Until the wall falls, it’s hard to visualize what a passage and extension will look like. After spending more than three years saving for their building project, Katy and Tony Middleton didn’t want to take any risks and hired interior designer Liz Ennis to ensure that the new open plan kitchen-dining room and family room of their Victorian home were perfectly planned.
The couple sold their modern three-bedroom house in 2017 and bought a ramshackle four-bedroom detached property on their favorite street, just three weeks before the birth of their second son, George. Spanning three metres, the scheme complied with permitted planning rules, and bringing the kitchen and rear reception room together gave them the space to also include a utility room and cloakroom.
Katy tells us how the countless hours spent finding their two-tone kitchen, Critall-look windows, LVT floors and space-saving furniture finally paid off.
Clumsy layout
(Image credit: Katie Lee)
Profile
The owners Kate Middleton (@homewiththemiddletons), interior assistant at Wolfe Interiors, lives here with her husband, Tony, general manager, and sons Jacob, six, and George, four.
The property A four bedroom detached Victorian house in Chapeltown, Sheffield
Project cost £93,500
“Our long kitchen was cold and dark, with an archway leading into the boys’ playroom-dining room,” Katy explains. “It was difficult to cook and entertain them at the same time. I have always loved to cook and bake, but I felt I had lost that part of me.
“We wanted to go up the ceiling and have a huge open space. We had four quotes to go through and extend, but there was a £30,000 difference between them. Our builder was the second cheapest. As he had two boys of the same age, we felt he would understand the upheaval and work around us. The project started weeks after the first lockdown. Luckily he finished the utility first, so we used that instead of washing pots in the bath! »
Wish list
Kitchen, Concept interiors. Cabinets painted in Bond Street, My lands. island painted in Calamine, Farrow & Ball. bar stools, Rockett St George. White herringbone splashback tiles, mandarin stone. Island and living room pendant lights, Dowsing and Reynolds. Sofa, Comfortable. Rug, Made. Star cushion, Firefly Deco on Etsy
(Image credit: Katie Lee)
“As well as a child-friendly space, I wanted an island for entertaining friends and no wall cabinets that could enclose the room. We used to have a huge American fridge-freezer covered in magnets, so a built-in was essential, while a pantry cupboard concealed small appliances. My husband’s stipulations were a drinks cabinet, hot water tap and sink molded from the worktop. Designer Kieron of Concept Interiors has been very helpful, happy to work with our ideas
“Our interior designer, Liz Ennis, was also invaluable. She suggested moving the toilet and utility on the plan, and helped with the lighting, position of the radiators, layout and colors.
Let there be light
brass handles, Armac-Martin. Cook, range master. LVT French oak herringbone parquet, Project floors. aluminum doors, 1st folding sliding doors
(Image credit: Katie Lee)
“I wanted glass all over the back as it is a private garden, but I didn’t want folding doors as we would rarely have them fully open and I didn’t want the flies to come in. sliding doors and also considered Critall doors, but they were so expensive.
“During a trip to the Ideal Home show in Birmingham, I found a company that made an aluminum version of the Critall doors. The two middle doors open so we still have a good sized opening of two meters. They also created a skylight for our pitched roof instead of four Velux windows. The only problem was
having no windows for ventilation, but they solved this problem by making the upper windows of the doors openable.
The final touch
Worktop and integrated sink in Silestone And Calacatta Gold, Natural stone surfaces. ‘Kitchen Disco’ print, Disko Kids. Ampule, Olivier Bonas
(Image credit: Katie Lee)
Costs & contacts
To build £45,000
Kitchen and appliances £30,000
Glazing £10,000
Floor £3,000
Furniture £3,000
Professional costs £1,500
Decoration and tiling £1,000
Interior designate Wolfe Interiors
Builder H & Son Register
Architect DK designs
“White tiles aren’t usually me – I prefer things to be loud!” But the shape and pattern give it a different look and the light gray grout matches the color of the wall.
“Choosing the right furniture took time. It looks like a big room, but once you put a dining table and sofa in it, it quickly takes up space. Having a concrete table made to the perfect size was a game changer. I love the quirky rounded edges and we chose the stone colors for the terrazzo ourselves.
“Liz suggested triangle dining chairs, which I loved, but they couldn’t be pushed right under; instead I found some with industrial looking legs that match the Crittall style doors.
Balance the budget
Terrazzo Concrete Table, Kelham Island Concrete. chairs, Jysk. abstract print, Lola Donoghue. Pendant, House of. ‘Love Wins’ light box, Olivier Bonas
(Image credit: Katie Lee)
“Inevitably, the project went over budget. The construction cost more because an old extension had to be demolished and rebuilt with salvaged bricks. Since this is our forever home, we also spent more on the doors, skylight and kitchen. But we saved money by shopping around for the dining table, pendant light and chairs, reusing our original oven and choosing LVT flooring over wood, which still gave us the look we wanted.
“I feel so happy with the space now; it is the center of the house. The children do their homework or craft at the table while I cook and we live here most of the time. I’ve kept in touch with Liz and now work as her assistant – so the project has also given me a new career.’
