Owners, Holly and François-Xavier, had been renting in a conservation space of southwest London once they started in search of their first house.
“We weren’t essentially hoping to purchase on the identical street, however this home got here up on the market,” says Holly. “It wanted work, however was inside our funds and had nice potential.”
The semi-detached Victorian home was habitable however old school, with a small, darkish kitchen connected to an out of doors bathroom constructing.
“We needed to construct an extension on the again and renovate internally, so as to add more room, open up the ground plan and create a beneficiant household kitchen and eating space,” says Holly. “We’d by no means had a backyard earlier than, so had been eager to retain as a lot exterior house as potential.”
Challenge particulars
- Challenge Extension and renovation of semi-detached Victorian home
- Construct route Architect undertaking managed with most important contractor
- Home measurement 172m²
- Kitchen measurement 40m²
- Challenge price £414,150 together with whole-house renovation
- Construct time 10 months
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Drawing up a design
To design the extension, Holly referred to as in an outdated buddy – award-winning architect Aurore Baulier of Atelier Baulier. “I’ve identified Aurore since 2012, we used to work collectively,” says Holly. “I belief her and he or she’s a complete perfectionist, so I knew she was the correct individual for the job.”
The design course of was collaborative, with Aurore taking Holly and François-Xavier’s concepts under consideration. “She actually considered how the home would perform,” says Holly. “Feminine architects are nice at contemplating the way you’re really going to make use of an area.”
Taking inspiration from conventional French greenhouses, a nod to François-Xavier’s background, Aurore designed a 40m² rear and facet return extension, to accommodate a free-flowing kitchen and eating space.
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The unique kitchen window would get replaced with a doorway resulting in a laundry room, which might sit broadly the place the exterior WC was positioned. Aurore additionally proposed eradicating the wall between the stairwell and the lounge, to open up the ground house and compensate for a slim hallway. The remainder of the home can be refurbished to boost its thermal efficiency.
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Planning permission
Regardless of the restrictions related to conservation areas, the planning permission course of proved easy, with approval achieved in simply 10 weeks. “It was the beginning of Covid, so we missed the backlog,” says Holly. “We submitted the plans instantly after getting the keys, so by July 2020, we had the inexperienced mild.”
The council requested solely two amendments – the brand new rooflines couldn’t have conventional eaves and hanging gutters. As a substitute, the exterior partitions wanted to overshoot the road of the roof, with the gutters hidden behind a parapet.
Externally, the home needed to match the present aesthetic, so reclaimed London inventory bricks had been the one choice. “We hung out reviewing what others on our road had achieved and that helped us set up what we’d be allowed to do,” says Holly.
Beginning the work
As soon as consent was sought, the couple set about hiring their contractor. Aurore beneficial a staff she works with recurrently, John D Development, and obtained quotes from two different corporations, as effectively.
“We selected John D as a result of Aurore knew and trusted them,” says Holly. “We visited a undertaking they’d simply completed and had been impressed with the standard of their work.”
Subsequent, concrete strip foundations had been put in to help the brand new partitions, whereas a lime screed was poured internally, over a layer of compacted foam glass pebbles, laid atop the subsoil.
The rear and facet return extensions had been constructed from timber body and wrapped in bricks. Wooden fibre insulation was added all through, whereas cork was utilised on the flat roof.
The kitchen itself was constructed by John D Development from an Ikea shell and completed with bespoke, painted fronts, crafted by the corporate’s joiner. Customized Carrara marble worktops end the house.
“We lived with the builders for about three months, with no kitchen. In hindsight, we must always have minimize prices elsewhere”
Inside design
Holly and Aurore labored collectively on the inside design, visiting showrooms and design gala’s to supply merchandise and supplies. They opted for a easy, pure palette, with the deal with high quality and sturdiness.
Fairly remarkably, no main points arose in the course of the construct. Nonetheless, there may be one aspect that the couple would favor to not repeat – the concrete-effect ground. “We needed to be extra sustainable and keep away from precise concrete, however the screed by no means totally dried,” Holly says. “Even after about eight weeks, it nonetheless wasn’t set and some air bubbles appeared in a single nook.”
The pair thought of getting it mounted, however since that will contain digging up your entire kitchen ground and re-pouring the screed, they determined to dwell with it. A plastic-free, castor oil-based resin was laid excessive of the screed – a water-proof product that trapped the remaining moisture.
Overcoming challenges
Nonetheless, the toughest a part of the undertaking got here after Holly and François-Xavier moved in. “We needed to chop prices by leaving our rental,” says Holly. “We had a toddler and thought the work can be completed prior to it was. We lived with the builders for about three months, with no kitchen. In hindsight, we must always have minimize prices elsewhere.”
Regardless of these hiccups, the method of extending and refurbishing the home was comparatively stress-free – one thing that Holly places right down to the undertaking staff. “Working with them actually was the spotlight for me,” she says. Inside 10 months, every thing was completed.
A family-friendly house
The as soon as cramped, dated kitchen has been changed by a vibrant and useful household house, with ample storage and a big island for prepping and low-key eating. “We spend 80% of our time within the kitchen,” Holly says.
“It’s a very pretty house.” The brand new eating space – which opens to a stunning exterior patio – is ideal for household meals and bigger gatherings. “It’s so particular to have the ability to invite folks over and we’re so fortunate to have the house to seat everybody across the desk.”
The kitchen connects to a laundry room and past that, a WC. A direct extension of the kitchen, the laundry room boasts a sliding pocket door, enabling the house to be hidden away when home equipment are working.
A walk-in pantry is tucked alongside the get together wall, whereas an oak larder sits on the finish of the island. The lounge is related to the eating room, due to glazed French doorways, permitting the areas to be closed off when wanted. Completed in calming and recent shades, the extension options pure timber, pale greens and powder pinks.
Whereas proud of their new house, Holly hasn’t dominated out taking up one other undertaking sooner or later. “For those who’d have requested me in the course of the construct, I’m undecided I might have mentioned sure, however now I feel we might – if we might work with Aurore once more,” says Holly. “She’s so organised and inventive. She made this undertaking potential.”
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