How long does a typical home extension take?

Most single-story extensions take 8-12 weeks from start to completion, depending on size and complexity. We provide detailed timelines during our initial consultation.

Do I need planning permission for a home extension?

Many extensions fall under permitted development rights, but this depends on your property type and extension size. We help assess requirements and handle planning applications when needed.

Are you fully licensed and insured?

Yes, we are fully licensed with £2 million public liability insurance. All our tradespeople are qualified professionals and members of relevant trade associations.

Prime London's Trusted Luxury Builder

Vine Construction luxury London home renovation — Kensington townhouse extension with heritage sash windows and stone facade

Vine Construction is a family-run firm of luxury London builders specialising in the discreet, high-specification renovation of period townhouses, mews properties and prime residential estates across the capital. Since 2008 we have delivered complex home extensions, loft conversions, basement conversions and full period property restorations for owners of Grade II listed homes, conservation-area properties and estate-managed leaseholds including Grosvenor, Cadogan, Portman and Howard de Walden.

Our teams combine traditional trades — lime plastering, timber joinery, lead work, stone masonry and traditional sash window restoration — with modern building science: airtightness detailing, MVHR, underfloor heating and heritage-appropriate secondary glazing for acoustic and thermal upgrades that preserve historic character. Every project is led by a dedicated contracts manager, delivered under a JCT contract, and covered by £2m public liability and £10m employer's liability insurance.

Signature Services

Rear kitchen extension with steel-framed Crittall doors opening onto a landscaped Chelsea garden

Home & Kitchen Extensions — single, double and wrap-around rear extensions with structural steels, glazed lanterns and seamless internal reconfiguration.
Loft Conversions — mansard, L-shape and dormer loft conversions engineered for Victorian and Edwardian roofs across RBKC, Westminster and Camden.
Basement & Vault Conversions — single-storey basement digs, lightwell formation and Party Wall Act coordination for terraced London homes.
Bespoke Kitchen Renovations — architect-led kitchens with hand-made cabinetry, stone worktops and integrated appliance packages.
Luxury Bathroom Refurbishment — spa-standard master suites with book-matched stone, walk-in showers and underfloor heating.
Period Property Restoration — sympathetic restoration of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian townhouses under listed-building consent.
Sash Window Restoration — full overhaul, draught-proofing and reinstatement of timber box-sash windows.
Heritage Secondary Glazing — discreet slimline systems that deliver acoustic and thermal performance without altering the primary window.
Roofing & Leadwork — natural slate, clay tile and traditional lead detailing for heritage roofs.
Interior Fit-Out — joinery, decoration and finishes coordinated with our in-house project managers.

Areas We Serve Across Prime London

Map of prime Central and West London neighbourhoods served by Vine Construction including Kensington, Chelsea, Mayfair and Belgravia

We work across the most demanding postcodes in the capital, coordinating with local conservation officers, estate surveyors and heritage architects to deliver renovations that respect neighbourhood character.

Builders in Kensington (W8) — Victorian and Edwardian townhouses under RBKC control.
Builders in Chelsea (SW3) — Cadogan Estate leaseholds and King's Road properties.
Builders in Mayfair (W1) — Grosvenor Estate townhouses and Georgian terraces.
Builders in Belgravia (SW1) — stucco-fronted Grade II listed homes.
Builders in Knightsbridge (SW1X, SW7) — high-security prime residential renovations.
Builders in Notting Hill (W11) — stucco terraces and mews houses.
Builders in Hampstead (NW3) — Arts & Crafts and Georgian properties.
Builders in Marylebone (W1U) — Howard de Walden and Portman Estate homes.
Builders in Fulham (SW6) — Victorian terraces and family extensions.
Builders in Richmond (TW9, TW10) — riverside conservation homes.
Kensington Victorian & Edwardian Restorations
See all 40+ London areas served →

Recent Projects & Case Studies

Chelsea townhouse whole-house renovation featured in Vine Construction portfolio

Our portfolio documents ten flagship renovations completed across Central London, each with detailed scope, timeline, challenge and solution notes:

Chelsea Sash Window Restoration — full overhaul of 18 heritage box-sash windows.
Discreet Secondary Glazing, Belgravia — acoustic upgrade to a Grade II listed townhouse.
Mayfair Townhouse Whole-House Refurbishment
Kensington Basement Conversion & Lightwell
Notting Hill Mansard Loft Conversion
Knightsbridge Rear Kitchen Extension

Journal — Insights on Heritage Renovation

Long-form guides written by our contracts managers and heritage specialists:

Our Process — From Enquiry to Handover

Confidential consultation — a site survey and NDA-backed initial discussion.
Feasibility & costing — a detailed cost plan aligned with your architect's drawings.
Pre-construction — planning, listed-building consent and Party Wall Act notices.
Construction — dedicated contracts manager, weekly reporting and JCT contract administration.
Handover & aftercare — 12-month workmanship warranty and defects liability period.

