Extensions don’t always have to ‘match the existing’. In fact, it’s sometimes better they don’t. Even when bricks and tiles are still available from original manufacturers, they are rarely an exact match. In addition, 65years of weathering can often make existing materials look a lot different to how they did originally, making matching even more difficult.
With this project, the existing house was an original 1950s semi-detached George Wimpey home located on a generous triangular corner plot at the end of a cul-de-sac, with a very narrow frontage and a very wide but not particularly deep rear garden. A residual triangular piece of lawn to the side of the house was completely underutilised. A feasibility study identified this area as providing the perfect opportunity to add a large kitchen/dining/family room extension without dramatically impacting on the useable garden to the rear. Screening from the neighbours’ overlooking windows was an added bonus.
However, using this piece of land meant the extension would have to connect back to the side of the house at approximately 45degrees and intersect beneath the main stairwell window which had a low half landing window cill which made the junction complicated. The design therefore evolved to incorporate a larger vaulted pitched roof over the main dining/family space, with a lower flat roof over the kitchen sitting below the stairwell window. The extension would also have to be partially set into the ground due to the levels across the site.
As a result of this interesting form, the angle of intersection and the difficulty of getting an exact match for the original house’s mixed pallet of materials, the decision was taken to make a clear distinction between the new and old, and hence the new extension included black stained Siberian Larch random width cladding, anthracite grey windows and folding sliding doors topped with zinc coloured aluminium standing seam roofing.
Internally, the extension enhanced the flow of the building, with the old kitchen becoming a study/through room with computer desk and fish tank cleverly incorporated into the original house’s 1950’s kitchen wall unit, and the old external garage side door (which had been blocked during a previous conversion of the garage into a playroom), being re-opened to give a direct link between the kitchen and playroom.
The kitchen was supplied by Coeur Kitchens of Godalming.
If you have something similar in mind then give us a call for an initial consultation.
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