After spending several summers in the charming Suffolk seaside town of Aldeburgh, Jo and Richard Caseby decided that the family would eventually like to live there more permanently, but to do so they would need to upscale their 8ft wide, three-storey holiday cottage.
“Even though our beachfront place was hard to sell, we found a 1960s bungalow a few hundred yards from the ocean,” says Joe. “We bought it because it was completely sensible and well organized.”
After buying it back in 2015, Joe had no intention expands It “was a big investment for us so we wouldn’t have had the money anyway,” she says. “But the house never made my heart sing—being used to our old cottage facing the sea, this was not the same feeling because the main view was inland to the west—it felt like the whole building needed to be turned round.”
Project details
- location Aldeburgh, Suffolk
- project Expansion and renovation
- Type of house bungalow
- Build method Wooden frame Construction
- The size of the house 140 square meters
- Architects Mall Architects
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(Image credit: Juliet Murphy)
Exciting plans
After living in the bungalow for five years, Jo started thinking about how they could give it more space and character, and she had an architect in mind. She had seen some local projects by mall architects that were very special, but she assumed they would be out of her price bracket.
She also thought fundamentally Renovation of bungalow A top architect would not be interested, which was partially true. “When I met Meredith Bowles at the mall, she said that it wasn’t just about building bungalows, but that Expansion to the side “Can be an exciting project for all involved,” says Joe.
“When we considered the whole idea Demolition and ReconstructionWe realized that most of the existing home continues to meet the needs of the family,” says Meredith.
“So we proposed a sensitive renovation and contemporary Extension of bungalow which maintains the same footprint while unlocking the full potential of coastal plots. Previously, the layout placed the primary living spaces to the south, where mature trees restricted daylight and limited external views, and a large garage occupied the more open northern end of the site.”
Subsequently, plans were drawn up to replace the garage Timber framed extensionProjecting into the garden to create a light-filled, open-plan living space. Extensive glazing will open up long views – to the forest edge to the south and to the sea and sky to the east – enhancing the home’s connection to its wonderful surroundings.
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(Image credit: Juliet Murphy)
Because the focus of the house was now on the end where the garage stood, it was only logical to reconfigure and renovate the rest of the house accordingly.
“The new extension housed the kitchen/dining/living room, and the old kitchen, which never really worked, became a more successful master bedroom and suite,” says Joe. “By cleverly rearranging the bungalow, Meredith gave us another bedroom as well as a utility room.”
Because the extension build was such a large investment financially, savings had to be made in other areas. “I bought the kitchen EbayThat saved me thousands of pounds – money that we felt was better spent on the fabric of the build,” says Joe. “My way of thinking is that if you try to save money on the wrong things, you can lose the vision.”
And luckily, that vision was blocked by none Planning permission Issues Although the extension is double height, in a district that Joe fondly describes as ‘Bungalowland’, there was no objection from neighbours. “Besides, it’s very difficult to make a bungalow look worse, and Meredith’s design – even though it’s radical – is clearly a thing of beauty,” she says.
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(Image credit: Juliet Murphy)
A touch of renaissance
Once built, the extension proved to be a revelation for the family, and aesthetically exceeded all expectations.
“It’s a very long, thin room and we’ve always had a modern Elizabethan gallery look,” says Jo. “The look was partly inspired by our large oak table which we felt should take pride of place at the glazed end of the room. I love wood, and the wooden beams and rafters provide a real sense of character and warmth, a rich color that deepens over time.”
Another unusual feature of this high-ceilinged space is the triangular shape roof and angled columns that separate the main dining and kitchen areas from the elevated living space.
Proving that traditional and contemporary can sit side by side, the centerpiece of this extension is a kitchen neatly set in a funky aubergine-coloured alcove.
And sitting firmly on an endgrain woodblock floor is amazing Get a kitchen island Made up of blocks of marble, the color and pattern compare to local artist Maggie Hambling’s seascape painting.
“The county is known for its artists, with the quality of light being a factor, and I think here we have captured the essence of Suffolk – light, sea, space and a sense of freedom.”
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(Image credit: Juliet Murphy)
BUNGALOW FACELIFT
Renovating alongside the build gave the architects the opportunity to upgrade the original building, and Meredith’s retrofit strategy focused on improving the thermal performance of the existing structure.
Upgrades include high-performance double-glazed windows and enhanced Loft insulation. The new extension outgrew the existing one Building Regulations Over 30% in thermal efficiency, reflecting the mall architects’ continued commitment to low-energy, sustainable design.
Another transformative change to the bungalow was to clad it in Siberian larch, which not only had the effect of integrating it with the extension but gave it a fresh, updated look.
“These and all the other changes have transformed our lives,” says Joe. “It used to be an occasional holiday home for us and the kids but now we spend most of our time here.”
For more inspiration, visit this Oak frame self-build with zero electricity bill or this A spacious home designed for flexible family living.
