Hearth is the Heart of Home
London based architects Gruff has designed a distinctly sophisticated rear extension to an end-of-terrace house in South London.
The architects took the saying "hearth is the heart of home" as their inspiration and placed an outdoor fireplace with a chimney as the defining feature of their design. Faced with board-marked concrete, the chimney forms a "ribbon" which stretches from the deck to the extended kitchen-living-dining space inside, a clever way to bring the outdoors in.
The extension is flooded with light inside, thanks to extensive floor-to-ceiling windows and multiple skylights. There is a sunken lounge space in a soothing shade of dark blue, in harmonious contrast with the warm neutral tones in the rest of the space. But it is the outdoor space that steals the show, especially the distinctive sawtooth-shaped roof line and the slatted pergola with its dark charred cladding, against which the concrete chimney stands out beautifully.
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Product Inspiration
Go for sleek, minimalist furniture in a monochrome palette such as the Altay dining chair from Coedition, the Florence dining table from New Works and the ABC bookcase from Saporiti.
The Cellight Penta from Frederik Roije would look great over the kitchen counter, whilst the Baby Dome light from Mater would be perfect for the sunken lounge area. For the deck outside try the Piknik portable LED light from LZF.
Keep the accessories simple and sculptural, such as the Gray Matters bookends from Lyon Beton and the Monuments magazine holder from Menu. The Saturno plant holder from Formae would look great too.
