Kitchen Tour: A Simple Extension with Sustainability at its Heart
A carefully considered layout and informed choice of materials transform a 1970s house into a home fit for the future
Emma Hedges
4 February 2023
I'm a journalist and editor, specialising in architecture, design and interiors, with a particular interest in kitchens and bathrooms.
I'm a journalist and editor, specialising in architecture, design and interiors,... More
The owners of this 1970s end-of-terrace house first approached Tim O’Callaghan of nimtim Architects with the idea of reworking their living space some years back, but by the time they were ready to go ahead, their family had grown and the need for more space had become pressing. The existing kitchen, living and dining rooms were on the first floor, with a garage at ground floor level, which was proving far from ideal.
“They weren’t after anything super-flash, but wanted something robust and easy to use that could adapt with them over time,” Tim says.
The team created a side and rear extension and transformed the former garage to create a new kitchen, living and dining space for the family.
“They weren’t after anything super-flash, but wanted something robust and easy to use that could adapt with them over time,” Tim says.
The team created a side and rear extension and transformed the former garage to create a new kitchen, living and dining space for the family.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here? A professional couple with two young children
Location Honor Oak, south-east London
Property A 1970s end-of-terrace townhouse
Size Four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Designer Tim O’Callaghan of nimtim Architects
Photos by Megan Taylor
To create the right kitchen for the couple, along with a dining area, kids’ play zone and utility space, nimtim did plenty of group brainstorming with the owners.
“We did lots of scenario testing to make sure we understood what they wanted,” Tim says. “We talked about what a normal day might look like, but also thought about occasions such as Christmas, and we considered what might happen at different ages and stages, and how the house could adapt with them over time. All those moments add up to making sure you have an enjoyable life and a home that supports it.”
Who lives here? A professional couple with two young children
Location Honor Oak, south-east London
Property A 1970s end-of-terrace townhouse
Size Four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Designer Tim O’Callaghan of nimtim Architects
Photos by Megan Taylor
To create the right kitchen for the couple, along with a dining area, kids’ play zone and utility space, nimtim did plenty of group brainstorming with the owners.
“We did lots of scenario testing to make sure we understood what they wanted,” Tim says. “We talked about what a normal day might look like, but also thought about occasions such as Christmas, and we considered what might happen at different ages and stages, and how the house could adapt with them over time. All those moments add up to making sure you have an enjoyable life and a home that supports it.”
A priority for the couple when considering the future was ensuring the project was durable and built as sustainably as possible.
“One of the overriding principles was to minimise the amount of steel and concrete we used, so while there’s a steel frame holding up the existing house, the rear and side extensions just have a timber frame,” Tim says. “That way, we’ve kept the carbon footprint to a minimum.”
These before and after floorplans show how Tim enlarged and transformed the ground floor. The project was completed under Permitted Development.
Find reviewed architects and building designers in your area on Houzz.
“One of the overriding principles was to minimise the amount of steel and concrete we used, so while there’s a steel frame holding up the existing house, the rear and side extensions just have a timber frame,” Tim says. “That way, we’ve kept the carbon footprint to a minimum.”
These before and after floorplans show how Tim enlarged and transformed the ground floor. The project was completed under Permitted Development.
Find reviewed architects and building designers in your area on Houzz.
Tim had initially chosen a dark brick in a similar tone to the hanging tiles on the front of the house for the rear extension, but the local authority preferred the materials matched the existing building and the rest of the row of houses. So the team brainstormed ways to make the bricks look more interesting.
“Over the doors, we laid the bricks in a stack bond [one on top of the other] above a header bond [staggered by half a brick],” Tim says.
“That was to accentuate the new horizontal addition and tie the rear and side extensions together,” he continues. “That way, there’s this understanding that they belong together, and also that they were created at the same time.”
“That was to accentuate the new horizontal addition and tie the rear and side extensions together,” he continues. “That way, there’s this understanding that they belong together, and also that they were created at the same time.”
While researching the project, Tim discovered that the awkwardly shaped plot had once been a commercial orchard, which explained why the garden still had plenty of fruit trees in it. This became an influence when considering the interior, and creating a connection to the outside.
“We’ve had a long period where everyone’s been looking to have big glass doors onto the garden and that can be the right solution, but a lot of steelwork has to go into achieving that – and a lot of cost,” Tim says. “Here, we’ve still got old trees that blossom in spring and we wanted to celebrate that, so rather than using a big sliding door, we created narrower vertical openings. It was more about framing the views and carefully positioning them.”
Windows and doors, AJ&D Chapelhow.
“We’ve had a long period where everyone’s been looking to have big glass doors onto the garden and that can be the right solution, but a lot of steelwork has to go into achieving that – and a lot of cost,” Tim says. “Here, we’ve still got old trees that blossom in spring and we wanted to celebrate that, so rather than using a big sliding door, we created narrower vertical openings. It was more about framing the views and carefully positioning them.”
