The brief of this project called for extension of the ground floor of this family house in Surbiton, with some specific aims in mind.
Enlargement of the space
The property used to have a small, outdated kitchen at the back. We opened up this space and enlarged it by adding a dining and a living area. Our team gained planning permission from the Kingston Upon Thames Council for a 3.5 meters long extension to this family house in Surbiton. In addition, the area now seamlessly flows onto an outside patio, which creates another living space, before leading into a long garden.
Modern and functional kitchen in the extension in Surbiton
The old kitchen was completely removed and opened up. A modern design has been chosen to replace it. Our new cabinets have a white, high gloss finish and appliances are built in. There is a single wall of units at the back and a kitchen island in the middle. The kitchen island has a white quartz worktop and inside it contains storage and appliances.
We used standard size cabinets from a kitchen supplier but built them ‘into the wall’ for a bespoke look. The dark blue splash-back contrasts gently with the light finishes. However our kitchen island creates a gentle borderline between kitchen and the dining area, thanks to a bespoke dining bench mounted on its rear side. We finished the bench in oiled oak with a dark blue base to match the splash-back. The seat lifts up for extra storage.
Natural light
Firstly, the owners specifically asked not just for additional square feet of living space but also for having as much natural light as possible. For this reason a number of light openings have been incorporated in this family house in Surbiton.
Secondly, at the back, full width sliding doors open onto the garden. In addition to them, above the living area, we installed two roof lights. Whereas inside the kitchen, there are tall glass panels on both sides.
Little touches in this family house in Surbiton
The new space has three separate functions which coexist and work together very well. We used a few small design solutions to blend the areas together.
The whole extension floor is laid with long, engineered oak floorboards. They run however vertically – from the front to back – to emphasise continuity and to visually prolong the space. On top of this, we used wet underfloor heating. It provides a great heating solution without the need for traditional radiators spread around the room.
This rear extension in Surbiton was completed in 2016.
