We started the 2020s by literally being trapped inside for over a year so, needless to say, homes have been undergoing a bit of a reassessment. Now, rather than expect the bare minimum, we want the spaces we live in to work as hard as possible. This doesn’t simply mean we want them to be large, but rather we want them to be tailored to us and adapted to the unique ways we live.
If you’re considering spicing up your property, one of the most popular projects is the extension. Big or small, side or rear, a ground floor extension allows you to increase the square footage of your most valuable spaces - the kitchen, dining room, lounge, and maybe even study! By opening up these areas, you really can transform the feel of your whole home.
To get you fired up to upgrade your property, here are some rear extension ideas our designers think are going to be big in 2022 and beyond.
Pitched roofs are back on trend
For a while, a lot of modern extensions were favouring the flat look, but that seems to be changing as we’re getting more requests for classic pitched roofing - and you can see why!
The pitched roof not only created bags of headspace but also adds another dimension of interest to the room. In this project, we highlighted the beauty of the pitched shape by having a gorgeous window up top match the design. This means more light and more style.
Bringing the garden inside
You would have to be a nomad not to have picked up on the rise of the succulent and other house plants trend. Not only do plants bring a delightful pop of colour into the home, they can also help boost the quality of your air. Therefore, why wouldn’t you want more plants in your home?
For this project, we took the plant trend a step further by designing a rock garden into the floor plan. This was made possible thanks to a gorgeous skylight, which is also helping bring plenty of natural light to both the plants and the rest of the house.
Wraparounds can be subtle too
If you don’t want a rear extension gobbling up your garden space, but at the same time, you want to get plenty of space, a wraparound extension might be the solution. Many people think these have to be giant, expensive extensions - but this doesn’t always need to be the case.
In this project, we extended a little bit to the rear, a little bit to the side, combined them together and made a pretty sizeable new space. With this extra square footage, we were able to include a laundry room, which is nestled in the corner. Can you spot it?
Making every space count
This is less a trend and more just very good architectural advice. No space should be dead space. A lot of the time, especially with older homes, a lot of valuable space is lost to hallways which do nothing but funnel you from one room to another. However, a hallway can be more than just a walkway. It could be a storage area, a reading nook, or even, as with this project, a home office.
One of the reasons why this office/hallway works so well is because our designers have kept the whole floor pretty open. There’s no wall separating the kitchen from the office, meaning the light from those big glazed windows, which we added to the rear extension, can travel all the way through the home.
Crittall is still VERY popular
If you’re a fan of crittall-style window frames, you can breathe a sigh of relief - they’re going nowhere. This stylish frame has been the darling of Pinterest for years now and things really haven’t changed. Plenty of homeowners are still putting this at the top of their wishlists and our designers are more than happy to comply.
If you can’t afford the official Crittal frames, don’t panic. There are plenty of imitations out there to keep things budget-friendly. That being said, it is still a large glazed feature, so it won’t be cheap. We always recommend opting for the best quality glass that you can, as this will make sure you’re not compromising your insulation in the name of style.
Want some more inspiration for your home? You can book a FREE consultation with our team at any time, where you can discuss everything from design trends to budgets. Book yours here.
