Projects · Residential · Completed June 2025

Fairholm

A 12m² intervention that transformed the way a family home feels and functions.

The project

Fairholm is a brilliant example of how a relatively tiny intervention can completely transform the way a family home feels and functions.

Rather than adding a large extension, I worked with Fran and Dan to make every square metre count. A carefully considered 12m² rear extension, combined with the reworking of the existing ground floor, transformed what had been a darker, more constrained space into a light-filled, generous family kitchen and the new heart of their home.

Project · Rear extension & ground-floor reworking

Extension · 12m²

Completion · June 2025

Build · Six weeks

Delivery · On time & on budget

Services · Architecture · Interior Design

Light, flow and proportion

The design was all about light, flow and proportion — creating the feeling of a much larger transformation without unnecessarily increasing the footprint of the house.

I worked closely with Fran and Dan from the initial concept development right through to completion, hand-holding the project through the decisions, detailing and construction to make sure the finished space delivered what I had set out to achieve.

Fairholm's green kitchen island beneath three ribbed glass pendant lights — A compact extension, made generous through light, proportion and a carefully planned island

The Fairholm kitchen opening directly onto the mature rear garden — The new rear opening brings the garden into the centre of daily family life

Black-framed glazed screen connecting the new kitchen with the dining room — The black-framed screen keeps the rooms connected while giving each space definition

Wide view across the kitchen island towards the black-framed glazed screen — Views now travel across the ground floor, creating a much greater sense of space

A very particular deadline

And there was one particularly immovable deadline: their wedding.

The entire build was completed in just six weeks, on budget and on time — with the house finished and ready the day before Fran and Dan hosted their wedding at home.

Since then, Fairholm has moved into its next chapter too, becoming the backdrop to family life as Fran and Dan welcomed their first baby.

Camilla seated in Fairholm's dark green snug after completion — A finished home ready for the wedding — and for the family chapter that followed

Family dining table seen through the black-framed glazed kitchen screen — The dining room remains intimate, with borrowed light and a clear connection to the kitchen

Black-framed glazed screen beside a traditional white column radiator — A crisp new threshold sits comfortably alongside the character of the existing house

The kitchen in detail

Black range cooker, framed bread print and polished toaster in the pale Fairholm kitchen — A hardworking cooking wall with personality

Close view of the black range cooker between painted timber cabinets — The dark range anchors the pale cabinetry

Brushed brass kitchen tap with flowers and the garden beyond — Warm brass details draw the eye towards the garden

Coffee station tucked beneath a small window within the kitchen cabinetry — Everyday rituals have their own carefully considered place

White kitchen sink and brushed brass tap facing the garden — The sink is positioned to make the most of the new garden view

Antique brass cup handle on painted timber kitchen joinery — Aged brass against softly textured painted timber

Pair of antique brass knobs on pale shaker-style cabinet doors — Simple hardware gives the joinery warmth and tactility

Close view of the brushed brass kitchen tap — Quiet, durable details carry the scheme through

The outcome

It remains one of my favourite examples of what I believe good residential architecture should do: not simply add more space, but make the space you have work harder, feel better and transform the way you live in your home.

Relevant if this sounds familiar

Architecture →
Interior Design →
Architecture & Interior Design Combined →

Long white kitchen island with brass tap, flowers and open doors to the garden — Twelve additional square metres created the feeling of an entirely different home

Croissants, flowers and preserves arranged on the white kitchen island — The island is both generous workspace and the everyday gathering place

Flowers, preserves and patterned butter dish beside the garden window — A light, relaxed backdrop to family life

View from the kitchen island into Fairholm's dark green living room — The reworked plan lets old and new rooms feel distinct but connected

Camilla seated at the completed Fairholm kitchen island — Camilla at Fairholm after completion

Make every square metre count

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