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Room of the Week: A Kitchen Extension Transforms a Dark Space
A modern extension (with an underground twist) has flooded the ground floor of this Victorian family home with light
If you ever need convincing that the kitchen is the heart of the home, consider this welcoming, modern room which has space for eating and relaxing, plus direct access to the garden. It was part of the refurbishment of the entire ground floor of this spacious south London semi – which included everything from re-laying the encaustic tiles in the hallway to excavating the garden and building a brand new extension. With its generous proportions, extraordinary glass roof lights and secret spiral cellar, the whole family agrees that this space has plenty going for it.
A dark blue breakfast bar, illuminated by a trio of pendant lights, contrasts with the rest of the pale kitchen. “The owners had a lot of ideas about interior finishes and layout, and I was confident of what would work both in terms of materials and overall form,” explains Diffley. “The development of the design was very much an ongoing conversation.”
Solid oak herringbone floor, Walking on Wood. Pendant lights, John Cullen.
Solid oak herringbone floor, Walking on Wood. Pendant lights, John Cullen.
The new ground floor rear extension covers 16 sq m more than the previous one. It leads directly onto a large patio and lawned garden beyond. “The outside area was always conceived as part of the living space of the kitchen, set on the same level, so excavating the garden was a central idea,” says Diffley. Sliding doors connect the inside and outside spaces. “Bifolds can be a bit heavy to manage, but these are very neat when open. The three-part sliding system gives two thirds maximum open area,” adds Diffley.
Reconstituted paving, London Stone. Sliding doors, Fineline Aluminium.
Reconstituted paving, London Stone. Sliding doors, Fineline Aluminium.
Diffley worked closely with John Cullen Lighting during this project. “We wanted to illuminate the ceiling light wells at night without causing reflection glare in the glass roof and John Cullen helped us with that,” explains Diffley. “They also fine-tuned the bulb angles to reduce glare in the ceiling over the dining table. They really understand architectural lighting design rather than just selling lights.”
Clever use of lighting under the island unit makes it look as if it’s floating and a strip above the floor-to-ceiling units creates a warm glow. The sleek worktops are made of quartz.
Lighting, John Cullen.
Clever use of lighting under the island unit makes it look as if it’s floating and a strip above the floor-to-ceiling units creates a warm glow. The sleek worktops are made of quartz.
Lighting, John Cullen.
A compact door, flush to the floor, conceals space for up to 1,000 bottles of wine. “It wasn’t part of the original brief, but I had done one on my previous job and the husband was very keen on it,” says Diffley. Holt excavated the space while levelling the garden. “You’d be amazed by the size of the hole you have to dig for these things!” says Holt.
Wine cellar, Spiral Cellars.
Wine cellar, Spiral Cellars.
The idea of an entirely glass roof was considered, but rejected for structural reasons. Diffley designed this roof shape which brings in light from two sides, and the manufacturers did the precision engineering. “Basically, the old back extension of the house is wrapped in glass,” she explains. “If you look up, you can see what was there before.” At the back of the kitchen, a door leads through to a refurbished family room with new shelving and integrated AV facilities.
The white kitchen has a streamlined, sleek finish with a Calacatta marble splashback, which has an artwork-like quality. Sliding cupboard doors neatly conceal the toaster and coffee machine.
Diffley’s simple design for the roof was “more about the light and less about the engineering,” she says. “One is more aware of the sunlight, shadow patterns and of the daylight streaming in, than the construction – you just get daylight flooding through the light wells in the ceiling.”
Full-height cupboards contain drawers allocated to each member of the family which help keep clutter behind closed doors. “There’s stationery and all sorts of odds and ends in there and the utility room is behind these cupboards,” explains Diffley. Twin armchairs are positioned to take full advantage of the sun that comes in throughout the day.
Roof lights, Cantifix. For similar armchairs, try SCP.
Too much stuff? Check out these clutter-busting tips
Full-height cupboards contain drawers allocated to each member of the family which help keep clutter behind closed doors. “There’s stationery and all sorts of odds and ends in there and the utility room is behind these cupboards,” explains Diffley. Twin armchairs are positioned to take full advantage of the sun that comes in throughout the day.
Roof lights, Cantifix. For similar armchairs, try SCP.
Too much stuff? Check out these clutter-busting tips
The whole garden was originally at the same level as the lawn, but Holt dug down to create direct access to the new extension. “Raised beds and gently rising steps make the link between the kitchen, the patio and the garden more natural and less abrupt, allowing the mind’s eye to wander off into the garden,” explains Diffley.
Enjoy eating outside? Get alfresco inspiration from these dreamy outdoor dining spots
Enjoy eating outside? Get alfresco inspiration from these dreamy outdoor dining spots
Carefully designed garden lighting makes the patio area a great space for the family to spend time outside well into the evening.
What’s your favourite part of this modern extension? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
What’s your favourite part of this modern extension? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A family of five
Property Semi-detached Victorian house
Location East Dulwich, London
Size 42 sq m (plus 5.4 sq m utility room)
Architect Maureen Diffley
Contractor James Holt of Holt Construction
Photos by Will Eckersley
This light-filled kitchen-diner is the most popular spot in this family home, but it wasn’t long ago that it was positively avoided. “It’s a beautifully proportioned house,” says architect Maureen Diffley, “but like many period properties, the rooms got smaller, darker and less functional as you approached the garden. It got no sun until late afternoon and was very dingy.” When Diffley was called in, she realised this project would require imagination and ingenuity. “The owners had already done a large amount of work on the house, to a very high standard, acting as designer and project manager, so they knew what they were doing,” she says. “It was clear that the design solution was not going to be something obvious, or they would have worked it out for themselves.”
Holt Construction took on the nine-month task of replacing an existing extension with a new modern one (complete with spectacular glass roof lights), excavating and paving the patio to make more of a connection between the outside and in, and creating ample storage for adults and children alike. “Everyone put a huge amount of effort into this project,” says Diffley. “It was a very demanding but very satisfying job.”
Urbo and Metro kitchen, Roundhouse.