A house entrance with brick and corten stairs surrounded by lush greenery and flowering plants, including pink and purple flowers, with an open door and a small garden watering can nearby.

House 219

Ground floor layout reconfiguration for a semi-detached home

Having lived in the property for several years the clients approached Harrison Stringfellow with the aim of creating a larger kitchen-diner with improved connectivity to the garden. The existing property was split into a series of smaller interconnecting rooms on varying levels that no longer worked for family living.

Having considered various options, the agreed design solution was to adapt the existing layout by converting the garage, replacing the roof to the existing extension and created framed views towards the garden through a series of large picture windows and doors.

The revised layout provided a home office to the front with a separate WC & Utility tucked behind. By opening up and levelling the existing morning room and kitchen it provided a unified entertaining space on one level. Moving the main entrance to the kitchen provided views beyond the space and into the garden from the front door.

Modern dining area with a wooden table, two chairs, and a bench on a patterned rug; large window showing green and yellow trees, and potted plant in the corner; white walls with wall-mounted lights and shelves; kitchen counter on the right with appliances.
Floor plan of House 219 ground floor showing hallway, office, living room, dining room, WC, utility, kitchen, snug, terrace, and store with surrounding trees.

“The use of pared-back materials with timber frames creates a bright, calming space”

Hallway with wooden flooring, white walls, a radiator on the left, three framed artworks, a wooden staircase on the right, and sunlight coming from an open door leading to a garden with trees and outdoor furniture.

The use of simple, pared-back materials including plywood kitchen cabinets and high performance, composite windows with whitewashed internal timber frames, creates a bright, calming space. By installing high-performance, aluminium doors and windows at the rear and insulating the existing walls & floors internally the overall thermal performance of the space was improved beyond standard requirements.

The internal finishes were chosen with the client’s scandi brief in mind. A mix of Ikea kitchen carcasses, bespoke plywood kitchen doors, white corian worktops and tailored joinery provided a serene space for cooking and dining.

Externally the mix of old and new brickwork was clad in a charred larch cladding with aluminium trim to unify what had been a previously mismatched elevation.

Modern kitchen with white countertops, wooden cabinets, a window above the sink, and a book-filled open shelf at the front of the island. The kitchen features pendant lighting and various kitchen utensils and jars, with fresh fruit in a bowl on the island.
Modern kitchen with open shelving, a window, and a white countertop with fruit bowl, along with a bookshelf and a houseplant in a yellow pot.
Living room with a wooden bookshelf filled with books and decorative items, a fireplace with a wooden mantel and black insert, a potted plant on the hearth, a dining table with black chairs, and a black pendant light hanging from the ceiling.
View of a room with open door leading to a garden, wooden floor, gray armchairs, a potted plant, and framed art on the wall.
Illustration of a two-story house with steps leading to the front entrance, a woman with red hair and a yellow top standing on the steps, a child in a green shirt walking on a sidewalk, and a black cat sitting inside a window. The house has a red-tiled roof, grey exterior walls, large windows, and there are bushes with yellow flowers on either side of the steps.

Elevation Visual

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Axonometric view of row of terrace houses and gardens, including common outdoor play area and individual units, each labeled with room functions such as bedrooms, kitchen/living, and bathroom.

Liverpool Townhouse Competition

Competition winner for sustainable retrofit idea