A fascinating couple from continental Europe came to us with a small former worker's cottage near Notting Hill with a clear problem: although the standard Victorian layout served their needs, the rear of the house with a pocket garden was completely shut off and horribly dark.

We proposed a side return extension to infill the damp and unused space and created an elevated lovely breakfast area fully glazed to the garden.

The new space is open, light, and inviting with a timber-slatted roof structure that creates privacy from neighbours looking down whilst generating dancing angular shadows throught the day.

The white plaster of the existing exterior rear elevation is nicely contrasted with anthacite zinc cladding.