

We have been thrilled with Stuart’s service on both occasions, we couldn’t have asked for any more and would recommend Stuart without any hesitation. There is no doubt we will be speaking to him again about other projects.

Stuart was recommended to me by a friend. He had done some living kitchen drawings and she said that he gave them so much more space and different ideas to consider. I commissioned him on 29th January 2019 on a house in Willington that had not been updated much since 1960.

I found Stuart easy to work with and he very much listened to all my ideas for the house. He kept me up to date all the way through the process.

Today he presented me with Two drawings allowing me now to visualise the house and its possibilities. He was so professional, never pushy and completely focused on what I wanted. I also felt his architectural service was very reasonably priced.

–2022 Update…My house renovation was completed over 2-years ago and the space is amazing.–

It doesn’t resemble anything like the original house; helped by the addition of bi-fold doors, open kitchen and loft conversion with windows overlooking the garden. The open-plan kitchen/diner is where the two downstairs bedrooms were and I wanted the kitchen at the back of the house.

Stuart’s drawings helped me to envisage this. The dormer room was all new with the main bedroom and en-suite bathroom and again it was Stuart’s drawings that helped me and the builders to create this beautiful space. The renovation was designed so it did not require planning permission and was within permitted development rights.

Also, Stuart’s drawings were a massive help to the builder and kitchen designer. The builder used these drawings for all the structural work that was needed.

The road on which my house is one of the nicest in Willington. And for me to be able to turn it into my forever home was wonderful. The whole design is exactly what I now realise I wanted.

I found Stuart really easy to work with and he listened to all the plans I had and then put this into a drawing which was exactly as I wanted. This is my forever home.

Thank you again, Stuart

We have been living in our home renovation for over a year now and we are so happy with it.

Originally we contemplated commissioning a large architectural practice, but we became aware of Extended Ideas. Stuart showed us two design concepts that consisted of 2D, 3D plans and visuals. This allowed us to reevaluate our needs and desires. A third design was provided and we were confident that this one would be best for us.

Not putting the correct amount of design emphasis into your project may appear that you are saving money, but this is short term and any initial errors or omissions will be there to remind you in years to come. You will be living with design faults that should have been sorted before any construction.

Stuart’s process made us discover how to use space more efficiently. This revelation meant we could not justify extending upstairs, thus saving us around £30,000.

Stuart worked alongside our local council planning department, applied for pre-application advice, produced planning drawings and handled the whole planning process. The process went very smoothly and planning was granted without hiccups.

We love living in our new large, sunlit, open-plan kitchen. It enables us to sit and look out onto our garden. The rear extension gives lots of sunlight and privacy, it doesn’t overshadow our neighbours. It all works perfectly and is everything we have asked for.

Thank you, Stuart

We have been in our newly renovated living kitchen and garage conversion for nearly 4-months now and I am really pleased with how it has turned out.

Stuart provided 3D plans and visuals of two different design options. One with an extension and the other with a garage conversion. What this helped within my mind was cementing the decision not to extend.

Most people just naturally think I need more space, I’ll extend. This would have been the worst thing, with hindsight, we could have done. If we have had done it blind-sighted and extended. We would have ended up with less garden space and it would all still have been incomplete. Making better use of your existing space is what it’s all about and saves money along the way.

Our home renovation fell within budget and we’re so happy with the outcome.