I was asked to remodel an existing farmhouse which had been altered over a number of years forming a collection of poor quality extensions, none of which improved the living spaces of the property, resulting in a strange layout and lots of unusable space. The occupants needed a coherent layout, with a good kitchen/dining space, making sense of the design and maximising the internal spaces. They also needed separate bedrooms, turning the property into a usable family home, for their young baby and possible future additions.

My initial thoughts upon entering the property were that the kitchen floor level is lower than the rest of the house, stepping down and then up again. This needed re-working to make it level. The existing study area was dilapidated, so looking into it, I decided to completely remove the additions and create a blank canvas with which to work from. By adding a new extension to the rear, I have achieved a large kitchen/dining space with two additional bedrooms over and given the rear elevation, which fronts the highway, its own entrance from the drive. By inserting a new staircase and opening up the existing rooms, I have created a more habitable space within the main farmhouse.

The ‘front’ porch was not used for anything, so I have turned this room into a downstairs toilet, to make use of an otherwise vacant space.

The first floor bedrooms can both be entered from the landing with the new staircase layout.

Patio doors are added to the ‘front’ elevation, which is actually facing the rear garden, for accessibility.

Due to the orientation of the building, the property has an original frontage, which faces into the main garden, where I have proposed some patio doors to make this more accessible. The existing rear elevation faces the driveway and highway, so I have given this an entrance and aspect rather than using a side door.

The Clients are extremely pleased with the new layout and look forward to undertaking the project. Building regulations drawings are currently in progress.

The end result provides a much more coherent appearance to the property and looks great.