Room Tour: A Modern Extension Shows Off the Magic of Raw Concrete
This warm addition to an Arts and Crafts house demonstrates why concrete can be anything but cold
Concrete probably isn’t the first material that springs to mind when you think of an extension on a period property – perhaps even less so when that home is an Arts and Crafts original, dating back to circa 1910. But this modern addition to a south London house shows how beautifully concrete can work in a residential home.
The elegant, light-filled design uses concrete on both the exterior and interior to stunning effect – the vision of architect Micah Sarut, managing director of Inter Urban Studios. “Concrete is far more versatile than many people realise,” he says. “That’s the beauty of this material.”
The elegant, light-filled design uses concrete on both the exterior and interior to stunning effect – the vision of architect Micah Sarut, managing director of Inter Urban Studios. “Concrete is far more versatile than many people realise,” he says. “That’s the beauty of this material.”
The house was completely unmodernised when Micah was brought on board. “I was very surprised when the owners first brought this house to me,” he admits (he’d worked with them before). “It’s on a fairly busy main road and didn’t seem particularly special, but what it did have was a lot of potential.”
While brutalism has its fans, concrete’s reputation has sometimes been tarnished by blocks of flats with what Micah terms “grim” designs. But it’s time to reclaim it.
“One of the reasons we chose concrete was that we wanted something unabashedly modern,” he says. “We weren’t going to do an Arts and Crafts extension for all kinds of reasons. The spaces can be beautiful, but I also find them really dark.
“Instead, we envisaged a folding plane of concrete that wrapped up, down, and over to sculpt a new kitchen and living area.
“This concrete-ringed extension is separated from the original house by a very large roof light and a side light that wraps down.”
The sunken living room is Micah’s favourite part of the house. “There’s concrete, but it’s still warm. I love the big doors, the [velvet] sofa… It just feels so luxurious. The space is not too big, not too small. There’s also loads of light where you want it, not where you don’t.”
Sofa, B&B Italia.
For a geometric rug, search in the Houzz Shop.
“One of the reasons we chose concrete was that we wanted something unabashedly modern,” he says. “We weren’t going to do an Arts and Crafts extension for all kinds of reasons. The spaces can be beautiful, but I also find them really dark.
“Instead, we envisaged a folding plane of concrete that wrapped up, down, and over to sculpt a new kitchen and living area.
“This concrete-ringed extension is separated from the original house by a very large roof light and a side light that wraps down.”
The sunken living room is Micah’s favourite part of the house. “There’s concrete, but it’s still warm. I love the big doors, the [velvet] sofa… It just feels so luxurious. The space is not too big, not too small. There’s also loads of light where you want it, not where you don’t.”
Sofa, B&B Italia.
For a geometric rug, search in the Houzz Shop.
The kitchen walls are made of concrete panels, formed using moulds that have a smooth Formica coating. The panels must be bolted at four corners as they’re very heavy, Micah explains.
The holes (left behind when the cast slabs are removed from the formwork) create a raw, industrial effect. “They give you that feeling of the truth of the material,” the architect says.
“One of the main reasons we used concrete was because it’s the ultimate crafting material,” he continues. “So it very much played into the notion of the Arts and Crafts style. Actually, is there anything more handmade than clay, which is all concrete essentially is? You can mould it into whatever form you want; it’s very sculptural.”
The holes (left behind when the cast slabs are removed from the formwork) create a raw, industrial effect. “They give you that feeling of the truth of the material,” the architect says.
“One of the main reasons we used concrete was because it’s the ultimate crafting material,” he continues. “So it very much played into the notion of the Arts and Crafts style. Actually, is there anything more handmade than clay, which is all concrete essentially is? You can mould it into whatever form you want; it’s very sculptural.”
There’s a winning simplicity here – it’s modern without being cold. Inter Urban Studios’ philosophy, Micah says, is about “crafting with space” rather than just creating another cookie-cutter room.
