Aden Grove

A terraced home in Newington Green, East London is transformed with the addition of bold geometric rear and roof extensions clad in rich terracotta quarry tiles

Home to a young family, the brief included creating more space for entertaining and relaxing, and reconfiguring the house so that it could comfortably accommodate guests for extended visits.

The design maximises available space by using the full width of the narrow property where possible – including the new kitchen and dining area, master bedroom and ensuite. Terracotta features as both a material and colour inside and out, combining warmth with modernity.

The extensions are considered as a pair with unified cladding and glazing. All of the new rooms feature windows that stretch to the ceiling and opportunities have been found to bring greenery and planting right up to the interior spaces.

The ground floor extension looks on to the garden, with a contemporary interpretation of a traditional bay window offering expansive lateral views enhanced by glass to glass corners and frameless glazing. A deep window seat captures sunlight throughout the day, with tall sliding windows bringing the outside in.

The bright new kitchen features custom units in solid European oak. Ample built in storage includes a long wall bench with drawers underneath and a floor-to-ceiling double cabinet. The palette of natural wood with white walls and countertops is complemented by pops of green in the recessed shelving and door handles.

A generous rooflight with oversized timber louvres runs almost the full depth of the space, pulling in natural light and casting patterned shadow.

The house’s two separate reception rooms have been joined together to make one large living space which is open to the kitchen – connecting the whole ground floor and creating views through the full length of the house. The living room’s walls and new joinery are painted in a deep terracotta to match the exterior tiles.

As well as terracotta, the warm interior colour scheme includes whites, greens and yellow ochres – a calm backdrop to display the owner’s collections of art and objects amassed over years of travel. Oak features throughout, in the new stairs and floors, as well as hand-crafted joinery. Ceramic tiles bring additional texture to the kitchen and new bathrooms.

Upstairs, the roof extension adds a full additional floor by converting the previous butterfly roof to a mansard, creating a new main bedroom with a secluded roof terrace. The ensuite wet room includes a bath, shower and built in tiled bench. Both rooms offer rooftop views through tall windows with planted balconies.

The cladding on the two new volumes reads as a monolithic material, with the terracotta colouring extended through matching grout, glazing frames and gutters. The same tiles have also been used for built in seating and raised planters in the garden.

The scheme has been designed to prioritise natural lighting and ventilation. Sustainable features include the installation of an air source heat pump (resulting in all electricity and heating coming from renewable sources), an intelligent heating system, improved sound and heat insulation throughout the house, permeable paving and a water butt, and new high performance aluminium framed double glazed windows.

Photography: Taran Wilkhu