The Maltings

Combining contemporary design and traditional Cotswolds architecture.

“Ash designed a wonderful kitchen extension, which far exceeded our expectations. He was friendly, approachable and professional throughout the process and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him.” Nicola and Nick Hodgkins

Our brief

The Maltings is one of those Cotswold period properties that it’s easy to fall in love with. But, as many of our Cotswolds clients know, those much-loved cottages often come with low ceiling heights and cosy interior dimensions – not to mention feeling surprisingly dark inside.

Nicola and Nick, owners of The Maltings, were keen to extend their existing original detached Cotswolds cottage. The Maltings had a small existing kitchen area and utility room but the couple wanted to extend the rear of the property to maximise the available light and space. They tasked us to create a spacious, combined kitchen, dining and family area that would incorporate a utility room and, most importantly, allow them to enjoy a breathtaking view of their beautiful garden.

Our proposal: starting small and thinking big

Right from the first meeting, we saw the potential of that tantalising view to the garden that lay just beyond the existing kitchen wall. We presented Nicola and Nick with an ambitious but practical design solution that really would give them the best of both worlds.

Our proposal demolished part of the existing house wall to re-purpose the existing kitchen space for a new kitchen dining area, and a cosy, timber-clad snug with French doors opening directly onto the patio.

“Once you start thinking differently about light and space, you can see the potential to transform what feels like a small yet cosy space into an amazing, luxurious new living area,” says Ash.

“We designed a spacious open kitchen dining area with a large island, plus a much more user-friendly utility space that connects to the kitchen.” The new kitchen is re-orientated so that you can enjoy the stand-out garden views and talk to family and friends in the dining area, while you’re preparing a meal. And the bonus is that even on chillier days, you’re still enjoying the feel of alfresco dining while keeping toasty inside.

“As you can see from the video on this webpage, we extended the glass doors so that they meet at a point. This means that two of the four extension walls are glazed; an ambitious design feature which opens up that corner and directs your gaze towards that stunning mature garden.”

Nicola and Nick chose an elegant aesthetic for their new extension space, with dark brown furnishings, natural timber cladding and cool cream shades to reflect the natural Cotswold light that now floods in.

It’s a wonderfully calming and inspiring contemporary living space.

Sympathetic architectural design

As experts in historic and heritage buildings, it’s a matter of professional pride to us that our designs are both sympathetic to the integrity of the original building, and the environment that surrounds them.

Viewed from the exterior, The Maltings extension is perfectly integrated with the existing cottage. “Our approach is to complement, not overpower the original building,” says Ash.  “But The Maltings extension is a bit like the Tardis. The new inside space just feels so big, and those big sliding doors let the fresh air and light flood in on summer evenings.”

“I’m absolutely thrilled with the end result.”

** The Maltings extension was created under a Lawful Development Certificate – which may be granted instead of full planning permission if the design is deemed to fall within the realms of permitted development. There are strict criteria and regulations surrounding Lawful Development Certificates. We are experts in understanding and applying for both and are always happy to advise our clients on all the documentation and permissions they need to stay legal.

Thinking of extending, rather than moving? Browse our portfolio of extension case studies and get in touch.