Thinking about extending your home or transforming how it works for your family? Nicole Lane Architectural Design Studio turns your ideas into well-designed, planning-ready proposals — with honest advice on what’s achievable from day one.
“What can we actually do with the space we have?”and “How much is this going to cost?”
They’re the right questions — and they’re exactly where we start. Before we talk about drawings, planning permission, or anything else, we have an honest conversation about your budget, your goals, and what’s genuinely feasible for your home and your situation.
No vague promises. No designs that turn out to be unaffordable. Just clear, experienced advice from a designer who has worked on hundreds of residential projects and understands how to make the most of what you have
Single storey rear extensions, side returns, wrap-arounds, double storey additions — designed to maximise your space, add value, and work with your home’s character. We handle the full process from initial design concept through to planning approval and technical drawings for your builder.
Common projects: kitchen extensions, open-plan living spaces, garden rooms with planning permission, rear and side infill extensions.
If your home no longer works for how your family lives, a whole house refurbishment can transform it without the cost or disruption of moving. We redesign internal layouts, improve flow and light, and produce the full drawing package you need — from planning application (if required) through to building regulations.
Common projects: reconfiguring ground floor layouts, removing walls to open up space, updating and modernising older properties.
Every project is different, but most homeowner projects follow four clear stages. You’ll know what to expect, what’s included, and what things are likely to cost at every step.
We start with a conversation about your home, your brief, and your budget. We’ll tell you what we think is realistic — including whether you’ll need planning permission, what the likely timescales are, and how we’d approach your project. This is an honest, no-obligation discussion. We’d rather give you accurate information upfront than oversell what’s possible.
We develop design options that make the most of your home and your budget. This is where the thinking happens — how to maximise light, flow, and usable space within your planning constraints. You’ll see floor plans, layouts, and design ideas before any application is submitted. We refine these with you until the design feels right.
We prepare and submit your full planning application — site plans, floor plans, elevations, sections, and any supporting documents required by your local planning authority. We manage the submission and liaise with the planning officer on your behalf. For straightforward extensions that fall within permitted development rights, we can advise on this route instead, which is faster and avoids the formal application process.
Once planning is approved, we produce the full technical drawing package your builder needs to price the work and get on site. We can also coordinate your structural engineer, submit for building regulations approval, and help you get the right team in place for the build.
We work to fixed-stage fees agreed upfront, so there are no surprises. Before we start any stage of work, you’ll have a clear written proposal setting out exactly what’s included and what it costs. You only commit one stage at a time.
We don’t quote build costs — that’s your contractor’s job. But we can give you realistic ballpark guidance based on current market rates and the scope of your project, so you can make informed decisions before committing to anything. We’d rather you know the numbers early than be surprised later.
Based in Bury St Edmunds — working across East Anglia and beyond.
Nicole Lane Architectural Design Studio is based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and works with homeowners across a wide area of East Anglia. Distance is rarely a barrier — most of our work is done through a combination of site visits and remote collaboration.
Not sure if we cover your area? Get in touch — we’re happy to discuss your project wherever you’re based.
Not always. Many extensions fall within what’s known as permitted development rights, which means you can build without a formal planning application — as long as the work stays within certain size and design limits. Whether your project qualifies depends on the size and type of extension, your property type, whether it’s in a conservation area or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and whether previous extensions have already used up your permitted development allowance. We’ll confirm this for you at your initial consultation — it’s one of the first things we check.
A standard householder planning application — which covers most extensions and loft conversions — has a statutory determination period of 8 weeks from the date of validation by the local authority. In practice, this can extend to 10–12 weeks if the planning officer requests additional information or if the authority is working through a backlog. Before submitting, we’ll prepare and check all documents thoroughly to minimise the risk of delays.
Build costs vary significantly depending on size, specification, location, and the current market. As a general guide, a single storey rear extension in the East of England currently ranges from approximately £1,800 to £2,500 per square metre for a mid-range specification. A double storey extension will typically cost more per square metre due to the additional structural complexity. We’ll give you a realistic cost range based on your specific brief at your initial consultation — before you commit to any design work.
We work to fixed-stage fees agreed before any work begins, so you always know what you’re committing to. Fees depend on the scope and complexity of your project. As a guide, a straightforward single storey extension with a full planning application typically starts from around £2,000–£3,500 for the design and planning stage, with technical drawing packages from a similar range depending on the level of detail required. We’ll set out your fee clearly in writing before we start.
Planning permission is about whether you’re allowed to build something — it concerns the appearance, scale, and impact on the surrounding area. Building regulations are about how it’s built — covering structural safety, insulation, fire safety, drainage, and other technical standards. Both are usually required for an extension or significant refurbishment. Planning permission comes first. Once it’s granted, we produce the technical drawings needed to satisfy building regulations, which are checked by a building control inspector during and after the build.
You’re not legally required to use an architect or architectural designer for a home extension, and some builders do produce basic drawings. However, the quality and detail of those drawings directly affects the quality of what gets built — and a poorly drawn planning application is more likely to be refused or require amendments. A good designer will also add value through the design itself: better layout, more light, a more considered use of your space. Many homeowners find that investing in proper design upfront saves significantly more in build costs and avoided mistakes.
Whether you’re a homeowner with an idea, or a developer with a site — get in touch for a straightforward conversation about what’s possible. No obligation, no jargon.
📱: 07828953500
📍 Based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk · Working across the UK