Room Tour: A Light-filled Extension Boosts Open-plan Living
A bright addition has given this 1950s house a practical, sociable space with an uplifting connection to the garden
The original layout of architect Denise O’Connor’s home made socialising with friends and being together as a family quite tricky. The solution? A roomy rear extension with space for an open-plan living area and utility room, and a glazed back wall that gives the interior a beautiful connection to the garden.
To gain more space, Denise designed a 42 sq m rear extension. The ground floor is now large enough for a spacious kitchen, dining room and living area, plus a utility room.
Find a local architect or building designer to help with your renovation project.
Find a local architect or building designer to help with your renovation project.
The dining area is located right next to the garden, with plenty of space around it to extend the table. “We planned the garden and the extension at the same time to make sure the level from inside to outside was seamless,” Denise says.
“The flooring was probably one of the hardest decisions,” she says. “I wanted a practical finish that was hardwearing and worked in all areas of the open-plan space. I’m delighted with the tiles we picked – it was worth spending time to make the right choice.”
Floor tiles, TileStyle. Dining table and chairs, BoConcept. Pendant light, Lambert & Fils. Walls painted in Subtle Cinder, Denise O’Connor’s Signature Collection for Dulux.
Find the best ways to link your indoor and outdoor spaces.
“The flooring was probably one of the hardest decisions,” she says. “I wanted a practical finish that was hardwearing and worked in all areas of the open-plan space. I’m delighted with the tiles we picked – it was worth spending time to make the right choice.”
Floor tiles, TileStyle. Dining table and chairs, BoConcept. Pendant light, Lambert & Fils. Walls painted in Subtle Cinder, Denise O’Connor’s Signature Collection for Dulux.
Find the best ways to link your indoor and outdoor spaces.
“I wanted to be able to open up the back of the house as much as possible in the warmer months, so we went for a corner section,” Denise says. “It works really well, especially when we’re entertaining.”
The glazing has a slimline aluminium frame, which provides an almost uninterrupted view of the garden.
Discover more corner extensions to inspire your home design plans.
The glazing has a slimline aluminium frame, which provides an almost uninterrupted view of the garden.
Discover more corner extensions to inspire your home design plans.
A self-cleaning rooflight brings in extra illumination. “We’d planned to have another one above the kitchen, but I decided to take it out,” Denise says. “I’m delighted I did, as I feel it would have been too bright and would have detracted from the impact the central rooflight makes.”
Denise designed the kitchen herself and asked her joiner to make the cabinetry. A large, gloss white island sits in front of a wall of storage and, as the sink and hob are both on the worktop behind, the surface is completely clear.
The aim was to keep the space as free from clutter as possible, so Denise designed a cupboard for all the worktop appliances, such as the toaster and coffee machine, with doors that slide back into the unit. She also went for a boiling-water tap, so there’s no need for a kettle.
“We incorporated plenty of drawers in the kitchen, rather than cupboards,” she says. “It’s easier to access stuff in a drawer, which encourages the kids to find things and put them away.”
Behind the worktop is a low window, which was installed for both practical and aesthetic reasons. “The window provides ventilation and improved extraction without having to open the doors,” Denise explains.
The pendants over the island are discreet enough that they don’t block the light.
Worktop, Egan Stone. Bar stools, BoConcept.
The aim was to keep the space as free from clutter as possible, so Denise designed a cupboard for all the worktop appliances, such as the toaster and coffee machine, with doors that slide back into the unit. She also went for a boiling-water tap, so there’s no need for a kettle.
“We incorporated plenty of drawers in the kitchen, rather than cupboards,” she says. “It’s easier to access stuff in a drawer, which encourages the kids to find things and put them away.”
Behind the worktop is a low window, which was installed for both practical and aesthetic reasons. “The window provides ventilation and improved extraction without having to open the doors,” Denise explains.
The pendants over the island are discreet enough that they don’t block the light.
Worktop, Egan Stone. Bar stools, BoConcept.
By putting the seating area further back inside the open-plan room, Denise gave the space a cosy feel. The sofa looks out to the garden and is surrounded by practical cabinets.
To make room for storage, Denise opted for underfloor heating rather than wall radiators. “Planning the storage was important,” she says. “It means that, even though the room’s open-plan, it’s incredibly easy to keep tidy.”
Sofa and side tables, BoConcept.
Tell us…
What do you like about this bright, open-plan space? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
To make room for storage, Denise opted for underfloor heating rather than wall radiators. “Planning the storage was important,” she says. “It means that, even though the room’s open-plan, it’s incredibly easy to keep tidy.”
Sofa and side tables, BoConcept.
Tell us…
What do you like about this bright, open-plan space? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? Architect Denise O’Connor with her husband and two children
Location Dublin, Ireland
Property A 1950s house
Room dimensions 42 sq m
Architect Denise O’Connor of Optimise Design
Photos by Ruth Maria Murphy and Donal Murphy
Having space to cook together and entertain is at the top of many homeowners’ wish lists, and that was no different for architect Denise O’Connor and her family.
“We love to cook together, but there wasn’t enough worktop space in our previous kitchen for more than two at a time,” she says. “Also, the limited dining space made it difficult to eat together as a family and entertain friends.”