Kilmuir House extends discreetly from its original form, unfolding in an L-shaped volume that favours rhythm and restraint over expanse and ornateness, and tucks an addition to the rear. Originally a modest Edwardian residence, Kilmuir House borrows from the existing rich character of the home in expanding both the overall footprint and a contemporary liveability across the site.
Balancing heritage and an overall openness to reflect how the owners wanted to live, the response preserves key features of the original planning and overlays a considered and refined palette that aims to ground the spaces within a familiar warmth and generosity. A newly introduced central courtyard anchors the plan - drawing light deep into the internal spaces and creating a calm pocket of reprieve, opening and connecting the rooms that surround to the natural elements.
In a process that reimagines an existing narrow rear addition; the formal symmetry of the original informs the new, together with a heightened need for connectivity. Restructuring the front four rooms into a dedicated master suite, study and separate guest accommodation, the transition between the old and new is defined by a clearly marked break in the form and through shifts in materiality. Stepping down to the shared family volume, the openness of the addition is felt immediately as a key place to come together within the home.
– Design & Interiors
DESIGN BY AD
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Openings and overhangs have been integrated to control incoming solar gains while also framing curated views from within. The zoning and spatial arrangement of the interior needed to feel both open yet allow for separation as needed. Through insertions such as the double-sided fireplace and sunlit window seat, these areas still also feel connected, yet private. Bookending the addition, a series of operable pivot doors and sliding panels connect to the outdoors and surrounding garden, encouraging an ease of movement between inside and out. The upper level then accommodates bedrooms for the children, a retreat, and a shared bathroom.
Throughout, natural materials define the feeling of the home with a palette comprising timber, aged brass, and stone to bring a warmth and overlay tactility, while an integration of lighter and cooler tones also reflects a connection to the nearby coast. In the extending of its overall form and aligning the programmatic functionality to its owners, the enlarged Kilmuir House balances past and present, designed for both retreat and connection.
