Kitchen Tour: An Old Extension is Tweaked for its New Owners
An architectural intervention transformed this kitchen, as the layout wasn’t working for the family who inherited it
The owners of this kitchen extension, which was designed before they bought the house, had lived with it for more than three years before approaching architect Ian Troake of Troake and Rowsell. The layout wasn’t working for them and they found it dark and impractical to use, particularly as they had to walk through the cooking zone to access the garden.
“We didn’t want to alter the shell, but we thought the kitchen was on the wrong side of the room,” Ian says, adding that as well as the garden access issue, it wasn’t benefiting from the natural light from the existing rooflights. Floor-to-ceiling windows along one wall also reduced storage opportunities. Ian flipped the layout, enlarged the rooflights under which the new kitchen would sit, and altered the tall windows to give the owners more useable wall space.
“We didn’t want to alter the shell, but we thought the kitchen was on the wrong side of the room,” Ian says, adding that as well as the garden access issue, it wasn’t benefiting from the natural light from the existing rooflights. Floor-to-ceiling windows along one wall also reduced storage opportunities. Ian flipped the layout, enlarged the rooflights under which the new kitchen would sit, and altered the tall windows to give the owners more useable wall space.
Previously, the cooking zone was on the left, darker side of the room; this area was also the most direct route to the garden.
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The kitchen didn’t benefit from the daylight coming in from the rooflights, which were on the other side of the island. Tall windows added additional light, but made the wall difficult to use.
“By flipping the kitchen to the other side, the working area is more secluded and you have a route through the house to the garden,” Ian explains.
Another simple change involved the support steels. “There was really thick boxing around these,” Ian says. “We suggested stripping that away and just painting the exposed steelwork.” This small change adds to the increased sense of space in the new kitchen.
Pale, marble-effect sintered stone worktops in place of the glossy black ones also help to lighten the look of the room.
The shallow storage on the left includes a large double larder for dry food, a cupboard and a wine rack. The clever white shelving is fitted with sliding panels, so the owners can expose or conceal different sections as storage needs shift.
Neolith worktops in Calacatta, bought locally.
Another simple change involved the support steels. “There was really thick boxing around these,” Ian says. “We suggested stripping that away and just painting the exposed steelwork.” This small change adds to the increased sense of space in the new kitchen.
Pale, marble-effect sintered stone worktops in place of the glossy black ones also help to lighten the look of the room.
The shallow storage on the left includes a large double larder for dry food, a cupboard and a wine rack. The clever white shelving is fitted with sliding panels, so the owners can expose or conceal different sections as storage needs shift.
Neolith worktops in Calacatta, bought locally.
The revamped opening features new doors with a slimmer profile and in a contemporary anthracite grey.
An induction hob is fitted into the island, along with an integrated ducted-out downdraft extractor. There are also cupboards, deep drawers and seating spots for three, as well as open storage at the far end for ornaments or cookbooks. “This breaks up the bulk of the island so as not to make it look massive,” Ian says.
Pendants provide the main kitchen lighting. “We find less is more and try not to put spotlights everywhere, using pendants and wall lights wherever possible to avoid a space being overlit,” he says.
Ian replaced the rooflight windows with a larger opening that now floods the busiest part of the kitchen with light.
Unika pendant light, Northern.
An induction hob is fitted into the island, along with an integrated ducted-out downdraft extractor. There are also cupboards, deep drawers and seating spots for three, as well as open storage at the far end for ornaments or cookbooks. “This breaks up the bulk of the island so as not to make it look massive,” Ian says.
Pendants provide the main kitchen lighting. “We find less is more and try not to put spotlights everywhere, using pendants and wall lights wherever possible to avoid a space being overlit,” he says.
Ian replaced the rooflight windows with a larger opening that now floods the busiest part of the kitchen with light.
Unika pendant light, Northern.
Gone, too, are the tall, vertical windows, replaced with a smaller, horizontal design high above the main sink.
“We put in an opening horizontal picture window for more ventilation and views of the garden,” Ian says. “Because it’s higher up, it makes the wall useable.”
The owners were keen to have a large, freestanding fridge-freezer. “We decided to keep this away from the windows and put it within the tall cupboards to stop it feeling imposing,” Ian says.
The left-hand tall cabinet contains a double oven plus cupboards and drawers. There are more drawers next to these cupboards in the base unit run.
Chevron splashback tiles, Domus.
“We put in an opening horizontal picture window for more ventilation and views of the garden,” Ian says. “Because it’s higher up, it makes the wall useable.”
The owners were keen to have a large, freestanding fridge-freezer. “We decided to keep this away from the windows and put it within the tall cupboards to stop it feeling imposing,” Ian says.
The left-hand tall cabinet contains a double oven plus cupboards and drawers. There are more drawers next to these cupboards in the base unit run.
Chevron splashback tiles, Domus.
Sockets and tapware are in cool-toned stainless-steel, while an oak floating shelf adds a strip of warmth.
The painted side of the kitchen also has stainless-steel handles where needed, while the oak veneer side has cut-outs.
The painted side of the kitchen also has stainless-steel handles where needed, while the oak veneer side has cut-outs.
Ian says the owners wanted somewhere to sit and read by the garden, as well as a spot where guests could chat to whoever was cooking. This bench seat with drawer storage does the job.
The seating area is topped with a fitted mirror. “The mirror plays a part in making the space feel bigger and it’s nice to have this down at the garden end, where it helps to reflect some of the light from the doors and rooflights into the space,” Ian says.
Two large radiators plus underfloor heating keep the room warm.
Radiator with hanging rail, Bisque.
The seating area is topped with a fitted mirror. “The mirror plays a part in making the space feel bigger and it’s nice to have this down at the garden end, where it helps to reflect some of the light from the doors and rooflights into the space,” Ian says.
Two large radiators plus underfloor heating keep the room warm.
Radiator with hanging rail, Bisque.
Opposite the bench seating there’s a second sink for dealing with garden and dog things, along with more storage.
Up at the other end of the room, away from the garden, is the dining area. This is in its original location, but now has fitted storage to link it into the rest of the kitchen.
The owners already had the table, but two oak benches were added, which tie in with the oak veneer sideboard, seen here and designed by Ian. “It has two sliding doors, with drawers above for plates and so on,” he says.
Walls, ceiling and visible cabinet frames all painted in Wevet, Farrow & Ball.
The owners already had the table, but two oak benches were added, which tie in with the oak veneer sideboard, seen here and designed by Ian. “It has two sliding doors, with drawers above for plates and so on,” he says.
Walls, ceiling and visible cabinet frames all painted in Wevet, Farrow & Ball.
Behind some of the cupboard doors, Ian designed in oak-toned drawers. “It’s like a Paul Smith coat – plain on the outside and rich on the inside,” he says.
The pantry interior is also rather lovely. Hidden behind a packet on the third shelf down is a handy double socket.
The kitchen plans from above show how the proportions work together beautifully.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite new detail in this reworked kitchen extension? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite new detail in this reworked kitchen extension? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A couple with two small children and a dog
Location Greenwich, south-east London
Property A post-war infill house with five bedrooms
Room dimensions 8.5m x 4m
Architect Ian Troake of Troake and Rowsell Architects
This bright, clean-lined room contains masses of storage, a sociable island, lots of worktop space, two sinks and a clear route to the garden away from the cooking zone.
The kitchen is an off-the-shelf model to keep costs down, but the fronts – a mix of painted solid oak panels and MDF clad in oak veneer – were cut to order.
Kitchen carcasses, Howdens. Cabinets painted in Swedish Blue No 57, Designers Guild. Ramon Buff porcelain floor tiles, Mandarin Stone.