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My Room: An Extension Gives a Period Home a Relaxed Family Space
Building out at the back of this Victorian house created a ground-floor kitchen-diner and living space to suit all ages
With two children under 10, a space the whole family could occupy together was at the top of interior designer Brooke Copp-Barton’s agenda. “I wanted the kitchen to be the heart of the home,” she says. That equalled a room where she, husband Joel, and Eleanor and Seb could watch TV together and the kids could play, as well as it being a space for cooking and dining.
So it was goodbye to the old, cramped kitchen and small lean-to at the back of the Victorian terrace, and hello to a light-filled new extension with easy access to the existing reception rooms and the garden.
So it was goodbye to the old, cramped kitchen and small lean-to at the back of the Victorian terrace, and hello to a light-filled new extension with easy access to the existing reception rooms and the garden.
Brooke gave the new space a monochrome base and used industrial elements, such as a concrete floor and vintage metal and wood furniture, to make the kitchen modern and functional for the whole family. There are contrasting touches, though. “It was important to warm it with reds and soften the hard edges,” she says.
Dining table; dining chairs, Quirky Interiors. Pendant light, Cream and Chrome.
Dining table; dining chairs, Quirky Interiors. Pendant light, Cream and Chrome.
Brooke designed the room’s shelving unit – which introduces display space as well as practical storage – and had a joiner make it up. “I didn’t want it to be uniform,” she says. “I like the randomness. The irregularity breaks up the space.”
The family TV area is in this part of the room, with a rug adding texture and warmth underfoot. The sofa is upholstered in soft velvet. “It may seem sumptuous, but it’s practical and easy to clean,” Brooke says.
Sofa, Sofa Workshop.
The family TV area is in this part of the room, with a rug adding texture and warmth underfoot. The sofa is upholstered in soft velvet. “It may seem sumptuous, but it’s practical and easy to clean,” Brooke says.
Sofa, Sofa Workshop.
The children usually have their meals at the breakfast bar, at which Brooke has positioned vintage stools.
The work surface is made from stainless steel, with Brooke taking her cue from professional kitchens. “It’s very practical – you can put anything on it and nothing stains,” she says. The material also complements the other industrial touches in the room.
A space-efficient pocket door featuring Banksy’s “Laugh now, but one day we’ll be in charge” design leads from the cooking area to the front of the house.
Pendant lights; bar stools, The Old Cinema.
The work surface is made from stainless steel, with Brooke taking her cue from professional kitchens. “It’s very practical – you can put anything on it and nothing stains,” she says. The material also complements the other industrial touches in the room.
A space-efficient pocket door featuring Banksy’s “Laugh now, but one day we’ll be in charge” design leads from the cooking area to the front of the house.
Pendant lights; bar stools, The Old Cinema.
The kitchen cabinetry is Brooke’s own design, made by her builder and painted in a soft black shade to fit with the room’s monochrome palette.
Kitchen cabinetry painted in Off-Black, Farrow & Ball.
Kitchen cabinetry painted in Off-Black, Farrow & Ball.
A tiled splashback is another softening element in the room. “I like the artisan feel of encaustic tiles mixing with the industrial materials,” Brooke says. “It makes it more personal.”
Asquith tiles, Bert & May.
Asquith tiles, Bert & May.
Open shelving made from stained oak was fitted on either side of the range cooker. “I like having favourite things on display and I can grab plates without having to open a door – it’s very practical,” Brooke says.
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Find professionals to bring your project to life in the Houzz Directory.
The original rear reception room of the Victorian house has views through the kitchen-dining-living space and into the garden beyond. In contrast to the plain walls of the kitchen, a patterned wallpaper has been hung in here. “Moving through the house, there’s more colour and texture,” Brooke says.
Lotus wallpaper, Galbraith & Paul.
Lotus wallpaper, Galbraith & Paul.
The rear reception room is Brooke’s workspace. Shelving was built into the alcoves and the fireplace is used for additional storage. An old family chair provides a spot for reading, and the soft furnishings are tactile and warming.
On the opposite side of the room is Brooke’s desk. A vintage haberdashery unit alongside provides more storage. “I love the imperfection of vintage and antique furniture, and the idea that it’s living another life in another home,” Brooke says. “It makes for a warmer environment.”
On the other side of the desk is a magnetic plaster wall where Brooke can develop moodboards.
Desk chair, Vinterior. Haberdashery shop unit, Retrouvius.
On the other side of the desk is a magnetic plaster wall where Brooke can develop moodboards.
Desk chair, Vinterior. Haberdashery shop unit, Retrouvius.
Beyond the office is the front reception room, designed to be a cosy, relaxing haven. “It’s a more sophisticated, more adult space,” Brooke says.
The walls have been painted in a teal shade. “I wanted to do something different, but I had to persuade my husband to go darker,” Brooke says. “When he saw it, he loved it.”
Once again, a mixture of old and new gives the room its welcoming ambience. The flooring is original and had been hidden under carpet before the family moved in, while the pendant light is a vintage design Brooke found many years ago.
The rug was Joel’s, and Brooke found and re-covered the two armchairs in the bay. The chest of drawers in the corner is a vintage buy, too, while the sofa is new.
Walls painted in Vardo, Farrow & Ball. Sofa, Sofa Workshop. Armchairs, Vinterior.
See 9 gorgeous living rooms with dark walls.
The walls have been painted in a teal shade. “I wanted to do something different, but I had to persuade my husband to go darker,” Brooke says. “When he saw it, he loved it.”
Once again, a mixture of old and new gives the room its welcoming ambience. The flooring is original and had been hidden under carpet before the family moved in, while the pendant light is a vintage design Brooke found many years ago.
The rug was Joel’s, and Brooke found and re-covered the two armchairs in the bay. The chest of drawers in the corner is a vintage buy, too, while the sofa is new.
Walls painted in Vardo, Farrow & Ball. Sofa, Sofa Workshop. Armchairs, Vinterior.
See 9 gorgeous living rooms with dark walls.
Brooke sourced a midcentury cabinet on which to sit the TV. “I wanted to blend it in. The dark walls help, but by putting it on something visually beautiful, the eye isn’t drawn to the screen.”
Cabinet, Vinterior. Mirror, The Old Cinema.
Cabinet, Vinterior. Mirror, The Old Cinema.
Reclaimed ceiling tiles that Brooke found some time ago decorate the wall behind the sofa. “I like to mix it up a bit in terms of what goes on the walls,” she says. “I wanted to change the texture and bring in something a bit more unusual.”
Otto table lamp, Pooky; with lampshade, Samarkand Design.
Tell us…
What do you like about this open-plan layout? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Otto table lamp, Pooky; with lampshade, Samarkand Design.
Tell us…
What do you like about this open-plan layout? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? Brooke and Joel Copp-Barton with children Eleanor and Seb, plus cats Charcoal and Giggsy
Location Chiswick, west London
Property A Victorian terraced house with four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Room dimensions Around 25 sq m
Interior designer Brooke Copp-Barton of Home Interior Design
Photos by Megan Taylor
The house is at the end of the terrace, so the extension made use of the alleyway at the side as well as the side return, but didn’t take up any of the garden.
Maximising daylight was important and the new room has rooflights as well as sliding doors to the patio. “The light’s amazing,” Brooke says.