Ground floor extension and remodel, Essex
Before: Separate lounge and kitchen, old uPVC conservatory, garage doing nothing useful.
After: Open-plan kitchen-diner with utility and larder spaces flowing through. Same footprint, completely different feel.
The brief was to create more family space without building out into the garden. We demolished the conservatory, removed internal walls, and converted the garage into a utility room with a larder linking through to the kitchen. Left the doorways open between zones rather than adding doors - it makes the whole ground floor feel twice the size.
Mono-pitch roof extension, rooflights for natural light, herringbone oak flooring throughout. The clients chose a neutral palette - shaker-style cabinetry, marble-effect worktops, that teal accent wall. It’s quite a blank canvas, which suited what they wanted.
What made this project work was getting planning consent sorted early and having clients who trusted the process. When you’re knocking walls down and changing how a house flows, it can feel chaotic mid-build. But they could see the vision, which made the whole thing run smoothly.
Now they’ve got space that actually works for family life - not just rooms for the sake of having rooms.
📸 @claire_naylor_photography
#GroundFloorExtension #KitchenExtension #OpenPlanLiving #EssexArchitect
