Ealing Edwardian House extension – side and rear extension

This ground-floor extension and refurbishment of a terraced house in West Ealing was for a young family of three. The old lean-to extension held a dark galley kitchen, and the family wanted a brighter, open space with better flow, a larger kitchen, a utility area, a guest WC and a dining area with built-in seating. Most of all, they wanted room to spend time with family and friends.

They first came to us about the kitchen layout. It soon became clear that a new extension would open up the whole ground floor, so we brought in our collaborator, the architect Brown Urbanism.

After testing seven or eight layouts, we settled on two mirrored arched openings between the lounge and the kitchen-dining space. Light carries through from front to back, and the living room stays cosy. We fitted all the utility functions into a bank of tall units within the kitchen, so it has plenty of storage and still feels spacious.

Exposed painted rafters run beneath the rooflights and softly dapple the sunlight. A large rooflight over the dining table and sliding doors to the patio connect the room to the garden. Coordinating the kitchen, services and lighting around the exposed soffits took careful work on site with our contractor.

The result is a light, open ground floor that feels warm and personal.