7 Design Ideas for an Up-and-over Glass Extension
A glazed wall and ceiling will help to flood your new extension with light, but which kind of style would work for you?
Check out these solutions from Houzz designers for extensions where at least one wall and the ceiling are glass. The projects range from modest to expansive and are attached to homes as varied as a thatched cottage and a top-floor flat, meaning there are plenty of suggestions to get your ideas flowing.
As you can see from this shot of the window taken from the garden, the up-and-over glazing also means the extension sits very lightly against the older property.
Go full height
If you prefer a full, clear view out to the garden, a top-to-bottom wall of glass teamed with a run of skylights, like this design by EMR Architecture, might work better.
Fitting a fixed wall rather than a door or large window allows for more freedom when arranging furniture and accessories inside and may be a good option where space is limited.
If you prefer a full, clear view out to the garden, a top-to-bottom wall of glass teamed with a run of skylights, like this design by EMR Architecture, might work better.
Fitting a fixed wall rather than a door or large window allows for more freedom when arranging furniture and accessories inside and may be a good option where space is limited.
Try a light take on French windows
In this example, London Contemporary has incorporated a pair of glazed doors. This works well, because the room doesn’t have an additional door to the garden, only a window over the kitchen units.
Having this area fully glazed, without the panels of wood you’d traditionally find in French windows, maximises the connection to the outside.
More on this topic: Your Essential Guide to Planning a Glass Extension.
In this example, London Contemporary has incorporated a pair of glazed doors. This works well, because the room doesn’t have an additional door to the garden, only a window over the kitchen units.
Having this area fully glazed, without the panels of wood you’d traditionally find in French windows, maximises the connection to the outside.
More on this topic: Your Essential Guide to Planning a Glass Extension.
This shot, looking from the inside out, shows how the glazed roof above the doors creates a gloriously light dining area, and helps to zone it as separate from the kitchen.
Browse the Houzz Professionals Directory to find an architect or building designer in your area and start the conversation about your extension.
Browse the Houzz Professionals Directory to find an architect or building designer in your area and start the conversation about your extension.
Celebrate a historic property
When we featured this thatched cottage with a glass box extension, designed by Kitchen Architecture, many of you agreed that a transparent addition to the Grade II listed building was the perfect way to respect the period house.
The barely there structure keeps the original external wall visible, putting the entire facade on show from inside the new kitchen, and it’s distinctly modern, rather than trying to ape the old part of the house’s aesthetic in any way.
When we featured this thatched cottage with a glass box extension, designed by Kitchen Architecture, many of you agreed that a transparent addition to the Grade II listed building was the perfect way to respect the period house.
The barely there structure keeps the original external wall visible, putting the entire facade on show from inside the new kitchen, and it’s distinctly modern, rather than trying to ape the old part of the house’s aesthetic in any way.
Keep brickwork on show
One of the benefits of a wall and ceiling of glass – aside from the extra light – is that it allows the focus to shift to other features. This beautifully bright side-return extension designed by Platform 5 Architects illustrates the idea very well.
In particular, the internal space gains character from the inclusion of an exposed brick wall. What really makes it sing, though, is the visually uninterrupted continuation of that brick wall into the garden. When sitting in the dining area or looking at it from deeper in the house, the feeling is that it and the garden are one.
Brickwork is also visible just beneath the glass ceiling at its highest point, on the left, which gives a sense of respect for the original house, as the design keeps it on show.
One of the benefits of a wall and ceiling of glass – aside from the extra light – is that it allows the focus to shift to other features. This beautifully bright side-return extension designed by Platform 5 Architects illustrates the idea very well.
In particular, the internal space gains character from the inclusion of an exposed brick wall. What really makes it sing, though, is the visually uninterrupted continuation of that brick wall into the garden. When sitting in the dining area or looking at it from deeper in the house, the feeling is that it and the garden are one.
Brickwork is also visible just beneath the glass ceiling at its highest point, on the left, which gives a sense of respect for the original house, as the design keeps it on show.
Outside, keeping a sliver of brick wall free, where the depths between internal and external walls differ, allows space for a downpipe to be hidden.
Aim for perfect pitch
Beth Dadswell of Imperfect Interiors, who designed this kitchen, was keen to emphasise the elegant features of the property, a Victorian townhouse, so she added in period-sensitive details throughout.
Rather than a futuristic glass extension, she designed this pitched roof, giving an orangery effect, with a contemporary twist in the black-painted glazing bars.
As always with good design, there’s practicality in the mix, too. “We designed the pitched roof to allow in the maximum amount of light and give height in the dining area, and to frame the view,” Beth says.
Beth Dadswell of Imperfect Interiors, who designed this kitchen, was keen to emphasise the elegant features of the property, a Victorian townhouse, so she added in period-sensitive details throughout.
Rather than a futuristic glass extension, she designed this pitched roof, giving an orangery effect, with a contemporary twist in the black-painted glazing bars.
As always with good design, there’s practicality in the mix, too. “We designed the pitched roof to allow in the maximum amount of light and give height in the dining area, and to frame the view,” Beth says.
Make it flexible
If the back of your house is in full sun, a glass roof in conjunction with a glass wall or door can make the room very hot.
There are all sorts of ways to head off this issue at the design stage, fixed or otherwise (see the link below for more details), but here, for a flexible option in this rooftop kitchen, Stiff + Trevillion has incorporated lightweight blinds that can be adjusted throughout the day.
More on this topic: How to Avoid an Extension That’s Too Hot and Too Bright.
Tell us…
Are you planning an extension? If so, which of these projects has fuelled your ideas? Let us know in the Comments.
If the back of your house is in full sun, a glass roof in conjunction with a glass wall or door can make the room very hot.
There are all sorts of ways to head off this issue at the design stage, fixed or otherwise (see the link below for more details), but here, for a flexible option in this rooftop kitchen, Stiff + Trevillion has incorporated lightweight blinds that can be adjusted throughout the day.
More on this topic: How to Avoid an Extension That’s Too Hot and Too Bright.
Tell us…
Are you planning an extension? If so, which of these projects has fuelled your ideas? Let us know in the Comments.
One of the downsides of a glass wall can be that you lose valuable wall surface at the expense of an indoor/outdoor space. Here, Paul Archer Design has given the homeowners the best of both worlds by incorporating a low wall and window seat at the base of a gloriously large window.
For those short of storage space, such a seat could also feature cupboards underneath. Either way, it makes the most of the newly incorporated view by providing the perfect vantage point.