Cottage Extension, Saffron Walden
Cottage Extension, Saffron Walden
We were commissioned to design a full-width rear extension to a characterful period cottage on the edge of Saffron Walden. The brief was to significantly improve day-to-day family living by creating a generous, light-filled space that could open up to the garden and surrounding countryside, while remaining sympathetic to the scale and character of the original cottage.
The proposal transforms the rear of the property into a contemporary yet restrained addition, carefully integrated with the existing building and its rural setting.
Brief & Context
The existing cottage was well loved but constrained by cellular rooms and limited connection to the garden. The clients required additional space for a growing family, with particular emphasis on a large kitchen-dining area that could function as the heart of the home, alongside a separate but connected playroom.
Given the cottage’s traditional character and its semi-rural context, the design needed to strike a careful balance: delivering a modern living environment without overwhelming or diluting the original building.
Design Response
Our response was a full-width rear extension that re-organises the ground floor around a generous open-plan kitchen and dining space, visually and physically connected to the garden beyond. This new space is complemented by an adjoining playroom, providing flexibility for family life while maintaining a sense of separation where needed.
The extension is deliberately legible as a contemporary intervention, yet its proportions, detailing and materiality are carefully considered to sit comfortably alongside the existing cottage.
Architectural Features
A key architectural element is the fully glazed oriel-bay window, which projects subtly into the garden and frames expansive views across the surrounding countryside. This feature:
Draws daylight deep into the plan
Creates a naturally lit seating and dining area
Establishes a strong visual relationship between inside and out
Large areas of glazing along the rear elevation reinforce this connection, allowing the kitchen and dining space to open directly onto the garden and encouraging year-round use of the external space.
Materials & Character
Materials were selected to complement the existing cottage while clearly expressing the extension as a modern addition. The palette is intentionally restrained, allowing the landscape views and natural light to become defining features of the interior.
The result is an extension that feels calm, coherent and rooted in its context, enhancing the original cottage rather than competing with it.
Living Experience
The completed extension provides a flexible and highly usable family space that supports everyday living as well as larger gatherings. The open-plan layout improves flow through the house, while the playroom offers adaptability as family needs evolve over time.
Natural light, views, and spatial generosity combine to create a welcoming environment that feels both contemporary and connected to the rural setting.
Project Information
Project: Cottage Extension
Location: Saffron Walden, Essex
Client: Private Residential
Budget: £100,000 (excl. VAT)
Year: 2021
Scope: Full-width rear extension and internal reconfiguration
Key Features:
– Open-plan kitchen and dining space
– Adjoining playroom
– Glazed oriel-bay window
– Strong garden and countryside connection
