What the Victorians did for us is well documented: the massive expansion of our railway system, say, or those enormous scientific gains with the publication of Darwin’sOrigin of the Species. Introducing the concept of bank holidays is certainly something we’re indebted to our great-greats for… But when it comes to our beloved Victorian terrace, we can’t help but wonder why our frock-coat-clad architectural ancestors left us with that frustratingly narrow piece of no-man’s-land to the side of our properties – they certainly weren’t thinking of us second gen Elizabethans with our sizeable Poggenpohl kitchen islands then.
Times have changed, and so have our eating and entertaining habits. 21st-century kitchens are now the hub of the home where we cook, eat and socialise. It’s no wonder then, that when it comes to this most important part of the house, for many, size is everything. Enter the side return extension: a nifty way to reclaim that gloomy, unused section of outside space and expand sideways. Not only will you add precious feet and inches in order to fully realise your dream designer kitchen (or indeed living room), you’re also likely to add precious pounds and pennies to the market value of your property too. According to The Times, building on this neglected area can increase the value of a house by up to ten per cent.
Build Team are a London-based company led by design duo, Dan Davidson and Mark Eden, whose raison d’être is side return extensions. Dan came up with the idea for such a specialist, go-to venture after he successfully designed and built an extension that transformed his own home – the brief was simply to make the area light, bright and spacious. We’re guessing if Dan’s is anything like this chic Islington home that Build Team have worked their magic on, he’ll have one wow-factor-worthy new bit on the side.