Home Interior Design Blog.House Remodelling Hampshire
A loft conversion is one way of extending your property without spending too much money. Bedrooms and storage are always the items you seem to need more of, the longer you live in a house.

Most loft conversions can be carried out without Planning Permission; Building Regulations being the only requirement. However it is always wise to check by calling in a reputable builder or Architect in the first instant. An experienced builder will know what will apply to your particular loft conversion and advise you correctly. If Planning Permission is required it will take 8 weeks to obtain approval and a further 5 weeks to obtain Building Regulation compliance.

At Artemis we work with Architects and Structural Engineers therefore we can provide all the necessary legal approvals to carry out your work. We also are responsible for obtaining the final paperwork which confirms that your house has a fully approved loft conversion which has been passed by Building Control and that your investment is secured.

You may wonder if you need to move out whilst work is being undertaken, well the answer is no. At Artemis we scaffold up the outside of the house and enter in through the roof, making sure normality reigns in your home whilst the work is being carried out. If you have a very small home with no storage facilities for materials or are built directly onto a pavement we widen the scaffolding platform in order for it to serve a dual purpose, i) acting as a walkway ii) supplying us with a storage area.

An experienced loft conversion company will be able to convert various types of roofs i.e. a truss roof or a cut roof only make sure if you have a truss roof the Builder has carried out this type of work before as this is a little more complicated and the builder will need to know exactly what they are doing.

Structural steel beams will be the first items to be installed and the Structural Engineer would have provided the necessary calculations to make sure the roof can be supported on the steel beams specified.
Once these are in place the joist will be hung off these beams and you will start to see the beginnings of a floor. Picture 1
Rafters normally have to be reinforced but not in all cases and the ashlar wall is installed once the rafters are ready. Collars form the final link to making the framework ready to take the insulation. Picture 2
Insulation has been increased over the years and by the time your loft conversion project is finished there is a good chance it will be more insulated than the remainder of the house.

Staircases are another item which have improved in design over the years. There is every reason your loft will be the brightest space in the house.

Velux windows are the best windows for the conventional loft conversion and these can range from a simple rectangle to a window which extends to form a balcony. In conservation properties Velux provide a specialized window however there is a superb range for these particular conversions therefore at Artemis we try and look to see which manufacturer best suits the design of the property. All in all Artemis carries out quality loft conversions and is every ready to fulfil it's clients dreams. Picture 3

Home Interior Design Blog.House Remodelling Hampshire


Friday 25 August; Fiona, one of our design team and I visited the 100% design show at Earls Court. It was a day set aside for updating Artemis with the latest design in products used for the refurbishment and interiors market. There were EVOline wireless electric sockets, which could be set anywhere retrospectively - especially useful in a study or if you required additional electric sockets in the kitchen. The additional unit operates from Kinetic Energy. EVOline also produce for the Port, modular fittings i.e. socket modules, multimedia modules, data network modules and intelligence modules to control lights, cinema screens etc. all the above ports would be hidden from view unless you decided to use them, then they would pop up by placing hand pressure on a small surface mounted plate. An ingenious idea.

There were a host of new materials which could be used for feature walls and floors ranging from a carpet measuring 3m x 3m which had petals cut into the pile of the one colour weave to specialty tempered and coloured metal which came in all colours, shapes and sizes. They were quite stunning.

The Castello luxury baths; the composite baths are manufactured with materials that offer authenticity of stone to make them hard wearing yet lighter and warmer to the touch than stone. The hidden built in overflow system and waste presents a minimalistic look to fit in to any style of bathroom.

eestairs - between Stairs and Art; designed with elegance and style; the exponent of excellence; escape the everyday - created for those who see the difference; enjoy the elevation; expect the extraordinary. What more can one say?


KMD Natural stone used by the most discerning of clientele. What makes natural stone special? It is always unique. Natural stone blends in perfectly with your ambiance if handled precisely and with attention to detail. It doesn't matter if you want to incorporate one vanity unit top or redesign your entire bathroom KMD take care of the planning and completion of your project with natural stone. Used in kitchens, halls and reception areas as well as the beautiful bathrooms of such exquisite hotels as the Ritz Carlton, Berlin and The Heritage Golf & Spa Resort, Ireland; also seen at the world famous Fendi Store, Milan, Italy.

As you can see the 100% design show embraced the best in new and young innovative designers. A pleasure to behold.

Susan Collins Director

Home Interior Design Blog.House Remodelling Hampshire


Seamless glass - heaven! We do not have to conform any more to the statutory designs supplied by bathroom fitting companies when it comes to shower screens or partitioning - it doesn't matter how expensive the supplier is they still only offer you a small selection of shower screens to choose from. We have recently been able to design a bathroom for our client and optimise the space allocated to the walk in shower area mainly because we could design the glass to fit in with the other items in the bathroom. I think you will agree it works really well in this instance.

Home Interior Design Blog.House Remodelling Hampshire: "Artemis"

Congratulations to Channel 4 for producing such an informative programme surrounding the heritage of British Architecture; namely Kevin McCloud’s Grand Tour.

