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Wandsworth home remodeling with utility room, side return extension, kitchen and family bathroom.

Wandsworth home remodeling with utility room, side return extension, kitchen and family bathroom. Bathrooms, Interior Styling, Kitchens, Design Services, Buildings & Renovations

Our brief was to rethink the ground floor arrangement and potentially look at extending this home in Wandsworth, South West London. A new kitchen, family bathroom, utility space and downstairs WC all formed part of the our client's wish list.

This semi-detached period property had already undergone several alterations, including a previous extension and loft conversion. Although the owners already had plans for a further extension, we wanted to explore whether a better layout could meet their needs without unnecessarily increasing the size of the property.

Rethinking the layout of a Wandsworth period home

Like many typical South West London period villas we created a part infill extension, in this case a side return extension, while trying to retain as much of the sunny garden as possible. The home had been adapted in the past and benefitted from a small extension and loft conversion. The ground floor had been opened up and the staircase adapted to be a central feature.

The challenge was to improve the way the house worked for the family. The entrance hallway felt small, the downstairs WC was rather exposed, and the largely open-plan ground floor lacked clearly defined spaces. Better storage was also needed for coats, boots and everyday belongings.

Before committing to major structural changes, we explored with the client how the existing floor plan could be reorganised to address these issues.

Creating distinct living spaces

Previously, the ground floor was mostly open plan, but we remodelled it to create distinct spaces, including an impressive hallway, front lounge, ground floor WC, and a kitchen/diner/family room with a feature pantry.

The aim was to give each area a clearer purpose without losing the open, spacious feeling the family enjoyed. The layout also needed to accommodate their piano and harp, alongside practical storage and comfortable everyday living spaces.

Double-glazed Crittall-style doors maintain a sense of spaciousness in the hallway and extend the kitchen through to the pantry.

Upstairs, we added a utility room and relocated the bathroom to a small, previously disused front bedroom. This addressed another problem with the original layout. The large family bathroom had been used to accommodate laundry facilities, while the smaller bedroom wasn't particularly useful as a guest room. Reconsidering these spaces allowed us to make better use of the available bedroom space.

Improving the connection with the garden

Our spacial planners worked with the clients to understand how they used the space. Through the spacial planning process it became clear that the kitchen, dining area and TV area could be configured much better.

An important part of the brief was to improve the connection with the garden, particularly for family dining and entertaining, without sacrificing too much valuable outdoor space.

The kitchen and TV area were swapped round. Not only did this open up the access route into the garden via large glass bifold doors, but we also introduced and fitted a clever sliding window so food can be passed through from the kitchen to outdoor dining area. A second bi-fold door was added between the TV area and the outdoor dining space to allow the outdoor space to feel part of the rear room.

Together, these changes created a stronger connection between the kitchen, family living areas and garden, making better use of the available space without unnecessarily sacrificing outdoor space.

A considered approach to house renovation

Throughout this Wandsworth renovation, our approach was guided by how the family wanted to use their home, rather than simply adding more floor space.

By reconsidering the arrangement of the kitchen, living areas, hallway, storage and upstairs accommodation, we were able to address several practical problems within the wider renovation.

The finished design combines carefully planned living spaces, contemporary glazed doors, improved storage and a stronger connection with the garden, while respecting the character of the existing period property.

The result brings together the traditional character of this Wandsworth period home with a more contemporary approach to space, light and everyday family living.

"We chose Lime as we wanted a single company to deal with the whole project from start to finish".

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“A truly exceptional space planning and interior design interpretation of our needs that exceeded our expectations!”

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