Deep in the heart of Marylebone, London, lies a penthouse that has been elegantly refurbished by the young 31-year-old upstart designer Ash Chawla, otherwise known as the man behind design and build company: Duke of Design.

This is just one of the examples of the many private residences Ash is converting in this, now fashionable and on the rise location. Bolstered by the unflappable popularity of the Chiltern Firehouse and surrounding milieu of edgy-chic independent shops, bars and cafes, homeowners in Marylebone are looking to upsell a slice of London luxury.

Duke of Design’s speciality is in hugely increasing the value of your property with low investment and thoughtful, well researched design. Creating bespoke homes designed specifically to suit the needs of the homeowners, or whom the owners hope to sell to… ‘Every area in London has its own unique demand’ explains Ash,‘for example in Marylebone the buyer and tenant profile tends to be intelligent, successful people from Europe and America. They are used to certain luxuries such as en-suite bathrooms, so we give them en-suite bathrooms. The wealthiest renters in this area tend to be embassy officials, international diplomats, corporates with young families so a touch of modern ambassadorial elegance goes a long way in creating the perfect recipe for a high asking price.’

Ash takes me through an exhaustive list of popular London locales, effortlessly reeling off the specific demographics of the wealthiest potential buyers and their prefered styles, materials, colour schemes. ‘Indian buyers respond well to marble and gold, people from Chelsea like properties with high ceilings and Chesterfield sofas…’ Are people really that predictable? ‘Yes, luxury is an acquired taste. It’s no surprise that one’s idea of luxury is to a great extent influenced by where one grows up ’ says Ash, ‘but it’s all about nuance; the devil is in the details and I suppose that’s where I come in.’

One such detail is the bathroom’s vast bespoke marble sink with copper taps, which Ash tells me, should have cost in the region of £5000. He however, to the delight of his client, had it custom built for around £2000. Why was he able to navigate such an unbelievable price? ‘Trade Secrets’ he replies, ‘no, really it’s just knowing the right people in the right places and how to navigate the architecture and design world. Being both a designer as well as a project manager makes me uniquely positioned to offer a more hassle-free, holistic package to the client. There’s no middle man, and being on both sides of the fence I know how much things cost and more importantly, how to get them at cost.’

Ash is a great believer in luxury being about design and not brands. ‘Why spend a fortune on a leather Cavalli coffee-table when you can get something made to measure of a much higher quality and a lower price?’ he says, ‘if you have good relationships with suppliers, which I do, then anything is possible.’ Ash’s dedicated research spans not only the buyer’s demographics and desired style but also brings colour psychology to the mix, ‘we are told by the estate agents that buyers are most interested in white spaces, but the research shows that buyer’s actually respond better to subtle colours.’ A carefully chosen palette of light earth tones can greatly influence and enhance the feeling of happiness within the home, he tells me. Makes sense. After all, isn’t enhanced happiness the ultimate outcome of luxury?

Duke of Design are a design and build company that take clients from the initial concepts, planning applications, listed building consents through to the completed project.

In this interview, we speak to the CEO of Duke of Design, Ash Chawla on the company’s mission to create timeless properties via designs and materials that convey a sense of long-lasting opulence in what is already a competitive industry. Duke of Design is a Design/Build company that focuses on increasing the value of people’s properties by reflecting the owner’s needs through super-luxe interior design, extensions and refurbishments.

Tell us a bit about your background in architecture and design?
Chawla: My University professors once said something in class, that stuck with me forever. He said, “in my experience, there is nothing more to learn in a job after 1 year. If you have worked in 1 job for 5 years, that only counts as 1 years job experience.”

His words in hindsight justified all my vagabond ways. After Graduating in 2010 from University of Bath, I advanced on a journey which took me through 8 cities, 5 countries and 8 different jobs. In fact, one of the reasons I got into Architecture was so I could work on different projects every year.

In London, I worked extensively on restoration and renovation of grade listed buildings. In Dubai and Qatar, I worked on mega development projects like shopping malls, Cinema’s, football stadiums, city planning, etc. In India and Nepal, I was on the design team for a Hilton Hotel, Science centres, luxury houses and universities. Working on such a wide range of projects and with people from around the globe has given me a unique perspective.

