Located in Fonthill Bishop, a small village and civil parish in Wiltshire, 29 The Rings consists of a grade II listed building a short distance from Salisbury just off the A303. Originally the roof space was a dusty storage space like any other and through careful restoration it has been transformed into an elegant master bedroom and en suite in keeping with the historical nature of the original house.

The client's brief was to extend and transform their two-bed cottage into a spacious three bedroomed residence suitable for guest and family members staying over. The result provides a top floor solely occupied by the owners whilst giving two guest bedrooms on the middle floor with their own dedicated bathroom. Roof strengthening was essential as part of the works to limit the spread of the historic truss roof structure and existing features such as the natural stone chimney breast has been exposed and enhanced with ambient lighting in a way to accentuate its natural beauty.

Materials although traditional in nature take on a modern twist with shadow gap details in place of traditional mouldings to produce a calm modern aesthetic. With wide oak floor boards fixed using bespoke handmade wrought iron nails as opposed to conventional round wire nails the detailing is historically correct.

Low profile conservation rooflights have been adopted to minimise the visual impact of these rooftop additions. Commanding extensive views over the surrounding countryside they connect the occupant with the wider landscape and provide much needed natural daylight. Furthermore, the bath to the new en suite was designed with the addition of a rooflight over to allow the bather to connect to the sky. Designer radiators throughout puncture the space with sculptural elements providing a sense of modernism to otherwise traditional spaces.