A small extension and clever redesign transformed the connection between James Lockwood’s Edwardian home and his exquisite garden.
Architect James Lockwood wanted more living space and was considering self-building when he noticed an elegant villa for sale. This Edwardian home overlooked a Grade II listed park in Grimsby and James realised it could be a better option. The house needed some TLC, but “it ticked every box,” says James. “You can see trees from every window, and I fell in love with it.”
As is often the case, the period charms of the home’s formal rooms, including high ceilings and cornicing, were absent at the back of the house. Here, a warren of small rooms clustered around a 1970s north-facing kitchen. Together, they made the home feel disconnected from its exquisite two/three-acre garden.
James, who owns Studio Lockwood, immediately saw the villa’s potential. His plan to knock those rooms into one open-plan area and add a small extension has created a spacious new kitchen, dining and living area, which transforms the home’s connection to the outside. Although the extension is relatively small, James also gave the rest of the house a “facelift” to tie it all together.
James considered timber frame construction for the extension. However, due to the amount of steel needed for the large sliding windows, he considered it more economical to use blockwork, which is also load-bearing.
The extension is faced in timber, and this became a significant detail in the project. James used the same black timber cladding to cover the existing pebble dash render on the first floor above the sliding doors. The cladding pattern on the extension complements the home’s original decorative brick pattern.
The pebble dash across the original building was cement-based and had started to peel off where water had been trapped behind over the years. So, “at the first-floor gable end, I hacked off the pebble dash and rendered fully in a through-colour silicone render, to create a crisp white finish. This allows the black timber-clad box below to then really ‘pop’,” says James.
The large sliding windows bring direct access to the garden and an ever-changing picture of nature.
“All windows and doors I eventually replaced in black aluminium double glazing except the front bay windows and front door, where the existing lead work and curved glazing were so characterful, they deserved retention,”
says James.
Inside, “due to the interior coving, skirtings etc. I opted not to dry line to improve the insulation value as the loss of character was too great. I didn’t want to externally insulate, either, as this would have resulted in loss of the brickwork facade at ground level. Instead, I went for the practical approach of thick-lined curtains, thick underlay, larger column radiators etc.,”
says James.
The garden and the house are defined by a long pergola, underscored by a colourful border, planted with perennials. This offers sun-dappled shade in high summer and interest year-round. “Before the house sat on a sea of lawn; now the pergola connects the house to the whole length of the garden,” says James. “The garden is the biggest room; treat it with lots of love; add garden lights and furniture. It makes your house feel bigger and it really does lift your spirits.”
Painted in black, the pergola echoes the Tudor-influenced parts of the house and is part of a strict palette of colours and materials that seamlessly bring old and new together. “It’s all about how you tie it in”, says James. “And the cladding pattern is beautiful when the sun hits it.”
This same idea is used inside, where the same wood-effect porcelain tiles flow from the new sitting room onto the terrace. “I’m a big fan of modernism, but I wanted it to feel warm and homely. That is why there are no grey floor tiles; I wanted a warm colour.”
An open-plan space like this is inevitably where life happens. The sleek kitchen was designed by James so that, whether cooking or washing up, there’s always a view of the garden. There’s also a long dining table for entertaining friends and family. This leads into the sitting room, where a new brick fireplace provides a focus. Green decor brings the outside in, creating a warm and calm feel.
“My style is contemporary, but with a sympathetic nod to the property’s heritage, through colours and features,” says James. “This pulls you through, and using the same tones and palettes on both old and new means there’s no jarring.”
Upstairs, the bedrooms have a more contemporary feel. Layout changes reduced five bedrooms to four and relocated a new master suite to the rear, with a glorious garden view. James also built a new wall so he could add a walk-in wardrobe and recess the ensuite.
Yet the homely feel remains. James is particularly pleased with his new window seat. “It provides extra storage, and I can see a beautiful tree that turns yellow in the autumn, so I chose yellow cushions.”
In the end, this was a home project that became all about the garden and the relationship between the two. “Opening the house up to the garden was my best decision,” says James. “I wasn’t a keen gardener before, but I am now… I can even sit inside and watch a family of foxes play.”
Text Alexandra Pratt | Images Andy Haslam