Charming Oak Frame Extension to a Period Home

This striking oak extension, designed by Oakwrights, is packed with character, complementing this Arts & Crafts-style home.

Typical for houses of the era, this beautiful 1920s Arts & Crafts home was a little dark inside. So when owners Paul and Karen Ayton needed to replace the old boiler room adjoining the back of the property, they took the opportunity to extend their kitchen by creating a garden room that was perfect for indoor/outdoor entertaining.

A green oak extension was chosen, due to its aesthetic beauty and innate character. The couple worked closely with Alex Cole, one of Oakwrights’ design consultants, to develop the plans. “We contacted three companies, who all visited our home, but got on so well with Alex, who listened to our needs and quickly sketched a design that we liked,” says Paul. “We chose a mansard roof, which nicely complemented the existing clay tile roof.”

The oak extension was created by knocking through from the couple’s kitchen, which Paul himself reconfigured, providing a kitchen island and breakfast bar inline with the original external wall, plus a dining area with bifold doors.

The plinth uses bricks that match the existing period home and is extra wide, creating a useful shelf around the interior perimeter of the room. Natural light floods inside from the three glazed walls and the glass roof lantern positioned across the centre of the room. To continue the traditional architectural feel through from the period home, characterful oak roof rafters line the ceiling.

Half of the new room is a spacious sitting area, which catches the sun and is ideal for enjoying views of the garden all year round. “We knew we would use our oak room a lot and it has become the hub of our home,” says Paul. “We originally planned to have a woodburner in the extension, however, we have insulated it so well that we decided that we didn’t need to have one in the end.”

Location: Buckinghamshire

Extension size: 40m²

Construction method: Green oak frame

Project cost: £140,000

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