The home collection

Home Extension Design (second edition) and Taste: A cultural history of the home interior, are two of the books curated within the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) home inspiration collection.

Written by seasoned self-build advisor Julian Owen, Home Extension Design is full of practical tips and top level advice for those embarking on such a project, including walking you through all the stages from concept to completion. It’s really useful as a homeowner’s guide, touching on the watchpoints you need to be aware of.

Drew Plunkett’s Taste, meanwhile, is a very detailed and well researched guide into the origins of architectural and domestic styles.

However know that both guides are for Britain and aimed at that market so the regulations discussed are for England and Wales, for example.

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Written by Astrid Madsen

Astrid Madsen is the editor of the SelfBuild magazine. She previously held the same role in an Irish trade publication, before that she worked at the National Standards Authority of Ireland. She graduated with a BA in Urban Studies from Columbia University in New York and holds an MBA from the Instituto de Estudios Bursatiles in Madrid. France of origin, she now lives in Portarlington, County Laois, where she's taken on the task of renovating a listed building! Email astrid.madsen@selfbuild.ie

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