Country House
Country House
Set within the leafy residential landscape of Guildford, Surrey, this project reimagines a substantial 1930s country house through a comprehensive refurbishment and carefully considered extension. The intervention sought to unlock the potential of the ground floor, introducing a new lateral wing that accommodates contemporary family life while preserving the character and hierarchy of the original home. Internally, the plan has been restructured to create a series of generous living spaces connected to newly landscaped gardens, balancing moments of openness with more intimate rooms. The result is a house that feels both rooted in its architectural heritage and confidently adapted for modern living.
“Stylus completely transformed our home by creating a light, airy kitchen and downstairs space that perfectly captures the view of our garden. We are constantly complimented on the stylish, thoughtful design and the impeccable eye for detail that has made our house a true joy to live in.”
Lindsey (Client)
The Heart of the House
The new extension forms the social heart of the home: a generous open-plan kitchen, dining and living space designed for everyday family life.
A French grey kitchen sits against a backdrop of exposed red brick, its calm palette complemented by large-format grey stone flooring that runs throughout the space. At its centre, a substantial island anchors the room, positioned alongside the glazed link that separates old and new. Above, the high-level glazing washes the interior with soft daylight, subtly articulating the transition between the original house and the contemporary addition.
Large sliding doors span the rear elevation, dissolving the boundary between interior and garden and allowing the room to open fully onto the newly landscaped grounds. The resulting space is light, open and informal — a modern counterpoint to the more traditional rooms elsewhere in the house.
Rooms in Sequence
A suite of three interconnected reception rooms forms the principal living spaces of the original house. Linked by bi-parting timber and pocket doors, the rooms can function either as a flowing sequence or as distinct, private environments.
Each room maintains a direct relationship with the surrounding gardens, drawing natural light deep into the plan while offering differing atmospheres tailored to their use.
The front reception room serves as the formal sitting room, where refined joinery and carefully selected furnishings establish a calm and elegant setting. Beyond, the central reception room becomes a more relaxed family lounge, defined by parquet flooring, built-in shelving and a large wraparound sofa arranged around the television.
At the rear, the final reception room takes on a distinctly contemporary character as the children’s space. Low-level joinery wraps the perimeter of the room, doubling as storage and informal seating for large gatherings of friends. A corner window seat is integrated into the architecture, creating a quiet vantage point overlooking the landscaped garden beyond.
A Line of Light
A slender glazed link marks the junction between the original house and the new extension. Expressed as a high-level band of glass, it subtly separates the two structures while allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the plan.
This moment of transparency creates a deliberate pause between old and new architecture, while visually extending through to the sliding doors beyond, carving a light-filled opening within the original rear elevation.
Quiet Continuity
The extension has been designed to sit comfortably alongside the existing 1930s house without direct imitation. Its form and materiality respond to the proportions and rhythms of the original building while maintaining a clear architectural distinction.
By stepping the new volume away from the historic fabric and introducing a glazed link, the extension reads as a separate building connected by glass. Constructed using handmade and reclaimed materials, the addition has a quiet, timeless character and could almost be read as an old outbuilding that has long belonged to the site. This approach allows the original house to remain clearly legible while the new structure settles naturally into the wider composition.
