ALL BRIGHT NOW

The addition of a glass extension has turned a gloomy basement flat into a bright and airy home

Rosie Rockel has lived in her basement flat in a Victorian mansion house in Brixton, London, for the past six years. ‘I moved here from Hackney in east London and this flat was all I could afford. Originally, I bought it with my Dad and I’m paying him back a bit at a time – I certainly couldn’t afford to buy it now!’ she smiles.

‘I was quite happy here and it’s a great flat, with a fair amount of space, but it had all the problems of a typical basement home – it was dark, had low ceilings and a slightly dungeon-y feel,’ she explains. ‘The living room and kitchen were served by a very small window in the kitchen at the back. It had a chunky uPVC frame and there were bars over the window. And you couldn’t see the garden from inside the flat, which seemed a bit silly,’ continues Rosie.

Then, her situation changed. ‘I inherited some money from my grandmother, so it seemed like a good time to make the changes I wanted.’ So two years ago, Rosie decided to replace the kitchen, extend outwards and gain access to the garden. ‘I put in three planning applications in total, which took a year, and discovered that, as I’m in a conservation area, I could only have a glass conservatory, which was not my first choice,’ she explains. A builder was

found and work began. But, as always with these projects, nothing is ever simple and creating the extension had a knock-on effect.

‘I ended up gutting the whole flat - back to the bare brickwork,’ says Rosie. Following her builder’s advice, she lowered the floor in the living area and took the ceiling up about a foot, which made a huge difference to the space. ‘No-one else would probably notice, but it just feels more airy and comfortable somehow,’ says Rosie. The whole space was replastered and new cork flooring laid throughout, and, at that point, Rosie also decided to replace the bathroom. With the extension

‘I ended up gutting the whole flat – back to the bare brickwork. Now, it feels more spacious and comfortable’

underway, she had to make a decision about what type of kitchen to go for. ‘I didn’t want to spend a fortune, so I looked on Pinterest and saw basic wood veneer kitchens from companies such as Custom Fronts and Plykea using Ikea carcasses, and started to get quotes. But I realised they weren’t actually that cheap and you effectively end up with an Ikea kitchen,’ she explains. After a bit more research, Rosie found Pluck which, it turned out, is based just five minutes away from her flat. ‘I liked the idea that they were local and they were really easy to deal with. And everything is made in London too.’ Rosie chose a soft pink for the space. ‘Not because I’m a millennial!’ she laughs. ‘I just think it’s a very pleasing colour to live with – it’s sort of peachy and soft, and after getting more light into the space, I didn’t want to go for a dark colour.’

There’s now a side door from the kitchen out into the garden, which is terraced to take it up to street level. Rosie incorporated gabions – metal cages filled with stones – and had flower beds inserted into them. The gabions are also used for seating, and decking was laid. ‘I use the garden so much more now,’ says Rosie. ‘It’s funny because people used to come over and didn’t even know there was a garden out there! And although it backs onto a main road,

once you step into it now, you forget you are in the city.’ Although the living room is brighter due to the extension, Rosie wanted to make a virtue of its cosiness and chose a deep green paint for the walls. It’s furnished with Ebay buys and family pieces, as well as some of Rosie’s finds from around the world. ‘I seem to bring something back from wherever I travel to, and sometimes that can cause problems. When I bought a vintage floor lamp back from Madrid, I wrapped it in bubble wrap and put it in the hold, but when it was taken off the plane, somehow the wires came loose and it jammed the whole carousel at Gatwick airport. I wasn’t very popular. I told myself then: “You don’t need to do this every time you go on holiday…”’ she laughs.

The bedrooms and bathroom lead off the small central hallway. Rosie furnished the bathroom with some reclaimed tiles she found in Maitland & Poate, which specialises in reclaimed encaustic Spanish tiles. They’re an unusual design in a soft orangey pink. ‘As you’ve probably noticed, I like things with history,’ she says. ‘I did end up spending a lot more than I originally planned, but it was such a good decision. I love the kitchen and extension, and it’s made such a difference to the whole flat and the way I live’

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‘I use the garden so much more. It’s funny because people used to come over and didn’t even know it was out there. Now, you forget you’re in the city’

KITCHEN Homeowner Rosie in the new glass extension, where the Pluck kitchen – painted in Ruskin Blossom with wooden doors in London Plane – and luscious greenery brighten the space even more

KITCHEN The table and chairs were local finds, while the vintage pendant, by Hans Due for Fog & Morup, above, was bought on Ebay. Over time, Rosie has compiled a statement gallery wall with pieces bought from exhibitions and car boot sales. The charcoal head is a study by a French artist, and some of the pieces are signed editions by artists DISPLAY Rosie’s cat is right at home in the bright and stylish new space

LIVING ROOM Leading off from the kitchen, this room feels more spacious with a lower floor and higher ceiling. Rosie still wanted a cosy feel however, so had it painted in Green Smoke by Farrow & Ball. Shelves from String make good use of the alcove

DETAIL A set of six pretty watercolours painted by Rosie’s grandmother hang above a generous L-shaped sofa from Made

BEDROOM Reflecting back the wall in Ultra Blue by Little Greene, the mirrored panel makes the room feel more spacious

EXTERIOR The garden has been terraced using gabions with raised beds