OUTSIDE/IN, KINGSTON

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This mid-terrace suburban house already had a 3m extension, but it was impractical for the family, being divided into a small kitchen, unconnected to the garden, and a 'study' that was really no more than a corridor linking living room to kitchen to garden.

Constrained by budget, our innovative design only went out a further 1.8m (adding just 10 square metres of floor space), yet looks and feels far bigger as a result of the integration of the 2.3m patio.

The key to connecting these spaces was a continuous floor with level threshold, which we achieved with a bespoke, hand-crafted microcement surface that even wraps up the front of the bench. The side walls also continue outside onto the patio, as does the run of kitchen units on one side and bench seating on the other.

The final ingredient was to open up the entire width in-between via bifold doors, creating one huge inside/outside room for family and entertaining, complete with 10-seater dining table and a 7m long run of bench seating that also doubles as storage.

As well as demonstrating the value of connecting inside and outside spaces, this project was also a lesson in how adding just a small area of floor space can sometimes be the key to unlocking an internal reorganisation and creating spaces that are both practical and spectacular.