Year: 2022
This project in historic Manningtree, Essex, was an exercise in adapting an existing detached Victorian house to meet modern family requirements. The primary challenge lay in the original layout: a series of compartmentalised rooms that failed to connect with the expansive garden or the demands of contemporary life.
Our response involved a complete remodelling of the ground floor, centred around the consolidation of the utility, WC, and storage into a streamlined central core. This move was a practical solution for everyday life, but it also strategically unlocked the rear elevation, allowing the kitchen and living spaces to flow naturally toward the outdoors.
The design culminates in a cantilevered window seat that serves as the focal point of the dining room. Suspended over the garden, this feature creates a quiet moment of repose for the client and their family cat. The result is a home that respects its Victorian heritage through its materiality while embracing a bold, light-filled layout.