When your children are young, you want to be able to see them when they’re at play. For many Londoners, this means converting part of the kitchen to become a playroom. The challenge is to create a space that is on the one hand stylish and practical and on the other child-friendly with lots of storage space for toys.

So my brief here was to design a playroom-cum-family room in a kitchen extension. To satisfy both age ranges, I have chosen a muted colour scheme, which is a good idea for a playroom anyway as most children’s toys are quite bright.

The curtains are the main feature in this room and are in a beautiful yet playful linen with big bold flowers. The fabric is by Missoni, Haiti colourway 60, available from Interdesign. It costs £60 per metre.

The doors of the custom-designed wall cupboard echo the colours of the curtain fabric. This piece of furniture in natural oak veneer would have to be commissioned. My joiner of choice is John Patrick. Installation of a home entertainment system at this stage is an option.

I have chosen off-white limestone tiles, Kavina by Keystone at £48.75 per sq m and a fluffy rug (at £398 per sq m) in the same colour from Top Floor to keep the room light and airy. The wall colour is Chalk II from the Paint & Paper Library.

With the children in mind, I opted for an easy-to-clean fabric on the gorgeous Lavenham sofa (£3250 by David Linley). The upholstery fabric is called Ultrasuede from Chase Erwin at £103.90 per sq m. The woolly fabric for the cushions is a nice contrast (Mutations Citadines from Abbott & Boy).

The coffee table, called Centre Stool, is £2625 and the side tables, called Rosie’s table are £1555 each – both are from William Yeoward.

Everything is available to order through Sequoia Interior Design.
Juliette Nieuwland at 020 7228 7951/07957 414693
juliette@sequoiadesign.net

Stockists
Abbott & Boyd
Chelsea Harbour Design Centre
Tel 020 7351 9985

Interdesign UK Ltd
Chelsea Harbour Design Centre
Tel 020 7376 5272

Chase Erwin
Chelsea Design Centre
Tel 020 8875 1222

Keystone
Tel 020 7642 2580

John Patrick Building Contractors and Joinery Manufacturers
website
Tel 020 8763 8660

David Linley
website
Tel 020 7349 7828

Top Floor UK Ltd
Chelsea Harbour Design Centre
Tel 020 7795 3333

Paper & Paper Library
5 Elystan St, SW3
Tel 020 7823 7755

Ocean
website
Tel 0870 2426283

The Cube
website
Tel 020 7937 7934

Aspace
website
Tel 01985 301 222

Lion Witch Wardrobe
website
Tel 020 8318 2070

Funkyrugs
website
Tel 0121 530 2644

Tips for extending a side return, by Architecture Your Home

One of the solutions to finding more living space is to use your side return. The factors you need to consider are: how the extension will work with other rooms in the house, the arrangement, design, materials, daylight, lighting, storage, seating and building and planning regulatory requirements.

You need to consider building regulations guidelines and understand what planning requirements need to be adhered to. If, for instance, you are planning to knock down a wall to create an open living kitchen/diner, you will also need to consider structural implications and in some circumstance you may need to consult a structural engineer.
Employing an architect to provide ideas, advice and design options will ensure your investment improves the value of you home, is functional, within regulatory requirements and has a touch of WOW factor.

So what factors need to be considered?

What is the right size extension for your house?
Retaining the balance of your house is very important. Creating too big a ground floor can result in a house which appears awkward and uncomfortable.

What will the effect be on your garden or your neighbours?
Think about how the extension will fit with the look of your house, both from the road and from the garden? Show your neighbours your proposals from an early stage to help keep them ‘on-side’.

Will you need planning permission or can this be done within Permitted Development?
This normally depends on the size of your house, whether it has had any previous extensions, how big they were, whether it is listed or in a conservation area and the size of the proposed extension.

Will the works need a party wall agreement?
If the proposed work is either within a certain distance of your properties boundary or bears on a shared wall, then a party wall agreement may well be required.

Will the works have an impact to your house under the Building Regulations?
Building regulations cover any new building work so an extension will need to comply. The work can be done under a ‘building notice’ rather than with full plans.

Architect Your Home can explain the options to you and help find the right route for your project.
Tel 0800 849 8505