Introduction

Our clients in this case study were the parents of Chris, our oak framer. They were aware of our work and had been watching previous projects for quite some time before they chose to engage us for their own oak framed extension. Their property lies close to the Ashdown Forest, Sussex. Although the dwelling is not old, it was constructed along classic Arts and Crafts lines and has a thatched roof.

Consequently, the leaded light windows were small. In conjunction with the small room sizes, the small windows meant that the home was rather dim, and not much light came into the property. The clients had already changed some internal walls to improve the layout but the kitchen, which faced West, still only had one small window. Unfortunately, the view from this window was further curtailed by the large tree located outside. Additionally, the ground sloped away quite quickly from the back wall of the property so the existing garden was not visible when seated, which also reduced the amenity of the room.

Brief

Our brief, therefore, was to create an oak framed conservatory/extension to the allow as much light into the kitchen as possible. The kitchen was also to be remodelled and we were also tasked to provide a space in which the clients could enjoy dining/relaxing whilst taking advantage of the westerly views over the garden and valley beyond.

Design

We, therefore, provided a design which opened up the kitchen, by means of the removal of the whole back wall and allowed the addition of a large oak conservatory beyond which seamlessly linked house and garden. Our design included the remodelling of the kitchen to take advantage of the new layout and all associated electrical and plumbing works and the blending of the two spaces to create a cohesive and harmonious living space. At the same time, the clients relaid the adjacent patio area to match up with the new pairs of French doors which we incorporated into our design to allow easy access to the garden.

Bespoke Project

As is normal, we were contracted to undertake the complete build from start to finish and we had the additional complication that we had to keep the house fully functional in terms of electrics, water, sewerage and the existing kitchen since the Clients were in residence throughout the build. Due to the ground level falling sharply away it was decided to build matching brick faced walls up to the level of the damp proof course (DPC) and a suspended floor was installed for the new conservatory to match the existing kitchen floor.

Construction 

At our Sussex based workshop (we usually build our oak frames at this location for our clients in East Sussex, West Sussex and Surrey), we constructed our oak frame extension designed specifically to allow uninterrupted views to the West, whilst allowing access to the garden at the front through the two pairs of oak French doors and steps to the new patio installed by others. We completely removed the back wall of the kitchen and installed two airdried structural beams to support the second floor of the property above. This ensured the strength and structural integrity of the new extension. We tiled the entirety of the floor of the old kitchen and the new conservatory with a limestone tile to give a seamless feel that joined the old and the new and blended them perfectly. We also installed a new kitchen with island and units which were colour-matched to the wainscot panelling we installed in part of the oak conservatory to hide existing service pipes etc. We also manufactured new oak drawer fronts to link the kitchen to the oak frame and bring the beauty of the timber into the cooking and preparation area together. These, along with new oak worktops, helped to give a consolidated feel to the whole project. Finally, a new colour-matched electric Aga completed the kitchen.

The Final Result

As the images show below, the kitchen has been filled with light, creating a brighter and more welcoming place for preparing food and cooking. What is more, the new kitchen layout perfectly complements the oak conservatory and the clients can now enjoy dining or relaxing in the conservatory whilst not being in any way cut off from the kitchen. The new layout is perfectly suited to more modern, open-plan living and is also tailored to allow a closer connection between the garden and the home. The connection with the garden facilitates indoors-outdoors living and further increases the amenity of the home.

Gary Parker