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10 Cottage Extensions
Need more space in your traditional cottage? An extension can add space, light and a contemporary look to characterful properties, while retaining charming original features
If you’re considering extending a historic home, but not sure how to go about it, explore some of our favourite case studies from homeowners who’ve taken on cottage extensions. There’s an interesting mix of styles, from harmonious stone extensions to striking, avant-garde additions — all adding much-needed space and light to the properties.
Timber-Clad Extension to an Old Cottage
Andrew and Lucy Thompson doubled the size of their cottage in Wiltshire with a gable-ended, contemporary-style extension designed by CaSA Architects. A narrow ‘spine’, located between the two gable structures, clearly defines the different zones within the property.
The distinctive extension features vertical cedar cladding and a zinc roof, with a covered outdoor space that was an important aspect for the couple
Extended Thatched Cottage
Bernard and Joyce Martin added a new contemporary-style extension to their 17th-century home, doubling their house in size and producing a strikingly-different style of building.
The extension is a clear contrast to the thatched original, with large windows, sliding doors and a partially-glazed roof
Modern Cottage Extension
Sue and Roderic O’Sullivan extended their quaint thatched cottage in Salcombe, Devon, to create an avant-garde waterside retreat. The couple thought that building a pastiche of the existing building would be a poor solution, so opted for a bold mix of old and new.
Devon architect Stan Bolt took on the challenge of creating a totally new element that would connect with the original property, adding space and light
Stone Cottage Extension
This coastal cottage in the North York Moors National Park benefitted from meticulous remodeling and extension by Dawn and Steven Totty, who used local tradespeople and a palette of natural materials to add to its charm.
Built on a hillside, the pretty farmhouse looks down over the World Heritage coastline of Robin Hood’s Bay and is surrounded by rolling countryside
Extending an Old Cottage
Simon and Sally Robinson transformed their 300-year-old property – on a DIY basis – into a charming period home that’s also perfect for modern living. While stripping away the fixtures and fittings of a 1970s overhaul, they found a whole host of original features.
Simon and Sally bought an old village smithy and filling station in the Yorkshire Dales and dedicated their own time to restoring it
A Listed Cottage Renovated
Liz Kingston sensitively renovated the dated interiors of her Grade II-listed stone property in Somerset, adding a contemporary extension to take best advantage of the light and the rural views.
The new steel-framed conservatory is glazed on three sides, with oak frame doors opening from the garden room onto a deck
Extension and Renovation of a Listed Cottage
Charlie and Rosie Thomas worked with designer Charlie Luxton to transform their Grade II-listed 18th-century cottage in Wiltshire, adding a contemporary kitchen extension.
The kitchen extension sits in complete harmony to the original house, with the reclaimed roof and timber cladding echoing original materials
A Restored Stone Cottage
Tim and Janet Brown fell in love with a typical old Derbyshire stone cottage in the Peak District and employed a local architect to create a more practical layout and to open up the small rooms.
Inside, the property has been sensitively restored and now boasts light-filled, contemporary-style interiors
Three Listed Cottages Transformed into a Single Home
Sean Peel and Alice Shread renovated and extended three Grade II, 17th-century farmworkers’ cottages, transforming them to make a forever home. The couple opted to use traditional techniques wherever possible.
Since the property had been three houses, the floors were at differing heights, meaning the whole floor area had to be dug out. “We recast the floors with 120mm of insulation and underfloor heating,” explains Sean
Listed Stone Cottage Extension
In a picturesque village near Bath, Rob and Grace Horton remodelled their listed home, adding a new extension in oak frame and glass. Glazing to two sides of the property opens up a view onto the garden and countryside.
The house had been converted in the 1990s from two semi-detached farmworkers’ cottages, and the Hortons applied to have the single storey extension to the rear of the house