Going with the flow

Smart planning when radically extending their property gave the Deals a home with its old and new parts perfectly blended

- KAREN WILSON

Kitchen A mixture of raw wood, painted wood, and glazed cabinets gives the kitchen a relaxed feel. ‘The reclaimed timber floor has a beach-house look,’ says Elizabeth. ‘It feels fresh in summer yet warm and cosy in the winter.’ Having made the decision to downsize, Elizabeth and James Deal began searching for a house with family spaces that flowed. 'We found a dated yet sturdy Edwardian house by Wandsworth Common. There were only a few unmodernized houses left on the street, so it attracted lots of viewings, but needed someone with vision,’ says Elizabeth, who is an interior consultant (ed-design.net). During the 18-month project by Bygga Construction (bygga.co.uk), the family rented a house nearby.

‘The garden was a sloping quagmire with a 1980s conservatory and a small kitchen at the rear. Both were knocked down and replaced with an extension for an open-plan kitchen-diner, with a new main bedroom above. The garage at the side was converted into a laundry, utility and boot room, with a study of the hall. Then the first floor was extended on either side to give us an extra bedroom and two more bathrooms.’ On the top floor, a new mansard roof gave the boys’ bedrooms height and light. There’s also a new basement extension with a games room.