Room of the Week: A Budget-friendly Extension Brightens a Dublin Home
Achieved on a tight budget, this beautiful extension adds extra living space, pulls in natural light and frames the gorgeous garden views
Jo Simmons
1 August 2016
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
This mid-terraced house in Dublin was short on living space but blessed with a big garden. Its owners contacted architect Michael Frain of Bright Design Architects to plan an extension that would give them more room and also connect their home with the generous outside space. “The budget was very tight,” says Frain. “We looked at a number of options and eventually came back to having a regular rectangular extension at its core, which we then refined so it responded to the different functions required of it.’
Room at a Glance
Who lives here A family of four
Location Dublin, Ireland
Size 25 m sq; part of a 1930s mid-terraced house with 3 bedrooms
Architect Michael Frain of Bright Design Architects
The cedar-clad extension sits neatly at the rear of this mid-terraced house, elegantly connecting the interior with the large garden. “The property has a really long garden,” says Frain. “That was the striking thing about it. And we wanted to frame that view.”
Who lives here A family of four
Location Dublin, Ireland
Size 25 m sq; part of a 1930s mid-terraced house with 3 bedrooms
Architect Michael Frain of Bright Design Architects
The cedar-clad extension sits neatly at the rear of this mid-terraced house, elegantly connecting the interior with the large garden. “The property has a really long garden,” says Frain. “That was the striking thing about it. And we wanted to frame that view.”
At the heart of the extension is a wood-burning stove with living space on one side and a kitchen on the other. “It has a traditional, old-cottage feel, with the space centred on a stove and hearth,” says Frain. “This is a modern extension but with traditional roots.”
Although the extension is essentially a timber-framed construction, there is solid masonry around the hearth which helps to retain heat from the stove.
Although the extension is essentially a timber-framed construction, there is solid masonry around the hearth which helps to retain heat from the stove.
Two large windows provide long views over the large garden and help to bring the outside in. The rear of the property faces east, but the angled window on the side of the extension helps to grab more sunlight as the sun moves around.
The extension also features an opening in the wall, which you can see on the left of the rear window. “You can open this up for ventilation,” explains Frain. “It’s a solid window. Outside it’s covered with cladding and inside it’s clad in tongue and groove.”
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The extension also features an opening in the wall, which you can see on the left of the rear window. “You can open this up for ventilation,” explains Frain. “It’s a solid window. Outside it’s covered with cladding and inside it’s clad in tongue and groove.”
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“The orientation of the property isn’t great, which is why we fitted the large roof light,” says Frain. “It captures some of the evening light and also pulls sunlight into the extension throughout the day.”
The green roof provides a visual stepping stone from the first floor bedrooms to the garden.
Unsure whether to hire an architect? Find out what one can do for you
The green roof provides a visual stepping stone from the first floor bedrooms to the garden.
Unsure whether to hire an architect? Find out what one can do for you
The bright extension has had a positive knock-on effect for the rest of the house. “Even if the other rooms aren’t getting much light, you can still look through the house to see a nice, bright space,” says Frain.
The owners are both artists and were very hands on with the project. “They did a lot of the tongue-and-groove panelling themselves,” says Frain.
The fresh white walls keep the space feeling bright, while the tongue and groove and simple pieces of furniture add a traditional feel.
The old kitchen in what was the back of the house has been converted into a study and a new kitchen installed in the extension. “The owners drew up plans and worked with the joiner to make it,” says Frain.
The fresh white walls keep the space feeling bright, while the tongue and groove and simple pieces of furniture add a traditional feel.
The old kitchen in what was the back of the house has been converted into a study and a new kitchen installed in the extension. “The owners drew up plans and worked with the joiner to make it,” says Frain.
The owners had a budget of around 30,000 Euros for the extension, so sourcing well-priced materials was essential. “We visited a window manufacturer’s warehouse and found these two windows,” says Frain. “They were new windows which had been ordered and made but never installed, so they were going for a good price. We then designed the extension around them.”
TELL US…
What do you like about this neat and stylish extension? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
TELL US…
What do you like about this neat and stylish extension? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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From the outside it's a box stuck onto a house, quite incongruous. From inside it looks different, admittedly. But not something I'd spend a spare 30k Euros on!
Really like the pragmatic approach taken with this project. Easy to see how it has utterly transformed the existing accommodation, I particularly like how the large window frames the view of the garden. Here's a shot of my own extension project, working on similar lines, budget etc., even down to the window sourcing and it's dictating the entire design.
More pics to follow as the project advances....
Timber constructions are definitely the way to go if you are on a tight budget. Here is ours. Still a long way off being done inside but we are slowly getting there...