ORANGE CRUSH

The distinctive roofs and tiles of 18th-century Kent were the starting point for a modern extension that has revived the fortunes of this characterful house

- Caroline Ednie

As they searched for a new home in Kent, one Edinburgh couple found themselves falling in love with the pastoral charm of an 18th-century house near Sevenoaks. It had a classic clay-tiled catslide roof, was surrounded by mature gardens and terraces, and inside its original timbers were exposed. It was quirky, authentic and beautiful, and they felt irresistibly drawn to it.

But there was no denying that the house, arranged over four levels including basement and attic, would require a great deal of work to bring it up to a modern standard of living. The couple turned for assistance to Crew Architects, an Edinburghbasedpractice who had worked with them on their home in the Scottish capital several years before.

“They asked for our opinion on this house they were thinking of buying,” recalls project architect Gillian Hanley. “We were very happy to take a look at it. It really helped that we had a strong working relationship with them since Kent’s a long way from here.”

The brief centred around modernising the original parts of the house and replacing the unsympathetic more recent extension with a new two-storey addition. The owners also requested a larger kitchen, flexible spaces and a strong connection to the garden and south-facing aspect.