Victorian overhauls

A carefully conceived extension could be the key to unlocking the potential of your period property without compromising its character. Let our selection of innovative schemes be your inspiration...

Preserving character

Mulroy Architects designed the ground and first floor extensions to this characterful home in Muswell Hill, North London. It was important that any alterations to the property did not disturb the original Victorian bay window at the rear. As a solution, Mulroy proposed the inclusion of a courtyard to sit between the existing building and the new rectangular extension.

"The width of the existing building meant that the kitchen in the linking space between the old and new areas would be very narrow," says Andrew Mulroy, a director at the practice. "The courtyard became a frameless curved window, creating more space within and wrapping around the existing bay, that becomes the focus of the new dining area."

This unusual glass addition at the centre of the house creates a direct view from the front of the house through to the back garden. The courtyard itself provides a tranquil outdoor seating area, accessed via a door in the original Victorian bay window.

Maximising the view 

This contemporary extension of stunning glass and blackened stainless steel maximises its scenic coastal location on the Ayrshire coast, making the most of views across the Firth of Clyde towards the Isle of Arran. Brown & Brown developed the design for the scheme.

"It was important that any new additions were visually subservient to the original house," says Andrew Brown, a director at the practice. "The property is a traditional Victorian villa of red sandstone, which had faced the elements for more than 150 years."