Kitchen extension ideas – 29 ways to maximise the potential of your extended space
If you’re struggling for space, creating a larger kitchen with a new extension could be the answer
By Jennifer Ebert
Contributions from Holly Cockburn, Katie Sims
Residential architect advice by George Omalianakis
If you’ve been dreaming about kitchen extension ideas for a while now, you may be feeling just a little overwhelmed. Learning how to extend a kitchen in the first instance is a lot to get your head round, and that’s before you even get started on planning the end result of what your new kitchen ideas will look like.
But that’s really where the fun begins because kitchen extension ideas offer a wealth of opportunities. You can plan, design, and bring to fruition your dream kitchen. It might be a spacious kitchen-diner that flows beautifully into the living room or an enlarged kitchen that offers full views of your back garden – or, it might be both!
The question is how can you extend the kitchen to make the new space work with the existing space,’ says George Omalianakis, expert residential architect ARB / RIBA, GOAStudio. ‘You want the extension to create an enlarged kitchen, dining, living, and even kid’s play area that opens up to the rear garden and that links to the rest of the house in an effortless way.’
So if you’ve decided you should extend your kitchen, we’ve come up with all the best kitchen extension ideas that will bring your dream into reality. Whatever your budget, there will be some ideas in our guide that you can implement into your home. It’s time to start planning!
If you are moving from inspiration to a property-specific project, GOAStudio’s kitchen extension architectural service explains how we can help from feasibility through the agreed design and construction stages.
Incorporate various roof profiles
A multifunctional kitchen extension – i.e. one that will house cooking, dining, socialising, and living spaces – will benefit from a varied roofing structure over one bland, flat ceiling. Different ceiling levels will help define and separate the different functions of the new kitchen area, so it’s worth thinking about this in the early planning stages.
‘Once you have come up with a clear layout of where the kitchen is, where the living area is, and what you would like to connect to the garden, try to then play with various roof profiles to define the various functions of your new kitchen area,’ says architect George. ‘High ceilings create an uplifting, “cathedral”, effect, whereas lower ceiling areas are more cosy and intimate. Pitched roof profiles will draw your eyesight upwards or downwards leading your brain to read the space you are in differently.’
Define areas with different floor levels
If your extending to create an open-plan kitchen, you want to define separate living, cooking, and dining areas. A helpful way to do this is to have different levels of flooring; you could raise the level of the cooking space above that of the diner, or vice versa, then gradually transition down towards the garden level.
‘This is a reflection of how you use this space and how it fits with everything else around it,’ says George. ‘By lowering the floor level you put a boundary around a dining area for example. By raising the kitchen area you make it the centre of activity, the raised deck where you can also monitor all family and social life from while cooking.’
Embrace asymmetry
Uniquely shaped kitchen extension ideas can create wonderful living spaces that suit their individual household perfectly. Think outside the box during the initial planning stage; you can go for a popular L-shaped kitchen layout or bring something to life that is beautifully asymmetrical, that performs in the way you need it to.
‘Often a bit of asymmetry, an organised and considered chaos approach in terms of design, results in spaces that are surprising while they still feel just right,’ says architect George. ‘Keep an eye on proportions and scale and composition; there is a lot you can achieve with pretty standard construction methods as long as you plan everything in advance and explore a few options during the design development stage.’
Make the walls retract
‘Remember: the garden is the “stage” for pretty much all kitchen extension projects,’ says architect George. ‘You will experience your new space from the inside out.’
Extensions that allows a seamless fusion of outside and inside dwellings are the most popular for a reason. And sliding doors, which all but disappear, are the best way to completely open the space up. Aside from having the freedom to unit the spaces in summer, in winter the glass structure allows maximum light capacity – to keep the space feeling open and airy, ideal in smaller kitchens.
Incorporate structural elements
Instead of trying to hide structural steel beams, turn them into part of the design. In this instance the black patio window frames and black steel beam bring balance and interest to this simple white kitchen. Windows in particular should be seen as part of the design rather than a merely functional element, as they have a big effect on the kitchen-garden flow.
