A Cotswold room above garage designed for family, guests and flexible living
An oak framed garage has the power to enhance your home, create valuable living space and transform your day-to-day living. For Jo and Jamie, their Oakwrights room above garage replaced a dated outbuilding with an elegant versatile space that perfectly balances practicality with timeless design - and all just in time for a very special family celebration.
Project Details
- Cotswold
- 2024
- Room above garage
- 122m²
- Portchester
- 1
Time for a transformation
After 20 years in their Cotswold home, Jo and Jamie decided it was finally time to transform a large metal framed open sided agricultural building that was too close to their home. With a family wedding on the horizon, they saw the perfect opportunity to create something far more beautiful and fitting for their farmhouse. Their solution was an Oakwrights three-bay Portchester room above garage. A building that would not only provide useful storage and a utility space, but also comfortable guest accommodation and a stunning focal point in the landscape.
“We had always planned to replace the old barn,” explains Jo. “It had served us well whilst raising our children and building our business, but it no longer complemented our house. Our daughter Emily’s engagement gave us the motivation to finally make it happen.”
Working with Oakwrights
The couple began researching oak frame buildings in early 2023 and soon discovered Oakwrights. Impressed by both the speed of the process and the quality of our designs, they were delighted to see how quickly plans progressed. Contracts were signed in April 2023, planning permission was granted by July and construction began in November. “We were swept along by how quickly Oakwrights could move the project forward,” says Jamie. “We loved that we could start with an existing design and adapt it to create exactly what we wanted.”
The couple selected the Porchester Garage design having recognised it as an ideal fit for the character of the local area. However, while the external appearance was important, functionality was equally high on their priority list. “It was really important to us to be able to use the garage as a workable space. We’re able to use it as an office and yoga space but also as ancillary accommodation for our children and friends. We also had to be able to stand up in it,” smiles Jo
Key design features
One of the key design challenges was ensuring their room above garage offered generous head height throughout. The guest accommodation needed to feel comfortable, with space for a bedroom, living area and shower room, while still maintaining attractive proportions externally. Jo and Jamie’s garage design features an extra 300mm of kneewall, springing the kick of the roof up to provide the spacious ceiling height Jo and Jamie desperately craved whilst living with low ceilinged attic rooms in their farmhouse next door.
Privacy was another important consideration. Thanks to a carefully positioned accommodation entrance, guests can come and go out of sight of the family home. Access to the first floor is via an external oak staircase, supplied and installed by Oakwrights. The garage also creates an attractive courtyard area, bringing a new natural cohesion to the setting, One of the greatest joys of the project is this transformation of the landscape. “I love the fact that I no longer have to look at an ugly metal barn,” says Jo. “It’s completely changed the feel of the property. I also love having the utility out of the house and in its own dedicated space.”
Crafting their versatile 3-bay room above garage
The garage has beautiful proportions with two closed bays either side of the open central bay. “The all-important workshop for Jamie is in the first bay, our Land Rover and gym equipment in the second and our utility and dog room in the third,” says Jo. “It’s perfect for laundry and storing everything you don’t want to see in your house, like boots and coats. We could also turn the utility into a fully functioning kitchen in the future if we wanted to."
A personal touch with Marlborough Tiles
Jo and Jamie are the owners of Marlborough Tiles, a multi-generational family run artisan handmade tile company producing classic country tiles based in Wiltshire. When they started the project, there was no doubt that their tiles of outstanding quality would feature. “The company began as a venture between two female art teachers 90 years ago, and my grandfather joined the business in the late 1940’s,” explains Jamie. “I joined the company at 24 and worked my way up. Jo joined 15 years ago and we now sell our tiles direct from our Wiltshire workshop all over the world. It’s very much a family business.”
The kitchenette is adorned with delicately hand painted delft tiles in a cherry colour, complemented by impactful vibrant greens in the shower. The living area floor is lined with soft oak toned porcelain tiles. “We source a small but curated collection of porcelain floor tiles from the very best factories,” says Jamie.
A swift project from start to finish
The structure was completed in early 2024, followed by landscaping and the interior fit out finished in time for Emily’s wedding celebrations later that year. “It was exciting to have no building there one day and then, a matter of weeks later, have the oak frame structure in place,” shares Jo. “Watching the roofing team work into the evening to get the building watertight was incredibly impressive and showed a real commitment to getting the job done.”
What began as a practical replacement for an old outbuilding became a transformative multi-functional space, enhancing both daily life and the wider setting of Jo and Jamie’s home. For anyone considering an oak framed garage project, they offer one piece of advice: plan ahead. “Make sure you know who will undertake the groundworks and who will manage the internal fit out before installation begins. Having the right team in place makes the whole process run much more smoothly,” advises Jo.
Jo and Jamie’s three top tips for tiles:
In the kitchen, decide whether you want your tiles to be the ‘hero’ focal point, like a piece of art above the range cooker for example, or whether you want something more neutral to blend in with the rest of your decor.
In the bathroom, consider coloured tiles as an opportunity to help you feel invigorated for the day. Botanical tones such as a vibrant green will leave you feeling energised after your morning shower.
To create a sense of balance, combine coloured tiles with tactile neutrals, layering texture and tone throughout your home. Rustic finishes and handcrafted surfaces can add depth and character, whether featured as a kitchen splashback or flowing across the floor.
We had always planned to replace the old barn, explains Jo. It had served us well whilst raising our children and building our business, but it no longer complemented our house. Our daughter Emily’s engagement gave us the motivation to finally make it happen.
Jamie & Jo
