McTernan Design

17/02/2026

Planning permission granted last week for a McTernan Design contemporary Dutch barn conversion in Solihull - reimagining a tired agricultural building into a new two-storey family home within Meriden, Solihull.

For our clients, we secured a replacement dwelling by carefully raising the existing roof by 1.8 metres, creating comfortable first-floor bedrooms that meet modern height expectations while respecting the barn’s original character. We also achieved approval for a master bedroom balcony - a bolder move than is usually accepted for barn conversions, which are often expected to remain visually understated.

Using our 3D visuals, we produced photorealistic external and internal views of the proposal to support the application and address the planning officer’s concerns about height, massing and rural character. These images helped everyone involved clearly understand how the raised roof, mezzanine and balcony would sit within the existing structure and wider setting before a single brick is laid.

Swipe through the images to see:
• The external 3D view of the new Dutch barn home.
• The light-filled mezzanine level overlooks the living space.
• The open plan kitchen at the heart of the house.
• A view from the first-floor landing.

If you are planning a barn conversion, self-build, replacement dwelling, or extension in Solihull, Birmingham, the West Midlands, the Cotswolds, or Warwickshire, our highly visual, collaborative design process can help you explore options in 3D, refine the design together, and react to the planning process with confidence.

Please send us a message here on Facebook, or share your ideas and postcode for an initial conversation about what may be possible on your site.

10/02/2026

Concept designs for a single-storey rear extension to a semi-detached family home in Solihull.

10/02/2026

Rear extension feasibility concepts for a single-storey extension in Solihull.

10/02/2026

A selection of projects we have recently been working on.

23/10/2025

23/10/2025

https://www.mcternandesign.co.uk/blog-updates/larger-home-extension-solihull-prior-approval-costs-42-day-timeline-and-how-to-get-it-right

Larger Home Extension prior approval in Solihull for 6m or 8m rear extensions. Fees, 42-day process, costs, risks, and local rules explained.

12/09/2025

This project on Widney Lane, B93 Solihull, is a great example of taking a house that was just fine and making it a home that feels exactly right.

Before, it was a plain rendered box, the understated relation on the street. The goal was to open it up and give it some real personality. So we designed a new front with a striking triple-height gable in the middle and a two-story gable extension to the right. The full-height glazing in the main gable lets so much light flood into the new entrance. We brought in some warmth with reclaimed brick slips and kept the lines sharp with those dark aluminium frames. It's a look that feels both classic and very modern at the same time.

Around the back, we added a gable box dormer, which gave the family two new bedrooms and an office. It’s a design that completely rethinks the house's layout to fit how they live every day.

Our process is all about making sure you can feel the space before you commit to building it. We start with 3D modelling to try out different ideas, and we offer live screen-share and VR walkthroughs so you can really get a sense of the light and views from every window.

If you’re in Solihull, Knowle, Dorridge, Balsall Common, or anywhere else in the West Midlands, and you're thinking about an extension or loft conversion, let’s have a chat. We can help you see your project before it comes to life. Send us a message or visit www.mcternandesign.co.uk to book a short call.

19/08/2025

What if you could design your extension standing in your actual garden, seeing exactly how it would look and feel, before anyone even thinks about drawings?

This Warwickshire family was planning a £140k double-height oak frame kitchen extension. Like most people, they found architectural drawings completely baffling. "We kept staring at these floor plans trying to imagine what it would actually be like, but honestly, we had no idea."

Sound familiar? 🏡
Here's what we did differently - and why it changes everything.
From the very first survey, we built their project in 3D. Not at the end as a pretty presentation, but as our design tool from day one. Every idea, every change, every "what if we tried this instead" - all tested in 3D immediately.

But here's the game-changer: we brought the model to their home.
Picture this - standing in their actual garden, tablet in hand, looking at their future extension exactly where it would be built, moving around their existing kitchen whilst seeing the new vaulted ceiling overhead on screen. Walking to where the new dining table would sit and experiencing the view of the garden.

"It was like magic - suddenly we could see what you were talking about. We weren't guessing anymore."

This isn't about having fancy technology. It's about speaking a language everyone understands. Most people can't translate architectural drawings into reality - and why should they have to?

While other practices design first, then show you what they've come up with, we design with you, in your space, from the start. See an idea you don't like? We change it there and then. Want to test a different window position? Move it and see how it looks immediately.

By the time this family's planning application went in, they weren't hoping the design would work - they'd been living with it (virtually) for months. They knew exactly how the morning light would hit the breakfast table, how the vaulted ceiling would feel when they looked up, how the new space would flow with their daily routine.
Result: No expensive surprises, no post-construction regrets, no "I wish we'd known that earlier" moments.

As far as I know, very few practices across Warwickshire, Solihull, or the Birmingham countryside fringe work this way. Most projects still rely on drawings, with the expectation that you can imagine the rest. A 3D model may be introduced late in the process or outsourced to a subcontractor for that phase of work.

But when you're investing £100k+, imagination isn't enough.

Whether you're in Henley-in-Arden, Bromsgrove, or anywhere across the Warwickshire countryside, wouldn't you rather design something special for your home together than guess what the drawings mean?

What part of the design process worries you most? Understanding what floor plans actually mean? Knowing if the proportions will feel right? Being confident you're making the right choices before it's too late to change them?

If you're exploring a high-value extension and want to design it properly - together, in your space, using tools you can actually understand - I'd love to show you how this approach works.