What led you to start Duke of Design?
Chawla: I get asked by everyone if I had a Eureka moment that led to starting on my own. Truth be told, our origin story is very organic. I was part of the new age vagabonds, working and travelling where opportunity took me. My plan was to have no plan but to experience and learn about new places and its people. I was on my path to move again in 2016 but with encouragement and support from some of my clients, I was able to establish my own company.

What does Duke of Design specialise in?
Chawla: Our speciality is a holistic approach to projects backed by knowledge, training and experience. We are able to understand our clients’ needs and deliver a luxurious project on time and under budget. We are uniquely positioned to recognise the unfulfilled potential in properties and achieve them. This is because I have personally worked in every sector of the property industry. In addition to designing, I have been part of sales & rental and designing the property with the sole aim of maximising its value. I have lead development teams in charge of large-scale projects, hiring and coordinating multiple architects, interior designers and various other consultants & contractors.

While there are plenty of design and build firms offering this service, most of them do not have the sufficient qualification, training or experience. What they might have is someone with the experience and others the training & qualifications. The result is a pot with too many cooks. I have interviewed and even hired such firms to great disappointment. In fact, I credit the errors made by such companies with influencing my approach.

What kind of clients have you had?
Chawla: We have a set of repeat clients who are constantly developing, buying & selling various properties and clients with one-off projects. Our regulars are high net worth individuals with properties in prime central London. We design, build and manage the properties for them.

Other clients are 1st-time buyers sometimes with young children. These projects are extremely challenging as they are very restricted with the budget but still want to improve the atmosphere and quality of their home. We assist them in maximising the value of their property and unlock the equity created by the work.

What is your favourite part of the Design/Build process?
Chawla: My favourite parts are the beginning and the end. I am very passionate about designing exciting spaces and imagining the endless possibilities and potential each property has. What’s even better is when the work is complete and appreciation that comes from the client. Our designs always contain something bespoke and exiting. We just love seeing it come to life.

What are the most common mistakes people make when trying to improve their homes?
Chawla: The most common mistake by people is not using proper professionals for the job. I have seen people suffer a great deal by using cheap, unqualified and untrained builders & designers for their projects. Construction work requires highly specialised professionals. Anything short of that could expose the property owners to immense dangers and liabilities.

What are the easiest ways to increase the value of one’s home?
Chawla: There is a very important aspect to understand here. Firstly, there is a certain condition the property must be in, to achieve a fair market value of your home. Not leaving the home in a dilapidated state would be the first thing. A well-maintained property will demonstrate your care and affection towards the property, which will generate interest.

Now to achieve a premium on the property there must be additional ‘luxuries’ that are rarely available in other properties. There is no easy or straightforward way to do this. Every area has a different buyer and tenant profile. The key is to understand the target demographic and find what’s lacking in the local property market.

I once dealt with an area with a high concentration of American expats. In our design proposal, we included an indoor swimming pool. After the works, we were surprised to hear that a few buyers got into a bidding war because of the pool. It was the only property available with such a feature which allowed our client to charge a premium. As usual, over the years other followed suit and now that area has multiple properties offer pool, Jacuzzi’s, hot tub’s, etc. As the supply of this ‘luxury’ exceeded demand, these items no longer fetch the high premium they once did. So you see, there are no straightforward guides to increasing the property value. The way to do so is to study the area in great detail and work with people who specialise in this.

What kind of Smart home gadgets have an impact on the home valuation?
Chawla: A smart home will have an impact on the property value rather than just having “a smart home gadget”. Don’t expect an increase with just one or two gadgets. Only multiple gadgets will classify your home as a smart home and that will get buyers interested.

Smart thermostats with geolocation have proven to save energy bills and are in high demand. However, only the recognised brands like Nest, Tado, etc. have that impact. An unpopular brand might even have an opposite effect.

Smart door locks and home entry systems are gaining popularity especially properties with loft conversions and rear kitchen extensions.

Other items which have an impact are heated mirrors in bathrooms, automated garden watering system, smart appliances, smart home alarms, etc.

Home automation gadgets can range from hundreds to thousands of pounds, how do we decide which one to use?
Chawla: You must have heard the phrase’ “you get what you pay for”. This could not be more true for electronic gadgets. These gadgets are priced based on features offered, product design and quality, brand value and after-sales support.

