This large seafront property, part of an Edwardian villa, had been converted from a nursery, so the first step was to turn a commercial building into back into a family home. On the ground floor, the rooms appeared surprisingly small and felt cramped and dark and missing the opportunity for lots of lovely coastal light.

Removing a chimney

We began by taking down an internal wall and removing two massive chimney breasts that occupied space in the entire house, which involved significant structural work.  But it was worth it as we were able to double the size of the existing kitchen internally without extending anything.

We added a bay window to bring in more natural light, opened up the living area out onto a new garden and created space for parking.

With such a large open plan space it was important to create a fire strategy, but the owners are delighted with their large open-plan kitchen-dining room and lounge and the additional light and space.