Grand DESIGN'S

Lydia Hutchinson and Andrew Long abandoned plans to move to a larger property and instead set about breathing life into their existing home

After the arrival of their two children, Lydia Hutchinson and Andrew Long wondered if they had outgrown their three-bedroom terrace in east London. 'The house was quite big, but it didn't necessarily feel that way because the kitchen wasn't large enough to eat in, which meant that one half of the double reception space was a dining area,' says Lydia. 'We also wanted a dedicated home office.'

The couple began the search for a larger property further out of London, and approached Matthew Whittaker and Camilla Parsons of architectural firm Whittaker Parsons, to ask if they would visit a couple of houses that they were considering. 'During our conversations, we talked about our current home and they offered to look at that too,' says Lydia. 'The ideas they came up with were so innovative that they persuaded us to stay put and remodel this house. 

To make the kitchen bigger, Matthew and Camilla suggested a small side infill extension with a glazed pitched roof to bring in as much natural light as possible. The extension stops just before the dining area, helping to zone the open-plan space and allow for corner bifolding doors. A concrete floor flows seamlessly from the kitchen to the patio garden, connecting the two spaces. Meanwhile, engineered oak boards were laid on the rest of the ground floor and underfloor heating was installed.