From jaw-dropping rear extensions to convention-breaking lofts and basements, these gorgeous builds are bursting with brilliant ideas
FEATURE RACHEL CHRISTIE
ALPINE LOOK
Mountain views, Disneyland rides and theatre sets provided the inspiration for CAN’s reinvention of this Edwardian home.
Lightweight foamed aluminium was used to establish the mountain parapet, which was waterjet cut before being erected on a steel subframe. ‘This material is unusual in a residential context,’ says Mat Barnes, director at CAN. ‘The mix of cultural references, textures and contrasting colours results in a truly unique project.’
Beneath the mountain-top focal point sit expansive aluminium-frame glass doors with red and white columns based on ranging poles used to survey landscape.
LEADING LIGHT
A striking glass roof and slimline wooden doors have transformed a lower-groundfloor kitchen-dining space in this project by Studio Spiteri. The house is in a conservation area, so a sensitive approach was required and this minimal solution manages to feel modern while adhering to all guidelines. ‘We removed an old conservatory and a pokey utility room to give way to this glorious open space that leads out to the garden,’ says founder and creative director George Spiteri.
FRESH APPROACH
This period property has been transformed thanks to an innovative extension and full renovation. The new design has created a light, open-plan space with a beautiful connection to the garden. ‘The extension is a modern interpretation of the existing conservatory, which was outdated and dysfunctional,’ says Katerina Spetsiou, project director at Scenario Architecture. ‘The reinvented design creates a contemporary, light-filled space for the young couple and a place for them to grow into.’
ELEGANT LINES
This project by Emil Eve consists of a new two-storey brick outbuilding for a Victorian property in East London. The entirety of the extended space is enveloped in Petersen bricks, including the floor and boundary walls of the courtyard garden. ‘Through careful and simple detailing, the two-storey extension creates an elegant projection from the rear of the property,’ explains Emma Perkin, director, Emil Eve. ‘The soft natural tones of the brickwork complement the new addition against the London brick of the surrounding properties, with the angled projection mirroring the profiles of the surrounding rooflines.’
CALMING INFLUENCE
In the heart of one of East London’s trailblazing areas, Clapton, this unassuming Victorian terrace property has been remodelled and renovated into a calming, minimalist sanctuary by design studi
