‘WE EXCAVATED TO CREATE HIGH CEILINGS’
Extending outwards and downwards has allowed for an airy kitchen-diner
Kirsty Kirkby, co-owner of interior design company Cocoon Interiors and her husband Tim, a film and TV director, live in a five-bedroom end-of-terrace Edwardian house in East Sussex with their two children, Ralphy, nine, and Kit, seven. The original kitchen was a cold galley at the rear of the house with a tiny window and no access to the garden When did you buy your house and what was it like?
We bought it in 2015. It was rundown, with an overgrown garden and subsidence issues, and hadn’t been touched since the 1960s, so it was a full restoration project. The vinyl wallpapers were holding everything together, so every ceiling and wall in the house had to be replaced.
Tell us about the old kitchen
It was long and narrow with very little storage, no heating and a draughty UPVC bay window. Access to the garden was around the side of the house so we wanted to change that with a new design. We lived with that galley space for three long years, while renovating the rest of the house.
How did you design the extension?
Having ruled out expanding the kitchen internally, instead we opted to remove it completely and extend outwards by four metres. We also decided to dig down by a metre to give us high ceilings. The plot is on a slope so this had the advantage of giving us access to the garden without needing steps. We couldn’t have too many rooflights due to being overlooked by flats, so we decided to glaze the whole of the back of the house, which guarantees lots of light and gives us the loft style that we love.
Who was responsible for the final look and feel of the space?
I designed the room myself and we were recommended Lifesize Architecture in Brighton to put together the plans and apply for the planning permission. They have a good relationship with the council and the application went through without a problem. My must-haves for the space were an island and a large dining table, as we love having
‘We decided to GLAZE the back of the house to give us the LOFT LOOK we love’
friends and family over. I decided to avoid too many wall units because I like vintage bits and pieces and wanted some open shelves to display them on.
What style were you aiming for?
I wanted something classic to fit with the period of the house, but with more contemporary features. I chose a wood kitchen and spent a long time testing colours for a shade that wasn’t too grey, too green or too blue. In the end I went for Little Greene’s Scree.
And your must-have feature?
The island was the most important element for me. I wanted it to be like having another dining table, a place to sit and chat while preparing food. I deliberately chose not to have the sink set into it, as I didn’t want it being cluttered with washing up!
Did you have a budget in mind and did you manage to stick to it?
Fortunately, by carefully searching for the right products, we managed to stay within budget. The Skyglaze windows/doors were £13,000, which is more than we’d imagined, but aren’t they always that much! We postponed doing the planned external works – the garden, and the adjacent snug area – in order to afford them. The kitchen building materials and labour totalled £70,000 and we spent around £27,000 on furnishing the room.
Did the project go without a hitch?
Yes – luckily we were able to continue living here and made a temporary kitchen in one of the reception rooms, which enabled us both to keep an eye on progress and ensure any issues were addressed promptly. It all took four months in total.
How do you feel now it’s all finished?
We love the end result! It blends seamlessly with the house and has been life-changing in so many ways. It’s somewhere the family can meet up after work and school and we’ve had some fabulous parties here.
‘The ISLAND was the most IMPORTANT element, a place to SIT AND CHAT while preparing food’