Manley Road
Chorlton, Manchester
Completed 2025
Having recently purchased the property which was in a state of disrepair, Jane and Andrea approached us to completely rethink the ground floor - reworking the interiors and addding a contemporary extension with a much stronger connection to the garden.
The original layout was outdated - a large dining room, a narrow galley kitchen, and a utility outrigger with no access to the garden. As a result, the kitchen received very little natural light and the main living spaces were disconnected from one another and from the garden at the back.
The design process began by reorganising the plan around a new, efficient service core. The footprint of the original kitchen now accommodates a utility room, cloakroom and WC, creating a compact central hub that frees up the ground floor and allows the new spaces to open up to the garden. The former dining room becomes the new kitchen and the heart of the new plan - with views through to the new spaces and the garden beyond.
The extension is formed as two distinct and contrasting volumes, each responding to a different function within the home. A rendered pitched-roof form houses the new dining space, while a lower flat-roofed volume, built in rustic grey brick, creates a snug and playroom overlooking the garden. The staggered arrangement gives a unique, characterful form with each internal space having its own identity.
The junction between the two new volumes is deliberately offset from the original wall line, improving movement through the plan, opening up views between the spaces, and allowing light to reach into the central kitchen.
A key ambition was to strengthen the connection between house and garden. Large bifold windows open the dining space directly onto the terrace, while vibrant blue double doors lead from the snug into the garden, creating a direct relationship between all spaces and the newly landscaped outdoor space.
The result is a contemporary family home that transforms a dated layout into a sequence of connected yet distinct living spaces tailored to modern family life.
