Our clients, a young family of 3 + a much loved dog approached us with a brief to extend the narrow kitchen and infill the very common Victorian ‘dogtooth’ configuration. Their main requirements were to: have a better kitchen - dining relationship, bridge the gap between the kitchen and garden, have an inviting living area in the kitchen with space for eating around the table and a comfortable seat for reading, and to create a designated space for the dog to sleep in. In addition. the established garden with its curving flower beds had to be considered and integrated into the design.

Our clients aspirations were successfully met by creating an internal light well, directly connecting the basement lounge, and office space, to the kitchen above, whilst keeping the basement well lit through a set of new roof lights. The large dining table is positioned next to a new glazed seating area; due to its southerly orientation it provides a cosy, sunny spot connected to the garden; perfect for reading cookbooks! A large sliding door, taking up a third of the façade, slides against the extended kitchen worktop area, enabling the door to ‘disappear’ completely thus opening up the space to the garden. And not forgetting the dog that received a cosy and designed space between the dining table and the stairs leading down to the basement.

Outside, the curved flower beds merge to become a bench, creating a seamless link between the garden and the internal part of the house.

 

Photographs by Matt Clayton