Trust, Credentials & Insurance

Vine Construction is a fully insured contractor with £2m public liability, £10m employer's liability and contract works cover to £5m. We hold CSCS-carded trades, Gas Safe registered engineers and NICEIC-approved electricians, and we work regularly with heritage architects, conservation officers, and estate surveyors. Every completed project is backed by a written 12-month workmanship warranty in addition to standard manufacturer guarantees.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a typical London home extension take?

Most single-storey rear extensions take 14–20 weeks on site once planning and Party Wall matters are resolved. Larger wrap-around and basement projects range from 6 to 14 months.

Do you work on Grade II listed buildings?

Yes — a significant portion of our workload is Grade II listed and conservation-area properties in Kensington, Chelsea, Belgravia and Mayfair. See our period property restoration page.

Are you fully insured?

Yes, we carry £2m public liability, £10m employer's liability and project-specific contract works cover.

Can you coordinate with our architect and interior designer?

Absolutely — we regularly work as principal contractor alongside leading London architects and design studios.

Request a Confidential Site Survey

To discuss your project in confidence, call 020 7060 1579, WhatsApp +44 7853 322555, or email info@vineconstruction.com. Book online via our contact page or request a complimentary site survey.

Interior Decoration · Whole-House Palettes

Colour Consultation for London Homes

Choosing paint colour is where most London renovations quietly go wrong. The £6 sample pot that looked perfect on Instagram reads flat, chalky or cold on a north-facing Kensington wall in November light. Our colour consultation service brings the discipline of a working decorator and the eye of an interior designer to that decision — building a coherent, room-by-room palette that reads correctly under the specific light your home receives.

A consultation begins on site: we walk every room with you, note the orientation, the artificial lighting temperature, existing joinery and stone, and any pieces (art, rugs, curtains) that need to be respected. From that walk we prepare a written scheme covering walls, ceilings, woodwork, doors and any panelled or feature surfaces, referenced to Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Paint & Paper Library, Papers and Paints or bespoke matches.

The output is not a mood-board — it is a schedule of paint, sheen level and application detail that our decorating team (or yours) can implement without ambiguity. This is how you avoid the £4,000 re-paint eighteen months later.

On-site walkthrough with room-by-room notes

Full written paint schedule (colour, finish, brand)

Sample boards prepared and viewed in situ

Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Paint & Paper Library specialists

North / south / east / west light considerations

Coordination with joinery, stone and existing furniture

Why Light Direction Changes Everything

A colour that reads warm and enveloping in a south-facing Chelsea drawing room can look grey and inhospitable in a north-facing Notting Hill sitting room across the street. London's northern latitude and predominantly overcast light punish colours that lack pigment depth — a truth every serious decorator learns and every DIY colour choice ignores.

In a consultation we identify what each room needs to compensate for its light: warmer whites in north rooms, more grey-based tones in south rooms flooded with harsh midday light, and darker saturated shades where evenings are the primary use — because artificial light does the heavy lifting from 4pm in a British winter.

North-facing: warm off-whites, pigment-rich shades
South-facing: cooler greys, chalky whites
East-facing: bright mornings, calm evenings
West-facing: golden light — beware yellowing whites

Building a Whole-House Palette

A coherent house palette does not mean every room is the same colour — it means every room relates to the ones next to it. We work in "families": a hallway colour that carries through to the stairwell and landing, principal rooms in a related but distinct family, secondary bedrooms and bathrooms in their own supporting palette. Doors and architraves are handled as a fifth surface: the decision to paint them out (same as wall) or contrast is usually the single biggest visual lever in a period London home.

Farrow & Ball, Little Greene & Beyond

We are not tied to any single brand. Farrow & Ball is often the right answer for period London properties — the pigment depth of Estate Emulsion in a Georgian drawing room is unmatched — but Little Greene's Absolute Matt has a richer coverage on flat walls, Paint & Paper Library carries a distinctive line of neutrals that suit contemporary extensions, and Papers and Paints (the Chelsea colour specialist) can match anything historical.

For clients with a specific colour in mind (a favourite piece of fabric, a hotel wall they photographed on holiday) we can hand-match to any brand's base — spectrophotometer readings are checked on a wet sample before committing to the full batch.

From Consultation to Finished Room

A colour scheme without a proper sample stage is a gamble. As part of every consultation we prepare A3 or full-wall sample boards, painted in the actual scheme (two coats over primer, correct sheen) and viewed in each room at three times of day. Only after that sign-off do we release the specification to the decorators.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a consultation take?

A whole-house consultation for a typical London townhouse takes 2–3 hours on site, plus follow-up sample preparation. We deliver the written scheme within one week.

Do I have to use your decorators?

No. The written specification is deliverable-quality for any painter. We are equally happy to hand off to your existing decorator or to implement with our own team.

Can you help match colours to existing furniture and art?

Yes — this is often the starting point. Existing pieces set the temperature and tonal range of the room and the palette works around them, not against them.

What does a consultation cost?

Fees depend on scope. A single room consultation starts from £250; a whole-house scheme for a Kensington or Chelsea townhouse typically £750–£1,500 including sample boards.

Related Services

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