📞 [email protected] | 07955 572811
🌐 www.mcternandesign.co.uk

19/08/2025

You want to add modern space, but your house is listed. What now?

This Cotswolds family loved their thatched cottage, but it just wasn't working for how they live. They needed a guest space and a kitchen that actually connected to their garden. But they were terrified of ruining what made their home special.

"We need more space - but we don't want to ruin what we love."

The challenge wasn't just planning permission. Listed buildings in heritage settings like this require every detail - from mortar colour to roof lines - to earn its place. Get it wrong and you've damaged something irreplaceable.

Here's what we designed:
The garden annexe features a dry stone wall punctuated by floor-to-ceiling glazing that reflects the surrounding garden. The reflections actually help the building disappear into its setting.

Cotswold stone with limestone monitor joints on the opposite side references local materials but is executed with contemporary precision. The sedum roof satisfies planning officers concerned about visual impact whilst providing genuine ecological benefit.

The kitchen extension uses sliding glass doors to frame garden views, whilst a Cotswold stone feature wall blends with the landscaping. A central rooflight floods the space with consistent natural light throughout the day.

What the family told us: "We were worried the new bits would feel bolt-on. But walking through it now... it just feels like it's always been here."

That's exactly what we were aiming for.

Is it planning permission or the design itself that worries you more?

I find most people in the Cotswolds, Warwickshire, Birmingham, and Solihull focus on getting permission, but the real challenge is getting the design right so it feels like it belongs.

If you're thinking about a garden annexe near a listed home or a contemporary extension that works with character rather than against it, I'd love to hear what you're planning.

📞 [email protected] | 07955 572811
🌐 www.mcternandesign.co.uk

19/08/2025

Throwback Tuesday - This house isn't hidden — it reflects. Built in the Cotswolds Green Belt, this bespoke new home disappears by design.

Welcome to our Upside-Down House in the Cotswolds. This was a full replacement dwelling, designed and built on a sloped site surrounded by public rights-of-way — in protected Green Belt land.

The brief: create a modern home that vanishes into the landscape without sacrificing views or light.
Here's how we achieved it:
• Bedrooms nestled into the hillside, keeping the base low and hidden
• Living spaces cantilevered above, open to panoramic countryside views
• Large panes of mirrored glass that reflect the trees and changing sky
• Clad in Shou Sugi Ban charred timber for texture and weather resistance
• A natural pond sits in front, with wildflower meadows replacing formal gardens
• Inside, it's open-plan modern living with floor-to-ceiling views of the countryside
• No perimeter fencing — the house sits openly in the landscape

Building a new home in the Green Belt isn't straightforward — especially when public footpaths wrap it on three sides. We worked carefully with planners to show how the house would blend with the land and protect the views that walkers come here to enjoy. The mirrored glass was crucial to this — depending on the light, the house can almost disappear entirely.

What I've learned from projects like this: every constraint can become an opportunity if you're willing to think differently. The sloping site that seemed like a problem became the solution. The public footpaths that felt restrictive actually helped us design something more considerate.

The materials have weathered beautifully over the years. The charred timber has developed a natural patina, and the mirrored surfaces continue to change with the seasons — bare branches in winter, green canopy in summer.

We share this today not just as a throwback — but as an invitation. If you're dreaming of a bold, modern home on a rural plot — whether it's a replacement dwelling, new build, or landscape-led design — we'd love to hear about it.

This type of complex local policy and design work requires patience with planning processes, understanding of landscape impact, and willingness to design buildings that serve the site as much as the client.

Thinking of a new build in the Cotswolds, Warwickshire, Solihull or West Midlands? Let's talk about what's possible on your specific site.

📞 [email protected] | 07955 572811
🌐 www.mcternandesign.co.uk

18/08/2025

Ever wondered what it's like to walk through your future home before it's built?

Here's exactly what happens when clients try our VR walkthrough.
I connect my laptop to your TV, hand over the VR headset, and suddenly you're standing in your future space. Whether it's a new kitchen extension, a barn conversion, or a custom new house, you can explore every room whilst everyone else watches on the big screen.

It's not a fancy presentation - it's a design tool. You can walk from room to room, test ceiling heights in a loft conversion, understand how natural light works in an open-plan barn conversion, or experience the flow between levels in a new house design.

What clients tell me they love about it:

"I could actually feel how the space would work for our daily routine"

"We spotted circulation issues we'd never have seen on drawings"
"It gave us confidence to make decisions about layouts and finishes"

"We could test different options and understand the trade-offs"

"The whole family could be involved in the design process"

The best part? We can make changes in real-time. Don't like where something's positioned? We can move it, and you can walk through the updated version immediately.

As far as I know, we're one of the few practices in the West Midlands using VR this way - as part of the design process, not just at the end.

It works particularly well for:

🎯 Kitchen and rear extensions where layout matters and the important garden connections
🎯 Loft conversions where ceiling heights, storage and natural light are crucial
🎯 Barn conversions with complex spatial and structural arrangements
🎯 New house designs where you want to experience room relationships
🎯 Major residential developments where stakeholders need to understand proposals

📍 Planning a new house, conversion, or extension in Birmingham, Solihull, or the West Midlands? Happy to chat about whether a VR walkthrough would be useful for your project.

📞 [email protected] | 07955 572811
🌐 www.mcternandesign.co.uk