“OUR EXTENSION WAS A REAL FAMILY ADVENTURE”

Ros Bridges and Rob Jones extended their three-bedroom house to create versatile spaces, ready to deal with whatever life throws at them. Ros talks to Amy Reeves about their experience

A Shropshire family add an open-plan space to meet their modern living requirements

Ros, your home is beautiful. What inspired you to take on this extension project?

When we bought the house in 2016 it was a three-bedroom semi that we thought had the potential to work for us as our family grew. We knew if we were going to stay we would need to do something to add more space. The house had a tiny kitchen and an old conservatory that was only usable for three months of the year. I also have two girls who are just becoming teenagers and when our son was born we knew we needed another bedroom, so we began talking with architects and designers to see what was possible.

Was there anything in particular you wanted from this new space?

As well as the extra bedroom and bathroom upstairs, I knew I wanted a versatile family space that would adapt along with the family dynamic over the years. We found Craig Marston from Ke-design and he came up with some really great designs. It was really lovely working with him because we were able to take the best bits from each plan and create something we were really happy with — it was a real collaboration to get something that really worked for us.

The house is in a conservation area, did that have any implication when applying for planning permission?

Planning permission was actually really straightforward thanks to Craig. He has a great relationship with the local planners and he really helped us navigate the process which completely took the headache away. Behind our garden wall is a 16th-century building which means the area around it is also listed, as well as in a conservation area. We needed to stay in keeping with what was already here in terms of the render and window styles but it went full steam ahead and passed planning first time.

Sounds like the dream start, did the rest of the build go as smoothly?

Thankfully it was an extremely positive build with great tradespeople and no major hiccups! Because it’s a rear extension, the builders were able to get to work outside while we stayed put in the house, so we weren’t impacted for quite some time. But then

the day came when they had to knock through and take our existing kitchen away, which changed the whole dynamic with a young baby to care for. It was absolutely hideous having a camp kitchen and doing the washing up in the bath! At one point they also had to knock through upstairs so the girls slept in our make-shift kitchen but they found it great fun — it was a real adventure for them.

The new kitchen, living and dining space is full of clever ideas; how did the design develop?

Fluidity and functionality is what governed it mostly. For me it was down to thinking about the spaces the kids would need as they got older, such as wanting more separation from us while still being connected. So we kept the double doors to the snug/playroom, for instance. It means I can been cooking and watch them play while still keeping an eye on my youngest.

I wanted simple lines for the kitchen and spent many evenings scouring Pinterest for ideas. In the end we worked with our builder’s son-in-law who is a fantastic joiner and adapted basic units from Howdens to look like a Swedish concept design I found. He did a better job than I thought possible.we splashed out on carrera marble worktops because we needed to create a bit of a wow factor against the wood, which I think is gorgeous.

My eldest daughter actually suggested recessing the fridge into the utility wall which was inspired and solved loads of problems — I love that she had input in the house and I’m so pleased to have exposed them all to the experience.

What’s next for the project?

After we ran out of money – as all good projects do – we moth-balled the additional bedroom and since lockdown it has been Rob’s office, but now we’re ready to start again. I feel like finishing would take all the fun away from renovating because we’re going to be here for years and I want to be twiddling about with spaces for a long time to come!

LIGHTING UP The extension is punctuated with light thanks to a roof lantern and bifold doors that create a muchneeded connection with the garden. Memories of sitting in the rain with an umbrella as a child prompted Ros to specifically request the overhang outside to recapture the feeling. Pendant lights (the Circus range from Lighting Styles) and LED strip lights illuminate the craftsmanship in the kitchen and dining spaces.

MULTI-USE SPACES The concealed work space (right and previous page) was built-in just after the first lockdown. James, the kitchen joiner worked to create a space Ros could close off after a day of work. The oak wood panelling gives warmth to the black matt black handleless kitchen.