DESIGN IDEAS
A well-planned extension will add light, space and a connection to the outdoors but also character
FEATURE ARABELLA YOUENS
BALANCING ACT
While the temptation is often to embrace glass, be mindful of the architecture and setting of a house before choosing a design. The owners of this 18th-century property overlooking a river on the edge of London wanted a highly glazed extension, but interior designer Nicola Harding thought that it would have been incongruous with the style of the house, as well as being subject to the glare of the river and too hot summers. Instead, she designed an orangery with a skylight and an electric blind that filters light throughout the year. ‘The flowing colour palette and natural textures create a soulful atmosphere that generates different moods throughout the day and into the night,’ says Nicola.
NEW CHAPTER
One way to add an extension that is sympathetic to the original property yet creates a significant distinction rather than a pastiche is to follow the lines of the existing building then bring in a contemporary flavour. Simon Griffiths, associate director of HollandGreen, explains how his team designed this new addition to a listed mill house. ‘Our clients wanted to extend their property while retaining its character and charm,’ he says. ‘The idea was to add a 21st-century chapter to the property’s layers of history. Built with an oak structure and using local brick and sweet-chestnut timber cladding, the glazed extension takes in the countryside views and introduces a new open-plan kitchen, dining and family space, with a light-touch glass link to the older parts of the ground floor.’
MATERIAL MIX
Swapping out standard plastered walls for exposed surfaces or natural materials adds interest to a new space. However, the danger in this approach is that it raises the bar in terms of the final finishes, as any mistake cannot be easily covered up. In this project by Oliver Leech Architects, the main challenge was to retain as many surface treatments as possible, including exposed steel, plaster, concrete, timber and glass. ‘These provide a textured backdrop for the house,’ says founding director Oliver. ‘The plastering had to be planned meticulously and executed perfectly and the structural steelwork was also a challenge as every finished surface had to align and meet perfectly.’ →
BACK TO BLACK
Shou sugi ban is the traditional Japanese art of charring cedar, which was an original way of preserving wood and making it more durable. These days, architects and designers are specifying charred timber of different species such as oak, Douglas fir and Siberian larch. For a semi-detached property in Dulwich, south-east London, the team at De Rosee Sa designed a 56sq m rear extension f