The first thing to do while deciding is to see these products in person. Online research, while crucial must not be your only deciding factor.

Secondly, a thing about the usability of the product. If you are thinking about colour changing LEDs in your entire house. How often are you going to use? Is it just a feature you want to show off or do you actually need to turn your home into a nightclub every so often?

Home automation seems too complicated; why should we spend so much more only to complicate our lives?
Chawla: Every new technology has its early adopters and the late adopters. This question is generally asked by the latter. Home automation is not complicated; it is just different. It requires learning something new. I find that is the biggest block to adoption of new technology. It is the lack of interest in learning something new. It does require some effort but once you get the hang of it, it will definitely make your life much easier while potentially saving money in energy bills.

I remember the days we used to set timers for the heating and hot water to begin in our houses. If you wanted to take a shower midday, one found no hot water as the hot water was only switched on in the mornings and evenings. Now, my boiler is connected to my phone via a smart thermostat. If I am home, my heating and hot water stay on. As soon as I leave home, it switches off. The heating starts up when I am on my way back home. This system is perfect for me as I don’t come back home at a regular time every day. Not only that, I have temperature sensors in each room. The radiators are automatically monitored; as a result, I have a constant temperature in my house.

If your home becomes too small for your family to cope, you may consider packing up and moving into another, larger property. But this is not always the easiest thing to do. Aside from the emotional upheaval of leaving a home your family has created many happy moments in, the financial implications can also be prohibitive. Higher house prices, the cost of moving home and added stamp duty makes it a less-attractive option to simply up sticks and move.

But there is an alternative. At Duke of Design, we specialise in creating your home in your image through extensions and refurbishments to make it work for you. Not only do refurbishments and extensions add valuable living space, but by maximising the property’s potential you can also maximise the property value meaning you can recoup your costs and profit from the work completed when the time comes to sell.

We work with a network of UK surveyors, valuation experts and property agents to understand your local market and determine how best to increase your property value. Our core values are to amplify a home’s individuality by using the perfect design and materials to create a home that works for you now and in the future. Let’s look at the image below to see the potential value in improving parts of your house.

Increase the value of your property
A typical example of a £500,000 house

Area Value increase potential

Rear Kitchen extension £65,000 – £75,000

Loft conversion £65,000 – £75,000

Open plan refurbished living £40,000 – £50,000

Garage Conversion £40,000 – £50,000

Bedrooms and bathrooms refurb. £40,000 – £50,000

Basement £30,000 – £40,000

Landscaped Garden £30,000 – £40,000

The figures have been taken from research articles published by various reputed real estate agents. Contact us for more detail.

The examples provided are based on the value of a £500,000 house and cover both interior and exterior conversions. While this list is not exhaustive of the services we can provide, it does give an overview of our most commonly requested renovations. Examples of our high-quality work can also be found on our project pages.

Conservatories

The simplest home addition is a conservatory, which can raise the value of your home by as much as 15% if it is included as part of a building’s extension (Virgin Money, 2012). However, just a simple conservatory can add 5% to your property value (Virgin Money, 2012).

While conservatories have a reputation of being dated, choosing the right materials can help them blend well with modern and period properties. The key is to use materials other than the commonly seen white UPVC. A muted, more sophisticated palette of taupe and grey painted wooden frames camouflages itself in a natural setting and the reflective properties of glass help it blend into the outside space more easily.

This seamless effect can also be achieved with an extension with glass elements such as large bifold aluminium or timber doors and a skylight which adds a luxurious quality that makes the home easier to sell when the time comes. This effect lends itself well to both modern and traditional settings.

Building an extension

Planning applications have risen by a quarter over the last five years (Halifax, 2017) and the most common way to add additional space to your home is to extend outwards to the rear or front of the property to gain extra space. While you may think this is a time-consuming process, it’s common for a single storey extension to be built in as little as 3 weeks once planning permission is gained. A full height extension can be completed in 4-6 weeks providing there are no unexpected changes in plan.

At Duke of Design, we have access to specialists who can advise on current building regulations for extensions to make the application as smooth as possible. Once we’ve ascertained whether planning permission is necessary, the exciting and often challenging process of designing your extension or other home renovation can begin.

