The Chine: a period home reopened to the light in Winchmore Hill
A large but tired period home in Winchmore Hill, held back by small dark rooms and a damp, run-down rear. Firtree took down a third of the house and rebuilt it over two storeys, giving the family the open, light-filled kitchen they had always wanted and a new master suite above, while keeping the character that made them buy the house in the first place.
PROJECT
Two storey rear extension and internal refurbishment
LOCATION
Winchmore Hill, North London, N21
PROPERTY
Detached period home
THE CLIENTS
A family of five, settling into a home they planned to improve.
PLANNING
Enfield, ref. 24/01391/HOU (conservation area)
NOTABLE
Foundations dug to 2.5 metres, green roof, bifold doors
The home they had bought into
The owners had not long moved in, a couple with three children ranging from their teens to their early twenties. They had bought a large detached home with good bones and plenty of room, but a layout that no longer suited family life. The house was a warren of small rooms, the back of it was dark, and there were damp problems to deal with. An old garage at the rear had fallen into disrepair. They loved the property and its period character, and they knew it would take work. The plan was always to improve it in stages, and the back of the house came first.
What the clients wanted
More light, more space, and a proper family kitchen. The kind of open room where everyone ends up at the end of the day. They wanted the tired, cut-off rear of the house opened up and brought to life, without losing the character that made the house feel like theirs. Firtree came to the project through the architects, the first job of what has since become an ongoing working relationship, with planning already secured before work began.
The challenge
The house sits in a conservation area, and the ground set the hardest test. Every foundation had to be dug to 2.5 metres, a full metre and a half deeper than a standard trench. On an extension this size that meant a major excavation, a great deal of spoil to remove, and real cost built into the groundworks before anything went up. Once out of the ground the site was kinder, with good access down both sides, but the depth of those foundations was the defining challenge of the build. Damp in the existing structure was dealt with as the work went on.
What we did
Firtree took down roughly a third of the building at the rear, up to first-floor level, and rebuilt it as a full two storeys. Downstairs, that created a large open kitchen-diner that pulls daylight deep into the back of the house, the room the family had been missing. Upstairs, the new floor gave them a master bedroom with en suite and walk-in wardrobe, plus a further bedroom and bathroom.
The rear half of the house was refurbished throughout. Where the old damp problems had been, Firtree installed tanking to solve them properly rather than cover them over. A green roof finished the extension, and bifold doors open the new kitchen to the garden. The materials were kept clean and well-chosen rather than showy, the quality sitting in how carefully everything was put together.
We cannot recommend Firtree highly enough. The care and attention to detail they put into our extension and internal refurbishment was phenomenal. Matt talked us through every stage of the project and we had complete confidence he would bring us in on budget and time whilst also delivering a high quality finish. The workmanship of the team was exceptional. They helped us bring original features back to life whilst also delivering a contemporary new space and the kitchen of our dreams!”
Homeowners, The Chine, Winchmore Hill
The Result
The family gained an enormous new living space that has become the heart of the home, used far more than the original front room, and flowing round into the existing dining room. Above it sits a private master suite the parents have made their own. The period character they wanted to protect is still there; it now has light and space around it. The work has gone so well that Firtree has already been back to carry out further improvements, with the rest of the house to follow in stages.
