Ash

Situated in the Greenbelt outside Guildford this contemporary cottage extension and renovation meets the maximum planning allowable

Modern house with a central brick chimney, large glass doors, and a mix of white and wooden exterior walls, surrounded by a garden with green grass, plants, and trees.
Backyard with a white house, large windows, and a sloped roof with skylights. There is a garden with bushes, a pathway, and a clothesline with laundry. A red car is parked on the left side, and a satellite dish is attached to the house wall on the ri
A modern white house with black trim and gray roof, surrounded by a garden with various plants, including a red-leafed shrub and spiky green bushes, with a stone wall and pathway in the front yard under a blue sky.
A white house with a dark roof, front door, and windows, surrounded by trees and a garden, with a car parked in front.

The brief

The clients, living in a nondescript cottage nestled within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), wanted to completely update their traditional home. They needed more space, especially in the kitchen, and hoped for a contemporary, light-filled family area with a better connection to the garden. The challenge was to balance their modern vision with the restrictions of planning in a protected area.

Our approach

To address the need for more space and light, we designed a sympathetic rear extension that respected the AONB regulations. The interior was reconfigured to move the downstairs bedroom and bathroom upstairs, maximising the living areas. The extension also created the open-plan kitchen and dining space the family desired, providing better flow and connection to the garden.

The outcome

The result is a beautifully transformed cottage that now offers a spacious, light-filled kitchen and dining area perfect for modern family life. The large glazing brings natural light in, and the contemporary brick chimney, grey-framed windows, and crisp white render add a stylish yet sympathetic twist to the cottage’s exterior. The design provides a perfect balance between modern functionality and the home’s natural surroundings, making it a welcoming space for the family.

Front view of a modern house with a combination of white walls, wooden panels, and gray bricks, surrounded by a lush green garden with a gravel pathway and various plants.
A cozy dining and living room area with a large wooden table surrounded by wooden chairs, a blue accent wall decorated with framed art, shelves with books, and various plants and decorative items. A pumpkin is visible in the bottom right corner, and
Open-plan living room and kitchen with gray sofas, a dining table with wooden chairs, a blue bookshelf, and pendant lights hanging above the kitchen island.
A modern kitchen with navy blue cabinets, a white island, and wooden furniture, adorned with plants and books.
A bedroom with a white bed featuring multiple patterned pillows in yellow, blue, and white, a green armchair, a white dresser with plants, large triangular windows, and a black ceiling light with a gold interior.
A white two-story house with a dark gray shingled roof and dormer windows, surrounded by landscaped greenery, including bushes and a small stone wall, under a clear blue sky.

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