The unexpected home renovations architects think you should make

More than half of UK homeowners renovated their property last year, according to the 2025 UK Houzz & Home Renovation Trends Report.

Most of this was, of course, things like loft conversions, new kitchens, improved plumbing or new electrics. Few people know about the more interesting alterations that can make a big difference to a home's style, originality, practicality and even value. But many architects are keen to share the innovative, clever ideas that will set a home apart.

Hannah Campbell is co-founder of South-East London architect practice Campbell & Cottrill and founder of Hannah Campbell Design. She is an interior designer with the unusual dual perspective of also being an architect who has worked on home transformations across the capital and South East.

She is happy to write an article detailing some of the more unexpected and counter-intuitive ways she thinks developers or homeowners can improve their properties. Things that can create tremendous personal touches.

This can include:

Lighting that reflects the time of day. Multi-purpose downlights have become very popular, but the light they provide can be a little bland. Divide your day and your house into distinct, ambient sections, with the likes of reading lights, wall lights for cosy evenings, and jolly ceramic lights for basements or relaxing spaces.
Framing rather than replacing windows, if budget is tight. Old PVC windows can be bulky and it's expensive to change them. Placing a plywood frame or painted timber frame around the internal perimeter makes them look slimmer, more stylish and forms a ledge to put things on.
Where space is tight, making rooms higher not wider. If you're in a terraced house or location where expanding outwards is difficult, adjust the level of your ceilings. This creates a tremendous sense of space.
Installing a good-quality glazed back door to create light into the back of your home, kitchen and provide a seamless view to the garden. This is often much quicker and less costly than making big structural alterations for double or larger doors. It also preserves character in older homes.
Clever cladding. The regulations around timber cladding have rightly become tighter, but zinc and corten steel – otherwise known as weathered steel – are excellent, more straightforward substitutes. Corten ages beautifully too.
Adding unexpected windows. Unusual designs and locations, such as a skylight at the top of a staircase or a high-level window in a side wall, add interest and throw light across rooms in ways you wouldn't get in other houses.
Caravan-style space-saving or multi use features. This can include the likes of table tennis tables that can be folded and clicked up to the wall but also double as the base of a bed or a dining table.
Homelifts are becoming more design-led and increasingly affordable. They are brilliant for families with young children or as part of upmarket home renovations, as well for people who may be experiencing reduced mobility.
Designing for your future needs. Don't install things like high cupboards or cross-headed taps that are much harder to use when you are carrying a baby, ger older or develop conditions such as arthritis. Consider shelving and storage in low-down, underused spaces, such as alcoves or under stairs.
Create specific laundry spaces. Clothes washing takes up so much of our daily lives, why not make the place you do if feel joyous, even if it's just a small cupboard?