“The ‘less is more’ philosophy actually requires a lot of attention,” he says. “People often think they want a big, open-plan space, but you can end up with a clinical dentist’s waiting room. Instead, a really quality minimal space will have something special in it – a great window or details where the flooring meets the wall.”
It’s also about the feeling a space gives you. “We really think hard about how people live and want to live. What makes them happy, what makes them sad – what kind of emotions are they getting out of this space?”
The parquet flooring in the kitchen is whitewashed oak, and adds a warm, natural contrast to the concrete, which extends across the ceiling.
The breakfast bar resembles wood, too, but is actually a hard-wearing timber-look composite, which, like the concrete, is maintenance-free. “It’s amazing stuff. You can only really tell it’s not wood when you touch it,” Micah says.
Want stylish wooden bar stools? Take a look in the Houzz Shop.
“The ‘less is more’ philosophy actually requires a lot of attention,” he says. “People often think they want a big, open-plan space, but you can end up with a clinical dentist’s waiting room. Instead, a really quality minimal space will have something special in it – a great window or details where the flooring meets the wall.”
It’s also about the feeling a space gives you. “We really think hard about how people live and want to live. What makes them happy, what makes them sad – what kind of emotions are they getting out of this space?”
The parquet flooring in the kitchen is whitewashed oak, and adds a warm, natural contrast to the concrete, which extends across the ceiling.
The breakfast bar resembles wood, too, but is actually a hard-wearing timber-look composite, which, like the concrete, is maintenance-free. “It’s amazing stuff. You can only really tell it’s not wood when you touch it,” Micah says.
Want stylish wooden bar stools? Take a look in the Houzz Shop.
The simple white kitchen units, built from spray-painted MDF, were designed by the homeowners. The worktops are classic Carrara marble. “There’s plenty of worksurface, with lots of room for people to walk around each other,” Micah says.
The mustard paint was the owners’ choice and adds further warmth. “The marble and white kitchen with the yellow paint and wood makes quite an amazing composition. Not too clinical, but not traditional, either,” Micah says.
“We made sure there was a clear view across the room,” he adds. “We put all the tall units against the back wall, so they don’t take up any space or enclose the room, and kept the rest of the units low.
“We positioned the breakfast bar and built-in bookshelf on the side facing the living room to allow for clear visibility,” he says. “There’s an upstand at the edge, so if the worktop’s dirty or there are dishes in the sink, you won’t be able to see that from the living room.”
The mustard paint was the owners’ choice and adds further warmth. “The marble and white kitchen with the yellow paint and wood makes quite an amazing composition. Not too clinical, but not traditional, either,” Micah says.
“We made sure there was a clear view across the room,” he adds. “We put all the tall units against the back wall, so they don’t take up any space or enclose the room, and kept the rest of the units low.
“We positioned the breakfast bar and built-in bookshelf on the side facing the living room to allow for clear visibility,” he says. “There’s an upstand at the edge, so if the worktop’s dirty or there are dishes in the sink, you won’t be able to see that from the living room.”
The textured, board-formed concrete on the exterior resembles planks of wood. “We added white [to the concrete] to make it look much paler than standard grey,” Micah says. “One of the great things about concrete is you can add colour if you want to.”
If you’re frustrated by peeling exterior paint and crumbling brickwork, concrete could be the way forwards. “Not only does it last forever, you don’t have to re-point it. It doesn’t fall apart if you get moisture on it. It’s maintenance-free,” Micah enthuses.
The original rear elevation is juxtaposed with the concrete addition. (The house’s front looks the same as before, “just spruced up”, says Micah.)
If you’re frustrated by peeling exterior paint and crumbling brickwork, concrete could be the way forwards. “Not only does it last forever, you don’t have to re-point it. It doesn’t fall apart if you get moisture on it. It’s maintenance-free,” Micah enthuses.
The original rear elevation is juxtaposed with the concrete addition. (The house’s front looks the same as before, “just spruced up”, says Micah.)
The extension opens up onto a patio through almost 3m-tall sliding doors.
