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Design Dilemma Exteriors Gardens

Help please! Steps to garden from new extension

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

My partner and I have just bought a house and are planning a 3m extension that will creat a big open plan kitchen/diner + family space, with either bifolds or large sliders out to the garden. The living room will be separate for tv and chill out.

my issue is we have steps out to the garden right now (I’d like to see about lowering the floor of the house slightly to minimise but know this might not be possible). I can’t work out how best to work the steps into the design, so that we don’t lose too much garden. We still want a lot of grass. I was hoping for a patio to eat on too but can’t see it working without losing too much lawn to stairs etc. worth noting the garden is also north facing but will get the sun 2-6ish in the summer on west side of garden As well as at the bottom by the large brick wall.

anyone have any helpful ideas for me?! I’m in design purgatory...

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Comments (7)

christineacy
3 years ago
Hello, HU, how interesting. The pictures really help. May I ask why the floor is so high? Do you have a cellar? or are you on a hill ? Is the garden flat or on a slope? You can ask you neighbours what is underneath? If it is that high you may loose a bit of garden....

Looking at your photo is your kitchen floor lower than the room next door ? If yes lower the floor for sure. It will lessen the gradient of possible steps. But it might be piping underneath just looking at the two pipes on the back ??? But if the wall is going to disappear it will not be an issue as the builders can divert them.

But seeing what the neighbours have done I would say if you can afford it a glass box type extension. So that will allow a lot of light into the house and would not feel imposing. Garden storage, bikes etc could be underneath. If you choose to put your patio first then that is slightly lower than the extension. Or the same height then the steps or a slow sloping path will take away the idea of the steps. Have a look at terraced garden pictures, as you can plant to give the look of flattening the height so it looks like you are to create a garden journey.

Your patio does not have to cover the whole width of the extension, it could be a semi-circle or an arc with the rest of the ares at that same height with plants and steps that gradually go down and around to flow into the garden.

Any steps can be softened by using wood, sleepers... add plant pots to them to create the garden. Soften you garden with curves.

If you have kids or not what an amazing height to make a built in slide !

I hope this helps at least start to conversation. But have fun designing.
HU-378460014
Original Author
3 years ago
thanks Will take a look at those suggestion. Not sure why it’s high, there’s no cellar and we are on a very slight hill but it’s quite small. Kitchen is one step lower which is what gives me some hope lowering will be feasible.

next door is actually rented, but we will try to get in touch with owner soon and I’ll ask if he knows what’s below.

our plan is for lots of glass on our extension so it looks quite modern. The garden is reasonably flat. We’re expecting our first child in Jun so want lots of grass to play on.
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Thank you Carolina and Minnie. I'm still surprised people are so helpful on these forums- really grateful for everyone's advice! I'm no expert at design for sure - if it's xray guided surgery no problems haha. Carolina I'm glad you think the steps can look OK. I'm beginning to think maybe it might not look so odd. The kitchen design is just whatever the architect put together himself for the plans, but I'm yet to consider how to actually lay it out. Any advice? The idea for the 'utility' is that there will be long closet / cupboards from wall to ceiling with the washer and dryer hidden by those. I know it's called utility but in reality itll just be an extension to the massive hallway in order to get access to the kitchen and downstairs loo. Storing the washer and dryer there was a thought to utilise the remainder of that space. The reason it has to have a door is because the architect says new fire safety rules stipulate there has to be a fire door to a kitchen to prevent fire from spreading to the main house. Otherwise I would have just not kept that door at all and kept a big hallway. Although the hall is disproportionate, with the high ceilings, it is what we really liked about the property and gave a really nice airy feeling to the place. Minnie thank you for that link. What a stunning conservatory they've built. With regards to having one set of steps- I was thinking the same at one point - that maybe I could just keep one set of steps from the 'utility' down - and swap the kitchen and dining space. The only thing that I don't like about that idea is that I wanted there to be a free flow of space to go from the living room down into the extension too. But I guess you can't have everything in life and maybe having a bannister like they have in the link you've sent, would allow for that airy feeling and continuity of light. Should people need to go from the living room down into the kitchen they'd have to go through the 'utility'....
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Neasa
3 years ago
I also have a big drop at the back of my house, similar to yours, with steps leading down from the door. Late last year we had a deck put in over the existing patio to give us a proper space for dining at the back (and make the steps and access safer). However, this works for us because our house is SW to the rear and we have a large garden. I'm not sure it's the right solution for you. I sympathise, I really do!

I'm wondering if it would be possible to have an internal step or steps between existing house and extension, so that the new part is already level or close to level with the garden?

Also, just to say, I know you think you have to have everything 100% ready for the baby, but the reality is they will not be of an age to play in the garden until probably 2 years old. So you have time to sort out the right long-term solution.
Sonia
3 years ago
My first thought was a raised deck with glass or wood balastrades and steps to the side. This shouldn’t interfere with the damp proof course of the house. Underneath it could be clad with doors for storage. By decking I mean good quality hardwood decking, not cheap softwood which only last a few years. I’m not so sure on composite deck either as it’s not as long lived as manufacturers suggest. Iroko is a beautiful dark hardwood used for decks. Not cheap though. Depends on your budget.

You could have a paving deck which is very long lasting, but a bit more complex and you need a good, knowledgeable landscaper to lay it.

IROKO WOOD

LOOKS LIKE COMPOSITE
Joyce Butlin
3 years ago
Just as a concept of what you could do I would suggest having a circular pattern which gives lots more room without eating into the garden, though you do have an enormous garden. Use the steps as planting levels to make them part of the landscape, with wide treads alll the way down to the ground level. Curl them round from the side. Seating would be at the top where the sun will be. These pics give some idea but it would need a proper design to match your house much better. Hope these have given you some out-of-the-box ideas.
Stone circular patios · More Info

Stone circular patios · More Info
PRO
Nikki Hinton Photography
3 years ago
Have you considered having the steps inside the house? Most extensions I see that are very similar to yours will have a set of maybe three steps from the living room down to the kitchen/dining area, sometimes in two spots of there are two entry ways. They don't take up loads of space as the external wall that you are building onto will be thick anyway, and they are normally placed there.
PRO
Nikki Hinton Photography
3 years ago
Also many houses with the same layout will knock through from the front reception/living room to the rear living area, worth taking a look at, might not be your cup of tea but it might be an option!

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