Maple Court was a solid family house with a divided plan. Small rooms, narrow doors and dark corners kept everyone apart, even when they were all home.

The brief

The family wanted one bright place to gather, with room for homework, cooking and long Sunday lunches. They also wanted a house that stayed quiet and easy to keep.

We started by listening to an ordinary day, then drew the plan around it.

What we changed

We opened the ground floor into a single living space and lined it with pale oak. A wide window seat now sits where a wall used to be, and new joinery hides the clutter so the room stays calm.

Upstairs, we reworked the bedrooms to borrow light from the stair and added storage under the eaves.

The result

The house feels larger without gaining a square metre. The family uses every room now, and the living space is where they head first thing in the morning.