Room Tour: A Full-width Extension Makes Room for Entertaining
A storage-packed kitchen with space to welcome a crowd round the table were must-haves for this Victorian terraced house
Sarah Warwick
24 January 2020
Houzz Contributor. I'm a freelance journalist and editor writing for nationals, magazines and websites. A serial house revamper, I love great design, beautiful interiors and practical solutions.
Houzz Contributor. I'm a freelance journalist and editor writing for nationals, magazines... More
The Victorians didn’t plan for kitchens to be the heart of our homes, but, in the 21st century, we don’t want them to be hidden-away work areas. For the owner of this London terrace, getting a spacious room that guests could share with her meant knocking down an old extension that didn’t make the grade, and starting over with a new side and rear addition.
Room at a Glance
Who lives here? A young professional woman
Location South-west London
Property A Victorian terraced house
Extension dimensions 8.9m deep x 1.8m wide along the side x 5.2m full width across the back
Designer James Bernard of Plus Rooms
Photos by Fine House Photography
The brief for the new room? “Plenty of units, a good-sized entertaining space – the owner has a 10-seater dining table – lots of light and plenty of aspects onto the garden,” designer James Bernard of Plus Rooms says.
Who lives here? A young professional woman
Location South-west London
Property A Victorian terraced house
Extension dimensions 8.9m deep x 1.8m wide along the side x 5.2m full width across the back
Designer James Bernard of Plus Rooms
Photos by Fine House Photography
The brief for the new room? “Plenty of units, a good-sized entertaining space – the owner has a 10-seater dining table – lots of light and plenty of aspects onto the garden,” designer James Bernard of Plus Rooms says.
The extension is a wraparound design, using the side return as well as the rear of the property. The period house had been extended around 30 years before, and the new addition was built to the same depth as its predecessor.
The house also had a first-floor roof terrace when James was called in, and the owner wanted to retain this feature. “It meant we had to have a flat section immediately outside the first floor back bedroom doors,” James says.
The house also had a first-floor roof terrace when James was called in, and the owner wanted to retain this feature. “It meant we had to have a flat section immediately outside the first floor back bedroom doors,” James says.
The design for the new extension shows how the first floor roof terrace was retained.
The extension into the home’s side return also had to be handled carefully. “We had a restriction from planning on how high the wall could be,” James says. “It dictated that we had to do a pitched roof.”
Allowing plenty of light into the side return was also crucial. “The owner didn’t want glass in the flat roof section, because she preferred not to walk on it,” James explains. This left the side return as the only place where light from above could be introduced into the room.
The rooflights in the side return are made from structural glass with structural silicone joints. “It keeps it much slicker and cleaner,” James says.
To maximise the light coming into the kitchen area, James designed angled boxing for the steelwork, which helps to direct the light further across the room.
To maximise the light coming into the kitchen area, James designed angled boxing for the steelwork, which helps to direct the light further across the room.
Extending a Victorian house brings up the issue of what to do with the back reception room. “Once a house is extended, the opening from the back reception to the kitchen creates a traffic path through what’s often the narrowest room,” James says.
Here, the problem was solved by not connecting the rear reception room and the new addition. However, a glazed opening was retained between the two spaces.
“You’re still getting natural light, but also allowing extra wall space for kitchen units, and there’s no traffic path through the kitchen,” James says.
To the right of the door from the hallway into the kitchen is the home’s relocated cloakroom, which is accessed from the hall. “It projects into the kitchen, but the tall larder units help it bed into the space,” James explains.
Here, the problem was solved by not connecting the rear reception room and the new addition. However, a glazed opening was retained between the two spaces.
“You’re still getting natural light, but also allowing extra wall space for kitchen units, and there’s no traffic path through the kitchen,” James says.
To the right of the door from the hallway into the kitchen is the home’s relocated cloakroom, which is accessed from the hall. “It projects into the kitchen, but the tall larder units help it bed into the space,” James explains.
The island separates the working area of the kitchen from the circulation route from the hall, but guests can still talk to anyone preparing food.
Downlights on the shelves wash the exposed brick of the wall attractively, as well as providing task lighting.
The homeowner chose the kitchen cabinetry, which is painted in a bold blue shade. Wooden surfaces soften the look, and the exposed brick wall adds a further textural element to the scheme.
Browse kitchen designers in your area using the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Browse kitchen designers in your area using the Houzz Professionals Directory.
The new extension has created space for the homeowner’s sizeable dining table, which is positioned at the garden end of the room.
The owner opted for bifold doors for the rear of the extension. “The sole preference was maximising the opening across the back,” James says.
The fact the outdoor space needed to accommodate the doors when they’re folded open wasn’t an issue. “The owner tends to place her outdoor furniture further into the garden because of the orientation of the sun,” he explains.
The fact the outdoor space needed to accommodate the doors when they’re folded open wasn’t an issue. “The owner tends to place her outdoor furniture further into the garden because of the orientation of the sun,” he explains.
The exterior of the house with the old extension and first floor terrace.
The new extension makes use of the full width of the garden without taking any further depth.
The extension’s brickwork was selected to match the existing house.
Tell us…
What do you like best about this wraparound extension? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you like best about this wraparound extension? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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Hi, love the extension! it's interesting to see a garden room not dwarfing the space given the garden's small size. Where is this from please?
Also please post how much it costed. It influence more people to go for such extension and plan their finance
Do you know what brand and type the bi-folding doors are? They are great!