Windows and doors, AJ&D Chapelhow.
Tim also used the choice of flooring to reinforce the connection to the outside. “The floor is triangulated in different types of linoleum, and that was referencing the really nice shape of the garden,” he explains. (The patio is also formed of triangular sections – see the ‘after’ plan above for a clear sense of this.)
They chose three different colours – white plus pale and dark grey – and cut and pieced together the triangular shapes, which also acted as a counterpoint to the grid-like effect of the exposed timber. “There’s quite a rectilinear aesthetic in there with the vertical structure – this creates a different symmetry and a different feel,” Tim says.
Flooring, Forbo.
They chose three different colours – white plus pale and dark grey – and cut and pieced together the triangular shapes, which also acted as a counterpoint to the grid-like effect of the exposed timber. “There’s quite a rectilinear aesthetic in there with the vertical structure – this creates a different symmetry and a different feel,” Tim says.
Flooring, Forbo.
This more detailed plan not only shows the functionality of the newly created spaces, but also the unusual garden terrace shape.
Tim used some of the exposed timber structure to break up the space a little, so the play area is slightly screened off from the kitchen, but it’s still possible to see what the children are up to.
A island anchors the space and is complete with open storage on one side and cabinets and a dishwasher on the other.
Worktop and wall tiles, Dtile.
Worktop and wall tiles, Dtile.
A central sink was installed on the island with a special subbase for support.
The tiles are hardwearing and easy to clean, but the rounded corners and edge profiles soften the linear look, and also ensure the space is child-friendly.
The clean, grid effect created by the contrasting dark grout also echoes the timber frame structure, and helps to give an overall cohesive feel.
Tim chose off-the-shelf carcasses, then had some bespoke ply door fronts made to match the exposed wood elsewhere.
Kitchen carcasses, Howdens.
Kitchen carcasses, Howdens.
All the pale surfaces keep the space bright and maintain the overall feel of simplicity, while working together with the soft, warm tone of the wood. “There’s a lovely quality of light,” Tim says.
Two skylights supplement the daylight coming in from the doors and windows (you can see the locations, marked in red, on the detailed ‘after’ plan, above).
Referring to the one in the side extension, Tim says, “That’s effective when it comes to bringing light into the middle of the plan, as it’s quite far from the rear windows.”
Referring to the one in the side extension, Tim says, “That’s effective when it comes to bringing light into the middle of the plan, as it’s quite far from the rear windows.”
As well as letting in light, the different openings help to keep the temperature inside constant. “An issue with having big sliding glass doors and much hotter summers is that people struggle with how hot it gets inside,” Tim says.
“The whole extension is built to a high quality and insulated, so the thermal performance of the house has been improved by a significant amount,” he adds.
The ground floor now also has underfloor heating, which works well in insulated homes with air source heat pump technology, should the owners – or any future owners – ever wish to install it.
More: How Can I Renovate My Kitchen Sustainably?
“The whole extension is built to a high quality and insulated, so the thermal performance of the house has been improved by a significant amount,” he adds.
The ground floor now also has underfloor heating, which works well in insulated homes with air source heat pump technology, should the owners – or any future owners – ever wish to install it.
More: How Can I Renovate My Kitchen Sustainably?
An added bonus of all the timber is that, although the space is broadly open-plan, the wood absorbs sound. “Having timbers like this creates a nice acoustic quality, because you haven’t got all these flat surfaces bouncing the sound around – it has a cosy feel,” Tim says.
For the family, bringing the kitchen and living areas onto the ground floor level and reworking them in this way has improved life immeasurably.
“It works really well as a space to prepare meals while the children play, and they can all sit down and eat together. Plus they’re close to the garden. It’s made it more pleasurable and practical on a day-to-day basis,” Tim says.
“It works really well as a space to prepare meals while the children play, and they can all sit down and eat together. Plus they’re close to the garden. It’s made it more pleasurable and practical on a day-to-day basis,” Tim says.
So what’s his favourite part? “It’s when you stand in the kitchen and look out to the garden – you might catch a glimpse of the blossom on the trees in the spring or fruits in the autumn.” he says. “I just think that’s a really nice moment.”
Tell us…
What is your favourite detail about this eco-friendly, modern kitchen? Let us know in the Comments.
Tell us…
What is your favourite detail about this eco-friendly, modern kitchen? Let us know in the Comments.
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I like all of it - very scandi looking. I love the flooring especially. The open stud walls are very handy for shelving- which is quite practical. I imagine the underfloor heating is lovely when barefoot.
So glad to see real linoleum flooring being featured several times recently in these Houzz kitchen stories. Our kitchen's lino is 20 years old, with underfloor heating, and the cat loves it as well as us! The floor's really easy to clean (we have it in sheet form, which has to be professionally fitted), durable, and feels nice (not hard) underfoot.
Lino is mid-price, but i'd definitely go for it again.
I like the flooring and I love the rounded edges of the sink.