‘We’ve created a sociable family space’ A fabulous new kitchen-diner extension
A stylish kitchen-diner extension transformed Quentin and Seija Keeble’s cramped Victorian property
Building an extension was always on the agenda for Quentin and Seija Keeble, who bought their north London home in 2010. ‘It was in need of modernisation,’ says Quentin, managing director of property development company, London Home Quarters (homequarters. com). ‘It had a poky kitchen with a corridor that ate up a lot of room.’
Creating more space was a top priority for Seija and Quentin. ‘We had an eight-year-old son and were expecting twins,’ he says. They hoped to add a rear extension with an open-plan kitchen-diner. ‘We wanted to have a more sociable space.’
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
The planning process was not straightforward. ‘We made three unsuccessful applications to the council over six years,’ says Quentin. ‘In the end, we appointed Whiteman Architects (whitemanarchitects.com) to handle the design and got support from a local ward councillor who helped push the plans through. It was a good day when we got the approval.’
TRANSFORMATION COMPLETE The couple has no regrets about tackling the build. ‘I love the fact that the kitchen-diner is so open,’ says Quentin. ‘We spend most of our time in there, as a family.’ The back garden was levelled off to create a seamless connection between inside and out. ‘It’s made a big change to how we live.’