The price of an average sized single storey extension begins at around £30,000, raising to £45,000 for a two-storey build. Based on the £500,000 home we mentioned above, you can expect to gain a profit of £30,000-£35,000 once construction has completed on a rear kitchen extension. Aside from a rise in property value you also benefit from a stunning home environment with added useable space.

Kitchen extension

One of the most commonly extended areas is the kitchen, particularly in terraced properties where the cooking environment is confined to a galley-like space. Often suffering from a lack of natural light, this can be corrected with additional glazing to the side or above.

While a kitchen extension may be the perfect selection for profit making, you don’t necessarily have to go the whole hog and increase the size of your home. If you’ve already got a sizeable kitchen space, we recommend consulting with our interior design and architecture specialists to reinvigorate your kitchen space using scale and proportion.

Remodelling

Remodelling your existing kitchen by adding high quality units and flooring, purpose lighting and a new coat of paint can increase the value by as much as 4% (The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, 2017). This profit margin varies depending on the type of kitchen you choose for the property. Expensive purchases such as kitchen units and flooring should be kept in proportion to the value of the property. A £25,000 kitchen would look out of place in a small terraced buy-to-let property but would be suited to a million-pound house. Conversely, adding a kitchen with an overall value of £8,000 is unlikely to suit those living in the most exclusive addresses.

The most successful kitchen extensions consider the whole home. By removing internal walls, you can connect the kitchen to the dining room creating a functional space for entertaining. Many of our customers also choose to link the kitchen to the garden by using large windows or patio doors. These connecting columns of glass help create a cohesive space which appeals to a wider audience, flooding the home with natural light.

Landscaping

What does a garden mean to you? Is it a space to wile away the hours while you nurture organic vegetables? A safe area for your children to play in? Or is it place used to entertain friends and family in the summer?

Often overlooked, the garden can become the hub of home life and can work seamlessly with your home as if brick and foliage were the most natural partners in the world. Much like interior design, a well-planned garden considers your preferred aesthetic look and your lifestyle to make the most of the space.

When it comes to renovating your garden for profit, it’s important to consider the things your potential buyer is likely to appreciate. For family-sized homes ensuring that the outdoor space is suitable for the growing needs of a family with low maintenance planting and landscaping is a must.

A city apartment with a small courtyard garden will appeal to younger working couples. In this case, the opportunity to create a sanctuary away from city life may appeal. The cost of landscaping your garden can be as little as £2,000 (FSCS, 2017), but spend a little more and your potential return can rise to £40,000 based on our £500,000 house.

Adding Value with Parking

There are over 37.5 million vehicles registered to drive on UK roads (GOV.UK, 2017). Add this to the fact that most towns and cities have a parking problem and you could be on to a nice little earner. By providing viable parking facilities you can increase your property price dramatically. As an example, insurance provider Direct Line found that parking offered next to a new-build in Battersea, South West London commanded £65,000 whereas the property itself cost £500,000. That equates to 13% of the property value!

There are two options when it comes to creating parking. You could either convert land at the front or side of your property to add a driveway or parking space, or alternatively, add a garage. Both have their own plusses and minuses. Adding a driveway or parking space to the front of your property is likely to take up existing land, so you should weigh up the loss of your front garden. While this is not an issue if reselling is your main priority, you may consider delaying the task if you intend to live in your home.

Alternatively, you may choose to convert an existing outside building into a garage. This is subject to suitable access to the garage. One plus is that you may not need planning permission when converting an existing building into a garage, but you do need to provide vehicular access from the road. For this you must contact building control at your local council to request the removal and replacement of existing street pavement under Section 184 of the Highways Act 1980. At Duke of Design, we can do this work for you, contacting the necessary departments and cutting out the research and hard work for you.

If no existing outdoor building is available but you have additional outside space, building a garage extension may be possible. This will likely be subject to planning permission regulations, so if this is something you’re considering, get in touch with us for some sound advice on this and other requirements such as internal lighting and electricity. Full garage conversions commonly add up to 8-10% to your property value, making for a sound investment, particularly in areas where parking is a premium.

Loft and Basement Conversions

Special considerations need to be made for both loft and basement conversions. Of the two, loft conversions are usually the least troublesome and don’t always require planning permission. They do, however, need to meet set building reg guidelines to gain classification as a room. The average cost to convert an attic is around £20,000, which rises to approximately £35,000-£45,000 if you’re creating a dormer loft with double bedroom and bathroom (Nationwide Building Society, 2017).

