Before and after: a kitchen extension went from the darkness to the light!

Reconfiguring the main living areas of this family home transformed it from dark and dingy to a sociable space to welcome guests

When the owners of this four-bedroom 1930s house moved in, it hadn’t been updated for years. The ground floor was poorly designed; as well as being greeted by the downstairs loo when you walked in the front door, the (theoretically) space-creating rear extension that housed the kitchen was dark and dated. It was far from welcoming…or practical.

The owners asked an architect to design a new extension for an open-plan kitchen and living room that overlooked the garden, and to reconfigure the rest of the space – moving the cloakroom and creating a new laundry area. Taking inspiration from the French kitchen of one of the owners’ grandmothers, they chose cabinetry from Marcus Paul Kitchens.

A large island unit, topped with a luxurious marble work top, separates the kitchen from the dining and living areas, while industrial-style pendant lights zone the open-plan area further (as well as providing smart task lighting). The large paintings on the wall inspired the colour scheme in this family space, which contrasts soothing greens and energetic oranges.

The dining area has a relaxed feel, courtesy of a blend of elegant dark wood, industrial touches and traditional silverware. Situated beside a bank of full-height French doors, whose colour matches the sage green of the kitchen cabinetry and upholstery, this area has a sociable inside-outside feel that the family can enjoy all year round.

As well as handy boiling water tap in the Island, this kitchen has a nifty swivel arm tap at the wall sink – its flexibility makes food prep and washing up a breeze!

A tall cabinet at one end of the bank of kitchen units conceals a slender built-in larder. A fraction of the space of a traditional walk-in larder, this smart design is ideal for keeping store cupboard essentials organised and on-hand, whatever the recipe calls for.

The owners replaced the gloomy extension that they’d inherited with the property when they bought it, with this light-filled structure. The new rear extension – which opens out on to the garden through crittall French doors – was designed to be in keeping with the exterior of the original house.