John Allen Architecture

A growing family meant the existing semi detached house's small kitchen and bathroom, with no relationship with the garden, was no longer suitable.

A two storey rear extension built during 2014 provides a large kitchen dining room with separate utility room. Upstairs there is a spacious bathroom and office. The design is composed of 2 interlocking elements - one curving and rendered, wrapping around grey brick rectilinear walls of the other . Materials have been chosen to contrast, re-vitalize and enrich the rear façade of the existing house.

With the aim to deliver a well-built design, sympathetic to the existing surroundings but modern in its realisation, the extension was nominated in 2015 by the London Borough of Barnet building control department for a LABC ‘Building Excellence’ award. 

(Photography by Francesco Russo)

Extending into the side return at the back of a Victorian terraced house can often result in the rear reception room being compromised by reduced daylight and loss of garden views. At Tivoli Road a large rooflight maintains natural lighting levels. Deepened oak steps animated with display shelving lead to a large kitchen dining room with expansive views to the garden.

(Photography by Francesco Russo)

Mindful of sensitivities of an urban conservation area, a rear and side return extension provides a large kitchen dining space. An internal palette of materials - warm grey bricks, oak beams to support a glazed roof and a painted bespoke welsh dresser are executed in a contemporary style. A post-less corner of glass doors open up the interior to the garden exterior with an inside/outside dining space.

In the Oxfordshire countryside a former coach house has been converted to provide a new entrance and enlarged kitchen to the attached house.

Emphasis was placed on a gentle interpretation of the aesthetics of the existing house to provide a contemporary solution. The entrance is recessed and finished in oiled cedar boards extending across to the new garage space.

The interior has been opened up to reveal an abundance of natural light and the kitchen has a new bespoke designed island unit, movable to provide a flexible layout.

2016

Planning has been approved and construction is due to start on site for a studio extension finished with blackened timber boards.

A whole-house refurbishment to include a rear extension and attic conversion. Bespoke storage units have been designed for the kitchen and a wardrobe to a child's bedroom. In the shower room polished plaster is applied to the walls and rubber to the floor.

An extension enlivens a 1980s built detached house with two interlocking forms - a lesser one constructed of brick and a greater one in pure white render finish. Internally the kitchen and bathrooms are individually designed with selection of tile colours responding to levels of daylight.

This remodelled four-storey Victorian house includes a dining kitchen extension and the creation of a small sun-lit courtyard. The steeply sloping garden is retained with a new curved wall and banquette seating to provide an outdoor dining room.

This large ground floor extension has sliding folding doors and a level threshold which allow the house interior and the garden exterior to become one. A series of windows set within a green 'sedum' roof, cast light into the rear of the dining room. Bespoke joinery includes an island unit, a modern interpretation of a Welsh dresser and floor to ceiling shelving.

Surrounded by heathland and five miles from the coast, a cosmetically jaded bungalow has been transformed into a contemporary home. The external walls are clad in Scottish larch which will fade to a silvery grey over time. Ceramic tiled walls and a new front door enliven the entrance. The 1970s styling continues indoors with the transformation of the kitchenwith two-tone formica laminated units and a geometric pattern of open shelving. In the living room a new large picture window overlooks the rear garden and a veranda.

Larchwood was feature in 25 Beautiful Homes magazine February 2013 issue

The conversion of the attic space to an upper floor flat has also provided a valuable roof terrace. Within a conservation area, the terrace has to sit sensitively behind the existing angled brick back wall of the house. A glass balustrade lessens the impact of the roof terrace as seen from neighbours gardens.

The brief involved the modernisation of a two storey Victorian terrace. To increase natural light and a greater sense of space, a wall has been removed to replace the narrow hall with a receiving space. Openings are also created within existing walls to create long dynamic views through the series of open plan rooms.

A small extension to the rear of the house is built into a steeply sloping garden. To achieve maximum daylight the design incorporates a self-supporting structural glazed roof.

To provide headroom, the existing ridge of the roof was raised and four large rooflights look towards the street. Detailing is kept simple with the reduction of skirtings and architraves and within the en-suite shower a sheet of glass separates the showering zone.