Our clients challenged us with the task of connecting the existing ground floor to the 1.2m dropped rear garden through the addition of a new extension, bringing as much light and height as possible into the new spaces. An existing leaky PVC conservatory was demolished to make way for a series of new interior levels, allowing a gradual, controlled descent into the garden through distinct yet connected kitchen, dining, and outdoor terrace zones. In lowering ground floor levels significantly, this created dramatically increased ceiling heights and generous internal volume.

Differing neighbouring extension designs on either side of the property prompted a wraparound extension solution ’kinked’ in both plan and section, generating a triangular form that with the introduction of various glazing interventions met the clients brief for height, light and volume. Four feature windows control views out and natural light in. A clerestory illuminates the heart of the space, trapezoidal apertures form a cosy window seat overlooking the garden and view onto the central courtyard, and a deep-framed triangular roof-light controls privacy above to the neighbouring property with a dramatic ocular window to the sky.

In keeping with the brief, the interiors of the extension are textural and warm in muted copper and duck egg tones. The ceilings’ structural soffit of Douglas Fir brings warmth, texture and a sense of crafted beauty to the space, and is offset by monolithic large format light grey tiles to the floor that continue out to the patio, blurring the lines between inside and out. At eye level, a seamless pale pink microcement acts as a wall finish and backsplash, accompanied by Douglas Fir wall to wall floating timber shelves that line the length of the kitchen and accentuate the generous dimensions of the room.

Ikea kitchen cabinetry was customised with light duck egg doors and drawers, allowing the clients extra breathing room to focus their finances on particular materials, including the custom copper-topped birch ply kitchen island at the centre of the room. Copper finishes are echoed in the sink, tap and utensil hanging rails, balanced by a grey powder-coated aluminium framed dining table, custom designed by Proctor and Shaw. The challenges of a difficult site were overcome with a bold and innovative extension concept and then delivered to create a refreshing and ultimately beautiful modern addition to this period property.

The exposed Douglas fir structural soffit brings overall warmth and textural interest. Crafted with concealed timber to timber connections, solid sections are also paired with a matching veneer faced plywood soffit deck for structural strength and overall economy, whilst retaining seamless materiality. The design carefully manipulates the expression of kitchen cabinetry as ‘furniture within a living space’, rather than a conventional approach to kitchen fit-out, which creates a sense of calmness and domestic sophistication to the new room.

The palette of materials has been carefully constructed to enhance the overall calming qualities of the space and introduce richness and texture without compromising on functionality. Bold ‘solids’ of colour cabinetry act as counterpoints to the four-quarter glass apertures. A seamless backsplash wall finished in a soft pink microcement calms the space, and carved within it is a cosy cocoon-like window seat lined with Douglas fir overlooking the garden. Elegant above counter shelves span wall to wall in matching Douglas fir providing the opportunity for open storage and lighting, bringing character and personality.

Microcement finishes continue outside, this time in a warm grey to match the robust large format ceramic tile floor. At the heart of the new kitchen dining space sits a copper-topped island elevated on lye washed birch plywood stilts allowing floor finishes to run under, its subtly lustrous surface reflecting warm pink tones of the walls and timber ceiling above. Copper finishes are echoed in the sink, tap and utensil hanging rails. Alongside the island, a soft grey powder-coated aluminium framed custom dining table with camomile pink laminated birch plywood top compliment the interior tones.

Overall economy was achieved by combining standardised off the shelf kitchen cabinetry with off the shelf colour cabinet front sized to match.