A rejected planning application turned into an opportunity for the owners of an 80-year-old cottage to make the most of its stunning South Downs location. They opted for an oak framed orangery which has added more than fifty percent to the cottage’s floorplan, while timber bi-fold doors open the generous family living space out into the countryside. Natural oak beams bring these two worlds together, while adding warmth and definition to the remodelled interior.

London couple add an oak porch and opt to build a dining/garden room oak extension on their townhouse, which would let in plenty of light and make generous use of oak for a warm and natural feel.

Rob and Jo built an agricultural oak barn some years ago, in the hope that one day they might gain permission to convert it into a house. Their patience paid off and now they live in a stunning oak framed home. Being a traditional oak barn design, the house is full of character, but at the same time features all modern creature comforts to the highest spec.

Good to look at and lovely to live with, oak-framed buildings can take so many different forms. It’s possible to build almost anything in beautifully crafted oak, from a modest porch to a grand manor house. Here we look not at the building of entire houses (which is something we also do), but at five other popular types of oak buildings and extensions.