Contemporary glazed extension
Harmonious combination of an uber contemporary glazed extension on a Victorian stone property
Our clients came to us with a challenge: take the classic timber conservatory on their Victorian house nestled in the Somerset countryside, and amp it up to match their modern lifestyle.
Built from gorgeous local stone and decorated with modern art and cool furniture, this home had a lot of character, but the old timber conservatory was holding it back.
They wanted to improve the flow, making the space more functional, whilst also tapping into their love for sustainability and personal style.
The floor-to-ceiling, high-spec glazing looks impressive and works hard. With low u-values, it keeps the space warm in the winter, and when the heat’s on in the summer, the doors slide back, opening the room completely, making it a space you want to hang out in all year round.
The extension and existing adjoining boot room are clad in Iroko Thermowood which is FSC/PEFC certified, built to last, and tough as nails. It’s durable, highly insulating, and will be around for a minimum of 30 years. And when the time comes, the Thermowood can be swapped out like-for-like, with the old timber recycled or chipped because sustainability’s in the DNA of this project.
We finished it off with a natural Sedum roof that improves air quality, cuts down on rainwater runoff, boosts insulation, and supports the kind of insect life that matters, pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
The result? A space that’s as sleek and functional as it is eco-friendly, blending the Victorian roots with a modern, sustainable twist.
Creating extra space
The property's existing traditional timber conservatory was attractive but uncomfortably hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Most of the time, it sat unused or simply served as a passage through to the terrace and garden. Plus, its style didn’t match the owners’ contemporary taste or fit with their modern way of living.
They wanted a space that made the most of their garden views and worked for them, whatever the season.
We designed a contemporary glazed extension that made smart use of all the existing openings in the house’s exterior walls keeping costs down and avoiding major disruption to the rest of the property during construction. Large sliding glazed panels make up the two external facades that look directly onto the garden. Exposed timber joists support a flat sedum roof above, and an external canopy over the south facing glazing limits solar gains and controls direct sunlight into the space.
Harmonious design
To achieve a coherent connection between the new extension and the existing architecture, we carried key design elements through from the main house and the adjoining boot room.
Inside, we matched the ceiling and flooring timber to that of the boot room, while the slate grey wall colour wraps around the new internal walls and is repeated in the dark grey frames of the sliding glazed panels, steel structure and all interior frames.
Exposed joists, perfectly aligned on either side of the steel frame, give the illusion of running from the internal stone wall right through to the exterior overhang.
Smooth flow
A flush threshold between the terrace and the interior enhances the seamless transition from inside to outside.
Outside, pre-oiled ThermoWood Iroko hardwood cladding wraps around both the gabled boot room and the new garden room extension, creating a unified look.
We used varying lengths of the same Iroko hardwood for the terrace decking to tie together the aesthetics of the house and the garden.
Slate grey fascias support a sedum roof that beautifully integrates the building with its countryside surroundings. A contemporary edge is added with precision stainless steel guttering and downpipes.
The spatial design of this modern garden room extension is bold, clean, and simple. Despite its generous dimensions, the structure feels visually light and strikes a perfect contrast between the old and the new.
What was once a traditional conservatory has been transformed into a fun, light-filled, and cosy space that’s now used year-round, day and night. In every sense, this modern garden room has extended the living space, creating the perfect threshold between the house and the garden, seamlessly bridging the oldest part of the property with a fresh, contemporary vibe.
