50 January richmondmagazine.co.uk

A stunning, innovativevision of spaceThe Pollastri family had a clear idea of their dream home, but only basicdrawings to show their builders. Fortunately, L&E (Lofts and Extensions)were able to interpret their wishes and create exactly what they wanted

With a raft of innovative ideas anda fantastic Lofts and Extensions(L&E) building team, Ricardo

and Irina Pollastri have achieved theirvision of a stunning, contemporary space.

The Pollastris knew their Kingstonhome had the scope to be somethingspecial and started the search for abuilding company 18 months before theproject began. Ricardo read about L&E ina local magazine and arranged a meetingto chat through possible concepts.

“I’m an engineer and a very detailsorientated person,” he explains. “Wespent a long time planning andresearching exactly what we wanted. Wewere looking for something striking andcontemporary to contrast with the oldpart of the property and we didn’t wantto cut corners or compromise.”

The vision was to create a large open-plan room with clean lines and no exposed steels, whilst maintainingceiling height to maximise the feeling of space.

The family decided to remain in theproperty for the duration of the buildwith the construction team setting up atemporary kitchen for them.

“The builders were fantastic with thechildren, such friendly, easy-going,

approachable guys. They were also reallygood at cleaning up after themselves,which was important to us,” he adds.

The project went incredibly smoothlywith only minor hiccups, but anychallenges were met with creativesolutions and positivity.

“It was amazing, the building teamwere able to take my vision and make ithappen. We only had basic drawings andthey were so flexible and able to react toany changes we decided to makethroughout the build.”

Communication is always key on any

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“I prepared a very detailedspecification of the build, includingthings like no visible guttering on theexterior of the back of the property:everything had to be concealed tomaintain the clean lines,” says Ricardo.

With the many innovations that wereincorporated into their plans, a buildingteam using a one-size fits all approachwould never appeal to the Pollastris. But the creativity and positive attitude of the L&E surveyor and building teamcertainly did.

“It was extremely reassuring to us thatwe were able to visit existing L&E clientswithout anyone from L&E accompanyingus. It’s rare to meet builders who are that confident in their work and thisconfidence was ultimately why we choseL&E,” reflects Ricardo.

The Pollastri family is so confident inrecommending L&E (Lofts andExtensions) that they are even happy to show you

around their new home. Contact them via L&E to arrange a viewing.

L&E (Lofts and Extensions)The Old Office Block,

16 Elmtree RoadTeddington TW11 8ST

0800 326 5585info@dontmove-extend.com

dontmove-extend.com

project of this magnitude and the L&Ebuilders didn’t disappoint. And it wasn’tonly the building team that impressedRicardo and Irina.

“We liked the fact that L&E were verysupportive and involved throughout theprocess. They were in regular contact tosee how everything was going and oftensent people round to check progress,”explains Ricardo.

Ultimately, the project took a littlelonger than anticipated but the extratime ensured that every last detail wasperfect. The wow factor has certainlybeen achieved in this stunning room,with the huge glass doors and theretention of the period ceiling. Themeticulous attention to detail has fulfilledthe Pollastris’ creative vision.

“We had a good space to work with and the builders have done a phenomenal job for us,” smiles Ricardo.“We would absolutely recommend L&E to anyone else with a vision for their home.”

richmondmagazine.co.uk January 51

“We were looking for something striking. We didn’t want to cut corners or compromise”

“L&E were verysupportive and

involved throughoutthe whole process”