Jorge Morley-Smith and Carin Söderberg loved their 1970s townhouse in Sevenoaks, Kent, but the style of the three-storey house meant the ground floor was devoted to a garage and carport space, with the living areas on the floors above.
"We felt we wanted to create some ground-floor space that would be centred around the kitchen and which would allow us to access and connect with the garden," says Carin. "Also, we have two children, Elliot, 16, and Elsa, 14, and all three of our bedrooms were on the top floor, which felt a bit crowded."
When a house of the same style – but on a corner plot and with a bigger garden – across the road came up for sale, the couple immediately saw its potential for being extended. Around the same time, Carin, as a regular reader of Homebuilding & Renovating, was leafing through the pages of the magazine and loved the feel of an extension that architect James Dale had designed.
The article also mentioned he worked with a limited budget, and that he had a sensitivity towards the same type of 1970s houses. The couple duly contacted him and on their first meeting they told him what they needed, space-wise, and shared ideas about how they might achieve that.
Project details
- Location Sevenoaks, Kent
- Project Extension/renovation
- House type 1970s end of terrace
- Size of extension 25sq m
- Build route Self project-managed
The brief
"The clients’ brief called for a reimagining of the property, with one of the key points being the need for a flow to the house that made sense, with communal areas," says James. "On the ground floor, the focus was on creating a spacious kitchen and dining space, with connectivity to the garden. On the upper floors the brief asked for the creation of an additional bedroom, bathroom and dedicated office space."
"These houses offer a lot of flexibility in terms of how they’re built structurally and that afforded us the possibility of thinking about how we might change it to align with our vision," says Jorge. "And that vision included flipping the position of the staircases to enhance the internal flow and maximise the available space. We even toyed with the idea of a spiral staircase but decided it was impractical."
Underground problems
Planning permission for the project was approved on first application but before the build could commence, the discovery was made that the house had been built over a sewer, which delayed the start of construction by a couple of months. The biggest issue, however, was one of budget.
"The Ukraine invasion had just begun and suddenly the cost of materials went through the roof," says Jorge. "We had to take it month by month to see how far our money would take us."
The fact that the project was actually completed owes a lot to how hands-on the couple were during the build. Jorge carried out most of the carpentry, as well as kitchen installation, while Carin took on the decorating.
"Jorge also project-managed the build, which meant he had to quickly learn the necessary skills to enable him to understand the drawings and communicate effectively between the architects, engineers and builders," says Carin
Space in abundance
The couple are happy to credit James as the real mastermind of the transformation, which centred around increasing the size of the previous two-storey extension and converting the existing ground floor garage.
The effect was to maximise the space available within the property by bringing this area into the main house and adding a new shower room, music room and store for bikes, sports and outdoor equipment plus tools.
To create a stunning open-plan living space at the rear of the property, containing a new kitchen, pantry, dining and seating space, a striking new timber-framed element was added – this pavilion-type glazed structure delivers a bright, welcoming space with views out over the large garden surrounding the property. The new element seamlessly opens onto a rear terrace creating a welcoming indoor-outdoor living experience.
Family benefits
And it isn’t just the new aesthetically pleasing elements that have improved everyday life for the family.
"The renovation has provided the family with useful spaces they didn’t have before, such as a separate office and utility room while the kids have their own domain on the top floor, plus the room sizes are increased," says Carin. "I just think we’ve managed to create a generally lovely feel to the whole house, and it has a calm vibe."
There’s also a feeling of naturalness here that is largely down to the choice of materials. "When James first came to see us in our old house, he cottoned on to the fact that we had a lot of plywood furniture and he cleverly incorporated plywood features all around the house, which we love," says Jorge.
One of the more striking examples is the Kerto beamed ceiling in the kitchen-diner where its recessed squares create the perfect niches for the minimalist light fittings.
Material choices
Including sustainable solutions was also part of the couple’s ethos, hence underfloor heating was installed throughout the ground floor.
"Luckily we didn’t need to emphasise this aspect as it was driven by the architects," says Carin. "They care about the environment and it shows in the materials James designs with and the efficiency levels he strives for."
James himself clearly considers the project a resounding success: "The design has restructured the property, enhancing flow, functionality and character. As a result, it has given the family a home that celebrates the essence of the original architecture in a contemporary way, creating an environment that perfectly suits their evolving needs," he says.
From the architect
"Timber-framed extensions offer a unique blend of sustainability, craftsmanship and design flexibility, bringing a warmth and tactility that softens the transition between old and new, creating an inviting environment," says project architect James Dale.
"Structurally lightweight and strong, it allows for faster, cleaner construction and its adaptability makes it ideal for generous glazing and open-plan layouts. A timber frame also lends itself to reducing waste and improving build quality.
Visually exposed timber beams bring character and depth to interiors, celebrating the material’s grain and texture. The result here is a modern, sustainable extension that feels connected to nature while enhancing everyday living."
Spotlight on plywood
"The architect picked up on our love of plywood from bits of furniture in our previous house and ran with it for the entire design," says Carin. "We didn’t know that different types of plywood could work together but we embraced the rugged finish of the Kerto plywood structural beams and complemented it with matching spruce plywood for walls and ceilings, and birch plywood for the carpentry and joinery.
"Plywood is the perfect DIY material because you can get a good, natural timber finish without too much fuss. We used it extensively on cills, skirting and architraves, and on various bits of DIY joinery and Ikea hacks. As a result, we learned so much about this amazing material – where to source it, and how to cut and finish it."
"This self-build journey wasn’t without its challenges and it has taken two years of hard work and stress to complete," says Jorge. "But the outcome has been a triumph and the home we have ended up with delivers everything we wanted."
As a result of the homeowners’ hard work, this beautiful property won the Best Extension category in the Homebuilding & Renovating Awards 2025, in partnership with The Times and The Sunday Times. If you enjoyed exploring this house, you might also like to take a tour of this reimagined 1970s bungalow that won Home of the Year.
