Architecture: 10 Creative Ideas for Side Return Extensions
Blessed with a side return? Radically boost the width of your home by extending sideways, converting unused space into a whole heap of room
Jo Simmons
2 August 2014
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several books on design and numerous features for glossy homes mags over the years. For Houzz, I cover decorating ideas and trends and interview designers and professionals for their insights. My favourite pieces to write, though, are Houzz Tours, as I love exploring and learning about real homes. Call me curious — or nosy!
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several... More
A typical terraced house built in the Victorian or Edwardian era features a side return – a largely useless sliver of space at the back of the house that tends to serve only as a dumping ground and carves the garden into an L shape. These days, though, this underused but valuable slice of land is being exploited. We are sending our homes sideways, expanding into the side return to create a wide, spacious room at the back of the house. Not only does this increase a property’s footprint, it offers the chance to completely redesign the rear of the house, too, as these beautiful examples demonstrate…
Create clean lines
This side return extension is a beautiful exercise in simplicity. Built with bricks that match the original house, it has simple square roof lights in the extension and handsome folding doors right across the back to allow the living space to flow seamlessly into the garden.
Get more ideas for your extension with these glass exterior shots.
This side return extension is a beautiful exercise in simplicity. Built with bricks that match the original house, it has simple square roof lights in the extension and handsome folding doors right across the back to allow the living space to flow seamlessly into the garden.
Get more ideas for your extension with these glass exterior shots.
Take things further
There’s no rule that states a side return extension needs to stop at the boundary of the house. This build protrudes a little further, allowing for a long run of units in the kitchen.
There’s no rule that states a side return extension needs to stop at the boundary of the house. This build protrudes a little further, allowing for a long run of units in the kitchen.
Improve on simplicity
An extension into the side return and beyond the rear wall of this house creates a light, open space inside. The main feature is an electrically operated, fully opening skylight. In a densely populated area, this clever feature enables views of the sky beyond the neighbouring properties and above the enclosed garden. Oversized sliding doors boost this view of the outside, too, and draw the focus to the sky rather than the adjacent buildings.
Push your space further with a glass box extension
An extension into the side return and beyond the rear wall of this house creates a light, open space inside. The main feature is an electrically operated, fully opening skylight. In a densely populated area, this clever feature enables views of the sky beyond the neighbouring properties and above the enclosed garden. Oversized sliding doors boost this view of the outside, too, and draw the focus to the sky rather than the adjacent buildings.
Push your space further with a glass box extension
Use a light touch
This beautiful extension looks as if it has simply been dropped into place. It was formed by resting an oak rib and skin structure, clad in zinc, onto the brick party wall. A cosy seating area with slide-away corner glazing creates a space where the owners can sit and feel surrounded by the garden.
This beautiful extension looks as if it has simply been dropped into place. It was formed by resting an oak rib and skin structure, clad in zinc, onto the brick party wall. A cosy seating area with slide-away corner glazing creates a space where the owners can sit and feel surrounded by the garden.
Create some contrast
In this property, a formerly dark and narrow space was transformed into a light-filled kitchen and family room. It was created by expanding sideways into the side return and backwards into an area previously occupied by an outside WC. The monochrome palette in the new area of the house contrasts with the Edwardian colours used in the original rooms. The extension is clad in black-stained larch arranged to form corduroy-style ribs, while the flooring is smooth polished concrete.
See more striking black houses.
In this property, a formerly dark and narrow space was transformed into a light-filled kitchen and family room. It was created by expanding sideways into the side return and backwards into an area previously occupied by an outside WC. The monochrome palette in the new area of the house contrasts with the Edwardian colours used in the original rooms. The extension is clad in black-stained larch arranged to form corduroy-style ribs, while the flooring is smooth polished concrete.
See more striking black houses.
Build it up
A two-storey extension that exploits the side return adds a series of glazed and wood-clad rooms to the rear of this house. From the street, this is a typical period terrace, but from the garden, the architecture is contemporary, exciting and unique.
A two-storey extension that exploits the side return adds a series of glazed and wood-clad rooms to the rear of this house. From the street, this is a typical period terrace, but from the garden, the architecture is contemporary, exciting and unique.
Box clever
This two-storey rear extension is clad in black timber, creating a striking modern addition that contrasts with the period property it belongs to. The black does, however, nicely complement the slate tiles on neighbouring roofs, so that the architecture, while contemporary, also feels at home here.
See more cool cladding inspiration
This two-storey rear extension is clad in black timber, creating a striking modern addition that contrasts with the period property it belongs to. The black does, however, nicely complement the slate tiles on neighbouring roofs, so that the architecture, while contemporary, also feels at home here.
See more cool cladding inspiration
Mix up the brick
The architecture of this side return may be simple, but the use of bricks in a darker tone marks it out as a contemporary addition in the life of this property. Large-scale glazing and elegant doors onto the garden are neat touches that pull in plenty of light without looking distractingly flash.
See more brick exterior photos here.
The architecture of this side return may be simple, but the use of bricks in a darker tone marks it out as a contemporary addition in the life of this property. Large-scale glazing and elegant doors onto the garden are neat touches that pull in plenty of light without looking distractingly flash.
See more brick exterior photos here.
Choose raw surfaces
The ground floor of this house was extended to the side to create a kitchen-diner that flows into the garden. The indoor and patio areas are unified by a concrete floor and the London stock brick garden wall, giving the internal space a little external character. The glass roof over the extension opens up the view to the sky, so diners can watch planes flying overhead or birds flitting by.
The ground floor of this house was extended to the side to create a kitchen-diner that flows into the garden. The indoor and patio areas are unified by a concrete floor and the London stock brick garden wall, giving the internal space a little external character. The glass roof over the extension opens up the view to the sky, so diners can watch planes flying overhead or birds flitting by.
Serve it on the side
The next step up from a side return extension, this is actually an infill extension between two end-of-terrace properties. This two-storey space is built with a timber frame, clad in Douglas fir and planted with a sedum roof, which provides additional greenery – a lovely feature for an urban property.
Are you angling for a side return? Or have you taken the plunge and pushed out already? Share your experiences in the comments below.
The next step up from a side return extension, this is actually an infill extension between two end-of-terrace properties. This two-storey space is built with a timber frame, clad in Douglas fir and planted with a sedum roof, which provides additional greenery – a lovely feature for an urban property.
Are you angling for a side return? Or have you taken the plunge and pushed out already? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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Hello there, all very interesting reading. We have just been denied planning on what we and our architect thought was a simple single story side
return kitchen. We have bought a lovely 3 story mid terrace in Hastings and just wanted to square the Halley kitchen within existing walls and no taller or longer than current kitchen. We are going to have a meeting with them. I am aware that it states in .gov guidelines that no extentention can be wider than 50% of your existing property but most of London where we are now has square bifold kitchens on the back and the lovely pictures above don't tally with that rule either. I'd like to have my facts straight before I meet the council about ours.
Thank you you in advance
Vanessa
Vanessa, Did you Appeal? What was the outcome?
Hi Vanessa, how did you get on? We were nearly denied PP too, had to lower the side return roof pitch significantly and our architect had to beg them. We are also outside London. It’s not fair to be given unrealistic expectations in all the magazines!