The programme is full of detail relating to the origin and design of some of the most prestigious buildings in Great Britain. The type of Architecture we are so privileged to benefit from in this Country originated from cities such as Paris, Genoa, Vicenza and Venice. It is said The Covent Garden Piazza resembles the Place des Vosges which was once one of the most popular meeting places in Paris during the eighteenth century. Inigo Jones formed the opinion that The Square was the most civilised way of living and gave a feeling of space compared to the dark Medieval buildings with narrow lanes he had become accustomed to seeing in London; it was this vital impression which was to be one of the main influences to transform British Architecture and the building of cities as we know today.

The Grand Tour was another name for, what we would refer to today as, the Gap year; only 300 years ago the Grand Tour lasted for several years unlike the one year which is now the custom. It was a time when affluent young men, in their early thirties, would travel to Europe to broaden their horizons. With an education in Latin and the Classics the traveller would venture south; it was considered their destiny to educate themselves whilst touring Europe and return to Britain full of inspiration. Italy with its Classical Architecture and antique ruins was considered the undisputed focus of the tour; Paris came second.


Their first call would be Paris where they would undergo a total metamorphosis; they would attire themselves in the most modern of fashionable clothing ready to venture south to Genoa which was one of the wealthiest cities of the seventeenth century. In the case of Inigo Jones, who was primarily an artist, later turned architect, his vision was to study and record the works of Andrea Palladio. Inigo sought to transform the medieval dark buildings which made up the main stay of Britain Architecture into the palatial light gracious facades we admire today. His idea fell barren in England until they were revived by Lord Campbell and Lord Burlington a century later; we have been fortunate to inherit the Palladian style of building which is now referred to as “Georgian.” It's origin was Italy.

An enquiry from China for the refurbishment and interior design of 146 apartments culminated in a visit to the site in April 2009. The team consisted of the Director of Artemis Refurbishments, Susan Collins; the Italian supplier Anastasia Nipon and our Chinese Business and Cultural expert Ding Xuening.

Feng Shui Disability Living – designed by Fiona Damiano

The Brief
The brief is to design a one person living space for a wheelchair user. My client is a 25 year old composer who works full-time in the music industry. He has requested facilities to accommodate his collection of music; his guitars and a keyboard and some recording equipment. He is a sociable person, and would like space for entertaining friends. He’s not a great cook. He composes relaxing instrumental music and specifically requested that the house is designed and furnished according to the Feng Shui principles.

Analyzing the brief
What particular needs does the wheelchair user have?
Plenty of room to move around with the wheelchair
Clutter free environment
Easy access to kitchen units and appliances
Easy access to bathroom facilities
Large doorways for easy access with wheelchair

What is relaxing music? Music which helps you calm down but specifically designed to assist in pursuits such as meditation.

What is Feng Shui? Feng Shui means ‘the way of wind and water’ or ‘the natural forces of the universe’ It is the ancient Chinese practice of the placement and arrangement of any space in order to achieve harmony with the environment. It is believed to significantly affect the health, wealth, prosperity and personal relationships of individuals occupying or living in that space. It is a design principle that can create a haven of peace and calm in the home.

The rooms, furniture and features will have to be selected and positioned not only according to the Feng Shui principles but also according to the wheelchair access requirements. The kitchen will have to contain the bare essentials with easy accessible units as my client will not spend hours in the kitchen cooking. The bathroom will have to thought out carefully so as to enable easy and safe access to facilities. His guitars and collection of music will have to be stored away and be easy reachable by my client. The recording equipment and keyboard will either be placed in a specific study room or made part of an area within the house. My client has also shared with me his interest in watching movies and playing with his game console I will therefore foresee a high spec Home Theatre and gaming console within the living area.

Fiona Damiano

There is a complete design file together with video which can be viewed on request.

Artemis provides easy living for the disabled person who wants to improve the quality of their life.

We want to energise and help you accomplish the things you want to achieve!

Inspiration is an essential tool when it comes to being positive and getting the most out of life; making life a breeze and uncomplicated in the home is a start; hopefully this will then give you the opportunity to start and continue living life to the full.

We design new houses, remodel existing homes and work as your personal assistant when it comes to supplying the interior furnishings. Artemis creates classical through to minimalist / contemporary designs for the home. We can transpose your finished design into a 3D video clip, this will help you to visualise the newly created space.

Our expertise originates from our head of design, Susan Collins, who has 25 years of practical experience in the building industry; the vast majority of this relating to the structural make-up of a building; this knowledge is essential when deciding which walls can and cannot be removed when extending and opening up rooms. We also have a design team who are used to carrying out a feasibility study on your particular requirement.

As you can see from our website there is an example of a home that was created for a disabled musician by our designer Fiona Damiano, which has a slight Italian influence!

We carry out surveys, design buildings both inside and out, we project manage and carry out the building work, finally finishing with the interior decoration. We provide gymnasium equipment for the gymnasium, acoustic and insulation materials for the walls and ceilings to the music rooms, additional lighting for art rooms and tall ceilings for sail rooms – there isn’t anything we do not cater for; easy living in every sense of the word!

Artemis turns your dream into reality; from design through to completion – we take care of everything – you don’t need to worry about a thing. Artemis will report to you on a daily basis; we also provide the legal documentation required by Building Control.