Putting the dining table beneath a run of rooflights gave one couple a sunny outlook
WORDS PAULA WOODS PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH
To increase the size of their kitchen and make space for a dining table, Tom Aarvold, 41, and Katy Taylor, 38, built a wraparound extension.
Tom, who is an architect, was happy to design and manage the new-build, which spans the side and rear of the property. ‘It provides the extra space and light we want, without losing too much garden,’ he explains.
As their home is in a conservation area, obtaining planning permission took longer than expected due to some resistance from the local conservation society. ‘In the end the application went to committee, with consent given four months later,’ says Tom.
The extension, which extends 1.9m to the side and 3.8m to the rear, has a sliding full-height window and a glazed door leading to the garden, along with a run of windows and rooflights to the side. ‘I specified triple glazing for good thermal performance,’ says Tom. ‘The brick walls and exterior charred larch cladding were chosen for their longevity.’
Inside, most of the cabinets line up along the one remaining wall of an original outrigger – its other walls were demolished to make way for the new structure – and there’s a built-in pantry cupboard for foodstuffs. In the centre of the space, a brick-built island serves to divide the kitchen from the dining area.
‘It made sense to put the kitchen in the darkest spot, so the dining and seating areas have the best light and garden views,’ says Tom. ‘A change in floor level creates a sense of separation between the different areas.’
Tom and Katy, who is a digital marketer, asked kitchen designer George Glasier to realise their vision for a bright, uncluttered and calming scheme, choosing white slab-front cabinets and integrated appliances.
