№ 5

Edwardian House — Contemporary Extension + Refurbishment Devon

Overlooking the Axe valley in the Jurassic Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the original Gentleman’s House has been extensively renovated, extended and modernised to create a lovely family home, whilst still retaining the charm of the original 1900’s Edwardian residence.

In a beautiful location, the house did not relate well to its gardens and views, and the interior had become dated. We were appointed to refresh and reorder the accommodation and also to create new spaces that better reflect modern living, to bring in more natural light and to improve the interior’s access to the surrounding garden, terrace and the views.

A new extension created a light and spacious kitchen-dining area overlooking the garden and linking with the existing terrace. Using a palette of materials and details to match the house, the kitchen extension complements the main house with a contemporary, light and spacious room that brings the garden and surroundings into the interior.

01. The new extension links with the lengthened terrace to open out into the garden

02. Dressed stone quoins with rubble infill reflect the construction of the main house

03. Mixing new and old construction details

04. Composite aluminium-timber framed double glazing frames the garden

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01. Simple clean lines enhance the view of the garden

03. New French doors bring light in and connect to the garden

04. The top lit gallery enhances the side entrance and brings you directly into the house

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Renovation of the existing accommodation was more subtle, where the original entrance and delineation between ‘serviced’ and ‘served’ accommodation was no longer relevant. Rearrangement of the first floor to create a master bedroom suite with dressing room and en suite, provided the opportunity to create a delightful balcony along the length of the house, accessed from the master bedroom via new French doors, so as to take advantage of the stunning views.

On the ground floor the principal rooms were redesigned to provide for home working as well as a spacious drawing room, at the same time as keeping connection with the rest of the house. These changes were linked by a new entrance and gallery that refocused the sense of arrival into the house. Dormer windows added light and a sense of space to the second-floor loft conversion which provided a further three bedrooms and a bathroom. Upgrades to the services included modern lighting, heating and plumbing as well as IT and telecoms to improve connectivity.

01. The alterations open up the house to the garden

02. Minor adaptation of existing rooms to find space or aspect

03. Modern lighting subtly enhances the traditional hall

04. French doors bring light and access to the extended balcony

05. A three bedroom guest suite was achieved through conversion of the loft space

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The scheme holds the practice record for a swift planning approval that was achieved in 4 weeks! Construction work took a little longer, where supported by full architectural services and interior design, a professional yet collaborative approach with a local building contractor encouraged working as a team.

“LCA were sensitive, good at listening and didn’t impose a style on us. They interpreted their brief with clear vision. We and the family love it and still marvel at the transformation” — Client

The alterations to this Edwardian house are an example of evaluating what worked and what did not work so well in the existing house, whilst overlaying this analysis with an understanding of the clients’ brief. The art is therefore to be able to recognise those parts of the accommodation that can be left alone, as much as those parts that would benefit from improvement.