“Welsh Oak Frame was brilliant. They put together 3D plans and a quote for the oak frame that I felt was extremely good value.”

Three generations living under the same roof prompted an oak frame annexe extension when Edouard and Alison Gasquet approached Alison’s mum, Janet, to live with them and their nine-year-old daughter, Amélie. The couple, who both work shifts for an airline, and are away at times, felt it could be the perfect solution for everyone.

‘Janet has always been a great help to us by caring for Amélie when we’re at work,’ says Edouard. ‘I helped Janet with difficult jobs around her house or in the garden, and so this arrangement works better for us all. Janet lives in a beautiful oak-framed annexe attached to our home – it’s the best part of the house!’

Understandably, Janet wanted to keep her independence. When the family decided to sell both homes and buy one property, separate living space was a high priority for her. A 1920’s house with five bedrooms was perfect. A separate music room, with a pitched roof, linked into the side of the house along a small corridor. Behind, a double garage extended out to the front, forming a right angle to the property. Edouard felt confident this space could be re-designed for Janet and soon the family had moved in.

Edouard chatted through ideas with an architect friend. The music room would be demolished and replaced with an oak frame annexe, extending into the garden to be in line with the back of the house. Built as two storeys means space above the garage now forms a second bedroom to the annexe, enabled by two roof dormers. Janet’s new home is a generous 140sqm with its own entrance and still connected to the house through a library corridor. Above, there is no link but one of the bedrooms now benefits from a new ensuite.

Edouard had seen a colleague’s oak frame extension and admired the traditional craftsmanship.

‘I have a bit of a fascination with oak,’ he says. ‘I’m a pilot and I’m in awe of the First World War planes built with wood; the assembly and craftwork are beautiful. Janet and Alison needed a bit of convincing though as they were worried having too much wood would make the annexe look like a barn.’

Edouard spoke to a number of oak frame companies and quickly settled on Welsh Oak Frame after our designer, Lui Rocca, came to meet him and Alison.

‘Even though Welsh Oak Frame are in Wales, Lui travelled to see us, whereas some companies didn’t even return our calls,’ says Edouard. ‘Lui was brilliant. Later he put together 3D plans and a quote for the oak frame that I felt was extremely good value. One company tried to push us towards a single storey design, which we didn’t like, and that cost 40% more than Welsh Oak Frame.’

Glazing was restricted to the rear because of the garage behind, neighbours on one side and the link to the house. Lui understood the need for light and suggested skylights in the new bedroom roof, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden on both floors.

‘This was a great idea as they’re really low to the ground so Janet has lovely views,’ says Edouard.

One of Edouard’s concerns was how to deal with the wastewater pipework located on the opposite side of the house.

‘Lui assured me that everything was possible,’ says Edouard. ‘He was right, we have a pump system in the annexe that works very well.’

Welsh Oak Frame put Edouard in touch with a planning consultant who put together the couple’s planning application. They received approval within a few months and Edouard soon had a team of builders on site demolishing the music room and preparing the foundation slab. Before long the Welsh Oak Frame carpentry team were assembling the frame. Two weeks later the builders were back to take the project through to the end.

‘Rather appropriately, Janet moved in on Mother’s Day and she’s extremely happy with her new home – we all are, it’s a beautiful building,’ says Edouard. ‘Welsh Oak Frame made the process very easy for us. They have a good structure in place from management to the builders and as a smaller oak frame company they were able to give us great personal service.’