In most homes, the joists that were used at construction are insufficient to bear a significant amount of weight. If you intend to board out the loft for storage, floorboards will likely work, but this can be confirmed by speaking to Building Control. While you’ll gain additional storage, it’s unlikely to make much impact on the price of your property. If financial gain is your goal converting the loft into a useable room is the way to go.

As well as building regulations to protect the home’s occupants in the event of a fire, careful consideration should be made to existing property alterations. Plans for homes where a downstairs load bearing wall have been replaced with steel or timber supporting beams will need to be scrutinised to ensure that the structure can withstand additional weight from a loft conversion. This is why it is vitally important to seek out experts before undertaking such a large task. The benefits of adding an additional bedroom to your property can be huge. Loft conversions can add as much as £65,000-£75,000 to your property value.

Another alternative is to add a basement conversion if the space allows. This is a complicated procedure and should be not attempted by amateurs. Water ingress as well as foundation issues can be huge concerns. As such, we recommend you speak to us here at Duke of Design before undertaking any work on your basement. We have completed a series of successful basement conversions and consider ourselves experts in the field. While the work is hard, it is rewarding. Expect to receive a potential value gain of up to £40,000 based on a £500,000 home.

Other internal refurbishments

Bedrooms and bathrooms are some of the hardest working areas of the home but are often overlooked for refurbishments that offer larger potential returns. If you’re interested in selling the idea of luxury to potential home buyers, you need to ensure that all aspects of your home are up to standard.

Adding fixtures and fittings to your bathroom that show opulence, for example a sunken bath or marble tiles and splashbacks are a perfect way of appealing to a wealthier audience. For the bedroom, storage is key. We are a nation of hoarders, with the average Briton’s wardrobe holding 152 items (Marks & Spencer’s, 2016). Built in wardrobes can go some way to solving this problem, with Duke of Design able to create a storage solution so tailored that Savile Row would be jealous. Not only does a dedicated dressing space offer practicality but can be created in many styles to suit your home décor.

Additional bedrooms and bathrooms

Adding another bedroom or bathroom to your property will usually increase the property value. Additional bedrooms are thought to add 12% to your property price and a new bathroom around 5% (Nationwide Building Society, 2017). Do consider if these are valuable in the type of property you own, though. If you’re not adding an extension to your home, then the space for an additional bedroom or bathroom will have to come from a room already on your existing floor plan. While this is fine if you’ve got rooms large enough to accommodate being divided up, creating two smaller bedrooms out of one space may not be worth it if the resulting bedrooms are smaller than average for your area.

Another thing to consider is if the property would actually benefit from an additional bedroom or bathroom. One bedroom apartments are unlikely to have the available space or the pressing need to create a second bathroom. However, an additional bathroom would be a great use in a four bedroom, one bathroom home if the space allows.

Conversely, while adding another bedroom to a one or two bedroom property would almost certainly add value to the property if it’s placed in the right market, it’s unlikely to have as much of an impact to the overall property price if the home has four bedrooms or more. Choosing the right property to develop and which way to develop it can be a difficult task. Adding a bedroom or bathroom refurb can add as much as £40,000-£50,000 to a property value if you play your cards right. With sums as large as these it is imperative to get advice from a reputable architect to help you plan your property wisely.

Why Duke of Design are the best choice

At Duke of Design, we take each and every build and refurbishment as a unique, exciting project and manage it through from beginning to end. Here’s what we do in a nutshell:

We’ll start with an initial consultation where we’ll sit down together and discuss what you are hoping to achieve with your project.

From here we’ll complete an architectural survey of the existing property and prepare a draft design to meet your needs.

We’ll prepare and submit planning permission and begin a pre-application consultation with the local authority on your behalf. If neighbours need consulting, we’ll liaise with them to keep them informed throughout the process.

Closely monitor the planning permission process and communicate any changes with you along the way.

Apply for certification of lawfulness.

Liaise with other professionals as and when required.

Produce a works’ schedule for you which details all the necessary works and expected costings for the project.

If you have a home improvement or renovation project you’d like to get started with, get in touch with Duke of Design. Our team of specialist architects and interior designers will be happy to discuss bespoke solutions with you today.