Ruvigny Gardens Home

A couple worked with Syte Architects to incorporate a small side return of their London Victorian home, an extension that transforms their space into a comfortable and warm living environment.

  • area / size 1,507 sqft
  • Year 2017
  • Type House,
  • The clients at Ruvigny Gardens found themselves in a situation similar to many Londoners living in a Victorian terrace. They had a small side return which they wanted to incorporate into their living space; a relatively small intervention which would transform their home.

    The extension is sliced by a band of glass which separates the original house and the new bespoke kitchen. The brief was to create comfortable, warm spaces for living, and to avoid a cold, clinical aesthetic. This was achieved by carefully choosing a complementary palette of materials such as brick, glass, timber and a soft corian work surface.

    In addition to the side extension, there was a poorly constructed existing loft conversion completed many years before. By simply extending the loft by 30cm to meet the party wall, the layout could dramatically change, to create a grand master bedroom and ensuite.

    The brief was to create a bright open plan kitchen with a bespoke kitchen to allow for hosting friends and family. Also, by enlarging their existing mansard dormer allowed for better proportioned master bedroom and ensuite.

    The side extension was only an additional area of 7m2, so the challenge was how to make a big impact with a small intervention.

    Design: Syte Architects
    Photography: James Morris