Internal re-organisation of a modern house, Somerset

 

Our brief was to make best use of the existing footprint of the ground floor.

 

The house was originally arranged with the kitchen to the rear, overlooking the garden, and an attached dining room looking over the front drive. The windows to both of these rooms had high cill levels.

 

The living room was entirely separated from, but adjacent to the kitchen space and also located to the rear of the house.  Because of the location of a cloakroom, this room was “L” shaped and difficult to arrange furniture within.

 

The cloakroom was relocated to add back into the living room its “lost” corner, and two sets of French doors and glazing added to the length of the wall to maximize views over the garden.

 

However, the key to the success of this re-organisation was to swap the kitchen and dining areas over.  In doing so, we were able to connect the breakfast room to the rear garden space with French doors.  It also placed this room adjacent to the main living room, and a large opening was made between the two spaces.  This has allowed the breakfast area to maintain its own distinct space, whilst at the same time making it open plan with both the main living room and the kitchen.

 

The cumulative effect of the alterations has been to create generous and bright spaces which feel larger than the original, and which are well connected both to each other and to the main garden.  A major factor in this has been the opening up of long view-lines within the house.