‘It’s good to take some time to consider the glazing and window design options to maximise your visual connection to your garden,’ says architect George. ‘Dark window frames, minimal framing, and turn-the-corner window arrangements will maximise the effect and bring your kitchen area right into your garden.’
Do you need permission to extend a kitchen?
Most kitchen extension ideas will need planning permission, unless they fall under permitted development. The different forms of permission your extension requires will depend on the type of property, the location, and how the new extension relates to the adjacent boundaries with the neighbours.
‘If your property has Permitted Development Rights (this often applies to non-Listed houses that are not in Conservation areas, but not to flats) you might be able to add an extension that needs no prior planning approval’, says George Omalianakis, Kitchen Extension Expert, GOAStudio. ‘But you will be limited with what you are able to do in terms of design, as Permitted Development requires that you tick a number of boxes.’
A single-storey rear extension is usually the most planning permission-friendly extension project, and can often be achieved under permitted development. Keep in mind the balance between house and garden, as swallowing up too much garden may be detrimental to the property’s value. A simple side extension is also planner-friendly and can widen a narrow kitchen without stealing precious outdoor space. Side-returns are a common choice for terraced properties, which often have a half-width kitchen tacked onto the rear.
You will likely need to seek Building Regulations approval as well, which covers a number of technical and structural matters including the insulation levels, fire regulations, structural safety, weatherproofing details etc.
‘You will also need to deal with any relevant Party Wall matters if you build near the boundary with your neighbours’, adds George. ‘And if your property is leasehold then you will need to obtain approval (often called License to Alter) from your Freeholder. It’s best to ask a solicitor to advise on the terms of your lease and how you go about obtaining approval from your Freeholder.’
Working with an architect or planning consultant can increase your chances of success at this stage as they will be aware of local planning policy. It can also help to find similar extensions on your street, as these can serve as a precedent for your project. Refer back to GOV.uk throughout the planning stage, as this will keep you informed of all the relevant info.
BOROUGH SPECIFIC ARCHITECT AND PLANNING GUIDES FOR YOUR HOME PROJECT
Your local Council will have in place design and planning requirements for your home project and you will need to obtain planning approval for a wide range of extensions and alterations to your property.
When you get in touch we will offer you detailed advice about what is likely that your Council will approve and in the meantime we have prepared the following architectural and planning guides that include extracts of the relevant planning policy and examples of our projects in our Borough.
Barnet architects | Planning and design homeowner guide, Camden residential architect and planning guide, Enfield residential architect and planning guide, Hackney residential architect and planning guide, Hammersmith Fulham residential architect and planning guide, Haringey architects | Planning and design homeowner guide and planning guide, Islington residential architect and planning guide, Kensington and Chelsea Conservation architects, residential and planning guide, Lambeth residential architect and planning guide, Lewisham residential architect and planning guide, Newham residential architect and planning guide, Tower Hamlets residential architect and planning guide, Waltham Forest residential architect and planning guide, Wandsworth residential architect and planning guide, Westminster residential architect and planning guide
HOME DESIGN – Find ideas for your project.
- Side extensions London residential guide
- Rear extensions London residential guide
- Kitchen extensions London residential guide
- Roof extensions London residential guide
- Residential renovations London guide
- Mansard roof extensions London residential guide
- Contemporary extensions London residential guide
- Flat extensions London residential guide
- Garden flat extensions London residential guide
- House extensions London residential guide
We provide architectural services for residential projects in the following London Boroughs:
Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster
We specialise in
- Greener homes
- Retrofit and energy efficiency for older and traditional buildings
- Conservation areas
- Listed Buildings
- Homeowner architectural services
- Property developments architectural services
GOAStudio London residential architecture limited.
86-90 Paul Street, EC2A 4NE, Hackney
Chestnut Avenue South, E17 9EJ, Waltham Forest
t: 0203 984 3005
