Room Tour: A Broken-plan Extension with a Hideaway Home Office
A rear addition gave one family a generous living area together with a work space that can be concealed out of hours
Creating family living space with a great garden connection is a reason many of us extend, but for the owners of this four-bed semi, taking a home office out of a bedroom was an equally important aspect of their home improvement.
“Bringing it downstairs and making it more accessible while keeping it private was the brief,” says architect James Thompson, who designed the new addition along with Andy Parsons of Yelo Architects. Their solution? Folding doors that can separate work and living areas or be left open to maximise the space.
“Bringing it downstairs and making it more accessible while keeping it private was the brief,” says architect James Thompson, who designed the new addition along with Andy Parsons of Yelo Architects. Their solution? Folding doors that can separate work and living areas or be left open to maximise the space.
The extension has two large skylights that funnel in light. “They’re deeply recessed, so you almost see the timber ceiling as a flush roof,” says James.
The architects used oak to clad the ceiling, as the homeowners liked the idea of timber textures. “They wanted an underside to the extension to differentiate it from the existing kitchen and make it new,” says James. The floor is engineered oak, selected for its hard-wearing qualities.
How to choose the right engineered wood flooring
The architects used oak to clad the ceiling, as the homeowners liked the idea of timber textures. “They wanted an underside to the extension to differentiate it from the existing kitchen and make it new,” says James. The floor is engineered oak, selected for its hard-wearing qualities.
How to choose the right engineered wood flooring
The new home office is to one side of the extension. “It’s a tangible space that allows for an open-plan layout, but can be closed off for private work,” says James.
The office ceiling is painted rather than timber-clad like the living area, distinguishing the separate zones.
Interior bifold doors divide one area from the other. They fold all the way back to the wall when open living is required.
The office ceiling is painted rather than timber-clad like the living area, distinguishing the separate zones.
Interior bifold doors divide one area from the other. They fold all the way back to the wall when open living is required.
Here, the office doors are closed, separating it from the seating area.
Read more about the trend for broken-plan living spaces
Read more about the trend for broken-plan living spaces
To the left of the desk is recessed wall-hung shelving that’s finished in grey Formica; it’s made of marine ply to link with the kitchen units. The storage to the right is also mounted above the floor, contributing to the spacious, modern look of the new extension.
The yellow window recess is a fun homage to the architectural practice’s name – Yelo – and makes a feature of the window. The new glazing has a powder-coated aluminium frame in a grey shade for a contemporary look.
Steps leading up from the living area to the kitchen mark the position of the original rear wall of the house. “The garden level was 400mm lower than the finished floor of the existing house,” says James. The level change separates the spaces neatly. “It worked in our favour,” he adds.
The architects recommended wall-hung units here, too, as they leave more of the floor on show for a spacious effect.
The architects recommended wall-hung units here, too, as they leave more of the floor on show for a spacious effect.
Partially glazed pocket doors divide the living space in the new addition from the kitchen in the original house, allowing them to be concealed from each other or the space to be fully opened up as desired.
More sliding pocket door ideas
More sliding pocket door ideas
The doors to the kitchen have recessed handholds. “Throughout the extension, all the doors have hidden handles to make things contemporary and avoid a utilitarian look,” says James.
The kitchen was relocated from a different part of the house, so it now has views to the garden and benefits from the light introduced via the sliding doors. It’s in the corner of an L formed by the living space on one arm and the dining room on the other, so it also makes taking food to either area convenient.
The architects specified the kitchen layout and a joiner built the units from marine ply. Formica was used on the door and drawer fronts to introduce modern blocks of colour. Grey links the cabinetry to the windows, while the yellow unit and blue splashback add bright accents to the otherwise muted colour scheme.
The architects specified the kitchen layout and a joiner built the units from marine ply. Formica was used on the door and drawer fronts to introduce modern blocks of colour. Grey links the cabinetry to the windows, while the yellow unit and blue splashback add bright accents to the otherwise muted colour scheme.
The dining area is now in the spot where the kitchen used to be. A new door leads out to the side of the property. “We didn’t want access to the bins through the new extension,” says James.
The architects wanted a patio area to act as a transition from the extension to the garden, as well as providing a place for dining and seating. In grey slate, it complements the windows. A wall was constructed to one side to act as an enclosure. “The original house is finished in a blue render, so we chose a creamy render here,” says James. This extension finish was continued on the new wall.
Zinc coping was used around the windows. “The owners wanted something modern that contrasted with the render,” says James. “It bulks out the frame and makes a defined edge.”
Tell us…
What do you think of this home office and living space combination? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Zinc coping was used around the windows. “The owners wanted something modern that contrasted with the render,” says James. “It bulks out the frame and makes a defined edge.”
Tell us…
What do you think of this home office and living space combination? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here A couple with two children
Location Hove, East Sussex
Property A semi-detached, early 20th century house with four bedrooms
Room dimensions About 25 sq m
Architects Andy Parsons and James Thompson of Yelo Architects
Photos by James Thompson
“There’s another living space at the front of the house,” says James, “but the extension was for the family to share and it was to be more of an entertaining space.”
The new addition is open to the garden through sliding doors. “We could get a slimmer frame and more glazing than with bifolds to provide good views to the garden,” he adds.