‘A little extra space makes a big difference’
Dominique and Fergus King tagged a garden room onto the back of their ground-floor flat
Dominique and Fergus King loved the location of their flat, with its south-facing garden, but the living room at the front was just too small for a family.
RETHINKING THE SPACE
The solution was a petite extension that would expand the space and make their interior more connected to the small garden. ‘We wanted to live in zones, so the kitchen, dining area and garden room are all open, but all distinct from each other,’ explains Dominique.
THE NEW ROOM
The couple’s architect designed an insulated timber frame that was built on site and finished with western red cedar cladding, fitted horizontally. The local planning department stipulated that the roof window of the extension should be strong enough to bear a required weight. As a result, the glass is super strong and a special metal frame was fitted to support it. ‘It was thoroughly tested one winter, when there was a heavy snowfall,’ says Dominique.
GARDEN DESIGN
The earth excavated during the project was used to build big raised beds and the garden was landscaped. ‘It is very much part of the house now,’ says Dominique, ‘largely because the floor level is the same inside and out.’
WHAT we learned
“Everything takes longer than you think it will and is more expensive. Plus you may not be able to live in the house while the work is in progress, so you might have to budget to rent somewhere as well”