Rear Wraparound Extension to a Victorian Terrace, Islington

The site made things harder. The garden slopes up to the north, which meant any rear extension risked sitting below ground level and losing light. Kirstin also missed the easy indoor-outdoor living she had grown up with in New Zealand. On top of this, the house sits within the Whitehall Park Conservation Area in Islington, and earlier attempts to reach agreement with neighbours had slowed progress and eroded confidence.

The breakthrough came from changing how the garden was understood. Instead of treating it as a problem of levels and retaining walls, we helped the clients see it as a large window planter, almost like a deep window box sitting just beyond the kitchen. By carefully extending into the slope and keeping the internal floor level consistent, the garden could sit flush with the kitchen window rather than above it. A light zinc and glass structure brings daylight deep into the space without casting heavy shadows, while large sliding doors make the garden feel visually present even when closed. This reflects how we approach rear extension design, thinking about how new spaces feel to live in, not just how they look on plan.

Alongside the rear extension, the project included a light refurbishment to the rest of the house, including a new family bathroom, so that the home worked as a coherent whole rather than a series of isolated improvements.

Today, the kitchen opens directly onto planting at eye level, with steps rising gently to a patio beyond. The rooms connect naturally, the floors are level throughout, and the space works as a calm family hub all year round. The clients describe feeling rewarded every day when they walk into the kitchen. What was once a compromised route to the garden has become the heart of the home, and a place that feels both practical and quietly joyful to live in.