The Middle House involved the complete re-structuring of a late 19th century house in the heart of Chorlton. The main works involved turning a disjointed ground floor, with existing awkward unusable spaces into a series of orchestrated spaces, that allow the house to flow seamlessly from one area to the next.
The project principally involved knocking down an existing unsympathetic timber pergola and constructing a new rear extension. The existing extension comprised of a disorganised kitchen which was used as a corridor to the rear garden, therefore not safe space for young children and not a space which allowed for cohesive cooking or entertaining.
Internally, the form and structure combine to produce a main living and main living space with dramatic crittall style doors visually linking the kitchen and living together. The large central kitchen Island provides a hub for all of the family, with exposed beams in the ceiling-scape which indicate the transition between the existing and proposed forms coming together, bringing together the old and new elements of the house.
The theme of warm tones is continues from the entrance door to the garden door, with herringbone flooring throughout with fixed and loose furniture defining the arrangement of rooms and providing the backbone to the interior scheme. Views of the garden have been framed through monumental openings, positioned to draw in natural light and create a light filled central area which was once dark.
The structural elements are exposed where possible and is tempered by the internal wall panelling and joinery. A bespoke modern shaker style kitchen with patterned splashback and decorative lighting all chosen by the client, help bring character and warmth without over dramatising the space in a way that could have been cluttered or overbearing. The pantry sits on the opposite side to the kitchen, although it draws inspiration from the kitchen by using the same colour and style to help create a visual relationship between the kitchen and dining room areas.
Daylight is carefully controlled through large windows and rooflight reveals, and the features such as coving extends into the period rooms within the house. The living room lighting is controlled with a shutter across the bay window filtering daylight and providing privacy.
The project involved works to the upper bathroom and basement areas to help re-establish our client love for this period property and creates a sense of ownership and pride.
A massive thank you to our clients, Tom for appointing us to carry out the work. A thank you to Every Trade for their hard work and delivery. And finally a special mention to friend and photographer Paul Karalius.
CLIENT KATE & TOM YEAR COMPLETED 2024 LOCATION Chorlton SECTOR Small Scale Residential EXTENSION SIZE 15 sqm STATUS Completed CONTRACTOR Howe Developments PHOTOGRAPHYPaul Karalius