Kitchen Addition Creates a Light and Welcoming Family Hub
An architect found on Houzz designs a new kitchen-dining area with indoor-outdoor connections and farmhouse style
Sometimes patience pays off, especially when the architect you want to hire is busy. It certainly did for the owners of this 17th-century English farmhouse. When they first found architect Lydia Robinson of Design Storey on Houzz, she was working on another project. “They’d seen a cottage we’d worked on while browsing Houzz and liked the style,” Robinson says.
A year later, following an unsuccessful experience with another architect, the owners reconnected with Robinson, who then started transforming their home. It was worth the wait, as Robinson created a cozy and functional new space for the couple and their two children.
A year later, following an unsuccessful experience with another architect, the owners reconnected with Robinson, who then started transforming their home. It was worth the wait, as Robinson created a cozy and functional new space for the couple and their two children.
After: The new L-shaped room faces north so Robinson could include plenty of glass without the risk of the room getting too hot. The dining area is positioned in the flat-ceilinged part of the room, and the kitchen is located beneath an airy pitched roof with oak beams.
Kitchen rooflights bring in extra daylight, and a window above the sink looks out to a kitchen garden at the side of the house. A vintage wooden cabinet stores tableware and adds to the cozy feel.
Kitchen cabinets, sink, dining table and dining room pendant light: all deVOL
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Kitchen rooflights bring in extra daylight, and a window above the sink looks out to a kitchen garden at the side of the house. A vintage wooden cabinet stores tableware and adds to the cozy feel.
Kitchen cabinets, sink, dining table and dining room pendant light: all deVOL
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Before and after: The kitchen redesign was part of a bigger project, which included some work upstairs and a new backyard office-spiritual room. A previous addition was knocked down and a new version built on the same footprint.
It was in this addition that Robinson located the new kitchen and dining room with the idea of bringing in more light while maintaining a connection to the rest of the house and the backyard studio. A wide new door into the living room creates a diagonal flow from the kitchen. The backyard studio can be viewed from the dining room and kitchen area.
It was in this addition that Robinson located the new kitchen and dining room with the idea of bringing in more light while maintaining a connection to the rest of the house and the backyard studio. A wide new door into the living room creates a diagonal flow from the kitchen. The backyard studio can be viewed from the dining room and kitchen area.
This exterior view shows the home’s new addition. The pitched roof is covered with reclaimed tiles from the old addition, and the new building is clad in oak.
“We didn’t want the extension to clash and be too contemporary, so we added a copper roof to the flat-roofed part to tie it in with the brick,” Robinson says. “It’s quite subtle as we wanted it to feel low-key.”
In addition to sliding glass doors, the addition has a wooden back door that provides easy access from the dining room to the driveway, not pictured.
“We didn’t want the extension to clash and be too contemporary, so we added a copper roof to the flat-roofed part to tie it in with the brick,” Robinson says. “It’s quite subtle as we wanted it to feel low-key.”
In addition to sliding glass doors, the addition has a wooden back door that provides easy access from the dining room to the driveway, not pictured.
The addition is level with the patio, so a French drain (a trench filled with gravel) was installed around the outside to protect the building from water damage.
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
The owners chose a farmhouse-style dining table and added a mix of vintage chairs the couple already owned for an informal, eclectic feel.
Sliding glass doors provide a nearly uninterrupted view of the backyard and studio. “They wanted the main house to relate to the outbuilding, so we used the same detailing on both,” Robinson says.
Sliding glass doors provide a nearly uninterrupted view of the backyard and studio. “They wanted the main house to relate to the outbuilding, so we used the same detailing on both,” Robinson says.
A large island forms the hub of the kitchen, and a combination of low and tall cabinets surround it. “We wanted the kitchen to feel open as you entered from the hallway, so we put low cabinets toward the front and hid the tall units along the back wall,” Robinson says.
Barstools: Cox & Cox
Barstools: Cox & Cox
The cabinetry wall includes a tall pantry cabinet next to the fridge. Limestone flooring brings a warm, rustic look to the room, while vintage pendants add a industrial modern touch.
Limestone flooring: Indigenous UK; island pendant lights: Skinflint
Limestone flooring: Indigenous UK; island pendant lights: Skinflint
A fixed window at the end of the kitchen maintains the connection to the backyard and means the person working in the studio can see who is in the kitchen.
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More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos for ideas
Find a kitchen remodeler
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two children
Location: Warwickshire, England
Size: Kitchen area: 312 square feet (29 square meters), 21⅗ by 14⅖ feet; dining area: 132 square feet (12.3 square meters), 11½ x 11½ feet
Architect: Lydia Robinson of Design Storey
Before: The original kitchen in this country farmhouse was cozy but dark. Located in a central part of the house, it didn’t get much light. However, its position meant it felt like the heart of the home, and this was something Robinson wanted to retain for the new space.