The full fill side return extension and refurbishment totally transformed the converted Victorian ground floor flat within the Rye Lane conservation area created an open plan space that connected to the well-established rear garden. Focussed on entertaining, maximising space and increasing daylight throughout the home, there modelling and extension provided an exciting setting a young family who wanted to maintain an energetic social life.

At the core of the proposal was a kitchen designed for entertainment, that could as easily be enjoyed as a quiet sanctuary as a social space. The original kitchen was a dark, poorly connected annex to the house which turned its back on the joys of entertaining, whereas the new kitchen is open, garden facing and full of natural light.

Works included the demolition of the rear façade and original rear rooms at both ground and first floor. With the owner of the floor above undertaking are modelling of the rear section of the home at the same time, a terrace was provided for the flat above which helped streamline workflows as the demolition and construction phasing was paired and shared. This allowed for a taller floor to ceiling in the new kitchen than would not have been possible without collaboration.

The side return was in filled to create an en-suite wet room with glazed doors to the master bedroom for a spark of theatricality. The whole flat was lined in a reclaimed French Oak parquet floor, the home opens into the garden, creating an additional summertime room.  Designed with passive heating and cooling, the rear façade employs a rose gold coloured stainless steel bris soleil that reduces heat gain in summer, while reflecting the sun deep into the home late in winter for additional warmth and light.

Cast concrete worktops, a bespoke kitchen fabricated to fit Ikea cabinets and a clean-line interior aesthetic created a sense of subtle minimalism that continues through the bedrooms and washroom areas. Hand-made encaustic tiles built in wardrobes fabricated from birch-faced plywood and hand-made joinery add a crafted touch to the interior.