The owners of this house in Downend had an existing kitchen, with a small conservatory tacked onto the back of it. Nominally, it was a dining area, but in reality, as with so many conservatories, it was hot in the summer and cold in the winter… Rarely used, it was a waste of space, and blocked light into the relatively narrow kitchen area.
We came up with a scheme which replaced the existing conservatory and lean to roof, and created one integrated space, a new kitchen-diner, and the result is such a contrast! Four new rooflights have flooded the kitchen with light, and the room feels much wider and more spacious (although the footprint remained almost exactly the same). The layout flows much more naturally, and the lack of division between the kitchen and dining area means the family dining table has become the centre of the home, rather than an ignored piece of furniture in an under-utilised room. New bi-folding doors mean that the owners’ much loved garden can be enjoyed properly from the kitchen and dining area, and on a nice day, they can opened up so the garden flows into the house.
Importantly, the new extension now meets all the modern thermal standards, so come snow or heat wave, the room is always a very pleasant place to be!
Alexandra Cork - Architectural Technician, Extensions and Planning Permission on Bristol, Bath and beyond 