“The window frames are aluminium, but very big and heavy,” Micah says. “They’re not oversized, but they’re wonderfully dramatic when you’re in the space.”
The stone paving slabs outside complement the pale concrete.
“The window frames are aluminium, but very big and heavy,” Micah says. “They’re not oversized, but they’re wonderfully dramatic when you’re in the space.”
The stone paving slabs outside complement the pale concrete.
The floor window sits above the basement extension.
Although the house is in a conservation area, “it’s very near to a large office building, which overshadows the site. I think that helped,” Micah says, in relation to the planning process. “In fact, we ended up winning an award from the council for the design.”
Although the house is in a conservation area, “it’s very near to a large office building, which overshadows the site. I think that helped,” Micah says, in relation to the planning process. “In fact, we ended up winning an award from the council for the design.”
The interior of the extension is what you might call broken-plan. It was important to Micah they avoided an aeroplane hangar feel and created more intimacy.
“The dining room, living room and kitchen are all within earshot and next to each other,” he says. “While none of these areas have any walls, they are three very distinct spaces, offering different moods, and that was very much our goal.
“One of the ways we achieved this feeling was by positioning the extension two steps down from the main house. This has the added advantage of giving additional ceiling height, which is very dramatic.”
There’s another advantage of concrete, especially if you have a noisy family. “It’s very, very dense, so you get no sound travelling [through it],” Micah says. “It’s so beautifully still!”
“The dining room, living room and kitchen are all within earshot and next to each other,” he says. “While none of these areas have any walls, they are three very distinct spaces, offering different moods, and that was very much our goal.
“One of the ways we achieved this feeling was by positioning the extension two steps down from the main house. This has the added advantage of giving additional ceiling height, which is very dramatic.”
There’s another advantage of concrete, especially if you have a noisy family. “It’s very, very dense, so you get no sound travelling [through it],” Micah says. “It’s so beautifully still!”
The modern oriel window replaced a bay window, adding light and boxy, modern lines.
Find professionals from architects to builders to window specialists in your area.
Find professionals from architects to builders to window specialists in your area.
The dining area, in the original part of the house but open to the extension and modernised with the new oriel window, offers a generous space for dinner parties.
“The owners have found the house fantastic for entertaining. They really love the fact they can go into different rooms that each have a different atmosphere,” Micah says.
“They can be sitting by the window here, working, then in seconds be in the sunken living room and be utterly relaxed and switched off.”
“The owners have found the house fantastic for entertaining. They really love the fact they can go into different rooms that each have a different atmosphere,” Micah says.
“They can be sitting by the window here, working, then in seconds be in the sunken living room and be utterly relaxed and switched off.”
This window seat, with the built-in bistro table, is the owners’ favourite spot now.
“It’s a huge hit. They spend a lot of time here, and it’s a real suntrap,” Micah says. “It’s a little nook that’s surprisingly private. You can go into your own little world.”
“It’s a huge hit. They spend a lot of time here, and it’s a real suntrap,” Micah says. “It’s a little nook that’s surprisingly private. You can go into your own little world.”
The living room beyond, at the front of the original house, is also fairly open to the dining area and extension thanks to an open shelving unit. The continuity of the oak flooring adds to the sense of flow.
You can see the original Arts and Crafts coffered ceiling in here.
Forget open-plan – explore the trend for ‘broken-plan’ living.
Forget open-plan – explore the trend for ‘broken-plan’ living.
The existing house, before works, showing the old ground floor at the top…
…and the plans showing the new extension, second floor down from the top.
Tell us…
Would you consider building a concrete extension like this one? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Would you consider building a concrete extension like this one? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? A young couple
Location Between Clapham Common and Wandsworth Common, southwest London
Property A modern extension on a semi-detached Arts and Crafts house with four bedrooms, one bathroom and a basement conversion
Extension dimensions 27 sq m
Budget Around £900,000 for the ground-floor rear extension, basement conversion and whole house refurbishment
Architects Micah Sarut and Alfonso Blanco Puente
of Inter Urban Studios
Photos by Rosangela Borgese