The Home with Two-Storeys to Tell

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Classic, Lipton Plant Architects Lipton Plant Architects Classic style houses
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Imagine buying your dream home, only to realise a little further down the line, that you need more space. You face a heart wrenching dilemma; do you move to somewhere bigger and hope you have accrued enough extra equity to put towards it, or do you look into extending your existing home?

This fantastic project, in London, sees a lovely home being effortlessly enlarged. The original home is not overshadowed at all, it merely works and looks as thought it has always had the wonderfully understated add-on that is a little different to many other extensions.

Don't take our word for it though, come take a look!

A Tasteful display

There is such a huge variety of extension styles out there that it can be dizzying, but with so many homes now taking the 'add a box onto the back' approach, it is always a little more exciting to see something a touch different, such as this one from Lipton Plant Architects.

We love the small full width addition that seamlessly leads into a lovely two-storey cube at the side. Not only is extra space garnered in the downstairs open plan area this way, but a whole extra bedroom can be created upstairs, solving those extra space needs!

The perfect setting

As much as we are enormous fans of the open plan extension technique, we are always a little confused when the rear garden hasn't been landscaped as well. After all, the family will be spending the majority of their time in the new space, so why not have a view out into the garden that makes the most of it?

We love how the garden has not been neglected here and it's a real sign of a home that is loved and nurtured. With a view like this just outside the glazed wall, there is no shame in letting it come on in to be part of the house and vice versa. What a connection to nature!

Beautiful touches

What can you say about this room other than wow? There is a definite tranquility about this space isn't there? Even a busy family, with each member focused on their own activities, would struggle to make this room feel noisy and cluttered!

A great use of space, the kitchen and dining room areas have been given their own definitive zones, while the dog-leg makes for a wonderful and cosy snug. So often with these open plan layouts, everything feels just a tiny bit more cramped than you'd like, but that is not a problem here!

Flashes of inspiration

While the modern interior design uniform of white and natural wood has been put to great use here, what's really interesting is the installation of pungent flashes of colour too. While the dining room section is encased in a powdery grey, the kitchen favours vivid green, with a lime splashback and Art Deco-inspired feature wall.

Breaking with tradition like this is what sets a project apart and it's surprising what a huge impact some colour can have. There is an undeniable respect for the house, both old and new sections here, which is what makes this eccentric design choices work so seamlessly. Just look at the ceiling too!

Mirrored design

The new extension and open plan design have been magically integrated within a lovely home and it's the mirroring of certain elements that really ties it all together. The double doors leading from the kitchen area, into the rest of the house, are a simplified version of these front doors.

Take a scroll back and you'll see we are right! Such respectful touches have ensured that this is an extension worthy of our envy and not simply something that has been plonked on the back and forced to work. It's the epitome of sensitive, great design.

For more extension inspiration, take a look at this Ideabook: A Family Home Extension Masterpiece. We think you'll be inspired by what can be done!

Do you like the style of this extension more than others we've shown you? Tell us what grabs your attention!

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