Bristol is full of beautiful bay fronted, Victorian, terraced houses, with fabulous proportions and lovely windows. The classic layout, with a living room to the front, dining room behind, and a smaller kitchen to the rear, doesn’t always suit a modern family, and their needs, however, so, as with this project, I have been approached to extend, update and revamp the layout.
This lovely house in Bishopston, in a fantastic location, had well proportioned living and dining spaces, but the kitchen was dark, with only a side facing window for light and views, and lacked a flow with the rest of the property. Beyond the kitchen was a small ‘breakfast’ room, which was under-utilised.
We designed an extension to infill the area between the kitchen and boundary, and after careful negotiations with the neighbouring property, were able to design the wall right over the boundary, which at a later date, would be able to adapted to facilitate a mirroring extension for the neighbour. This has maximised space for both properties.
A steel beam was added, to completely remove the side wall of the existing kitchen, opening the space up, and bi fold doors and a large window flood the room with light, and views of the garden. Large roof lights, in the extension, further illuminate the space. The owners have installed a bright and modern kitchen, have a large dining table, and room for casual seating as well. The existing dining room is retained, with a link through from the kitchen, as a secondary reception room.
The rear of the property has been rendered to bring continuity to its appearance, and a new patio constructed. Internally, a new ground floor WC has been installed under the stairs.
Alexandra Cork - Architectural Technician, Extensions and Planning Permission on Bristol, Bath and beyond 