From the moment they moved into their semidetached Victorian home in London in 2006, Nicola and Patrick Kendall dreamed of renovating their kitchen—but life and more pressing home improvements got in the way.

Located at the top of a steep hill overlooking a conservation area, the home had a ground-floor kitchen and a large, private garden—but connections between the two spaces were limited. The garden could be glimpsed through a tiny window above the sink, and the only access point was through a shoddy conservatory made from unplasticized PVC.

$5,985 Site Work	$12,045 Foundations	$24,872 Structural
$29,887 Wall Finishes	$4,901 Flooring	$5,846 Roofing
$6,199 Electrical	$5,078 Plumbing	$8,568 Heating & Ventilation
$12,159 Landscaping	$15,561 Kitchen & Bath Fixtures	$14,244 Cabinetry
$13,734 Windows & Glazing	$13,633 Doors	$7,560 Tilework
$1,796 Metalwork	$325 Planning	$1,197 Approved Inspector
$5,229 General Contractor Fee	$33,674 Architect Fee	$687 Party Wall Agreement
$2,016 Measured Survey	$3,710 Structural Engineer
Grand Total: $228,906

The Kendalls initially worked with an architect to obtain planning permission for both a rear and a side extension—although the layout would have compromised the most desirable part of the garden. Later, Nicola reached out to 4 S Architecture founder Julia Hamson, who she had met through her book club 17 years ago.

“Nicola and Patrick knew the house had great potential when they bought it,” says Hamson. “The main brief was to create a better connection with the garden and more space for entertaining—they love to cook and are definitely party people!”

Hamson drew up a plan that would fit everything the couple wanted into a 30-percent smaller side extension while transforming part of the garden into a sun-drenched entertaining terrace.

“The original proposed rear extension was just interior space they didn’t need,” notes Hamson. She also explained that scaling back the project would yield significant cost savings—up to 20 percent—as less materials would be needed for the build.

Nicola and Patrick love midcentury-modern design, and they wanted the extension to evoke that style without feeling at odds with their Victorian-era home. “That’s where the color choice and material palette came from, as well as the curved forms,” says Hamson. For these elements, the architect drew inspiration from Bauhaus-era posters, and an existing curved arch at the home’s entrance.

The dining area in the new side extension provides plenty of space for the couple’s 16.4-foot-long, live-edge timber table, which they have had for many years. Nearby stands a slim kitchen island clad in vibrant green kit-kat tiles. “There’s lots of space to get up and move around now,” says Nicola. “We’ve had a few evenings dancing around the island, and that’s been lovely.”

The kitchen opens directly to the terrace through large sliding glass doors that allow the garden to be seen from the home’s entrance. A bespoke timber screen (which obscures a neighboring property’s unattractive brick wall) features a playful curved design crafted from off-the-shelf roof battens.

“The challenge was to be creative with standard building materials to create a more luxurious feel,” says Hamson. “It was tricky to achieve the curves without using curved elements or special bricks, which would have been expensive and potentially difficult to build with.”

From the beginning, Nicola wanted the kitchen to be easy to clean—and practicality was a major factor in the selection of finishes. The terrazzo-effect rubber floor, for example, has a speckled appearance that disguises any crumbs and a seamless finish with no grout lines. It’s also incredibly durable, which caters to relaxed indoor/outdoor entertaining.

The kitchen renovation was a long time coming—nearly two decades—and during the pandemic, materials and labor costs rose dramatically. As a result, the construction budget needed to be revised from about $75,000 in 2006 to around $165,000 when 4 S Architecture took over. Hamson advised the Kendalls to also allow for a 15 percent contingency, which ended up being used when unforeseen underpinning was needed and materials costs rose even further. They also spent just over $40,000 on professional fees, such as the architect, surveyor, and structural engineer.

“It was really stressful,” recalls Nicola. “It’s still quite stressful, as we spent a lot on the kitchen and cost of living is so high at the moment. We actually just sold a flat we owned to make up for the fact that we spent more than what we originally intended to. We don’t regret it, though—it’s changed our lives.”

The couple also note that the scope expanded over the course of the project. During construction, the upstairs bathroom was partially destroyed when temporary structural props needed to be put in. Instead of simply paying the contractor to fix the existing bathroom, they decided to update it in the same style as the kitchen.

“I don’t feel like I ‘just’ got a kitchen, because the bathroom and outdoor area also changed,” says Nicola. “The renovation has brought a calmness to our lives as it’s such a beautiful space and has a great connection to the garden—bringing the outside in was a big thing for us. I love being in the kitchen, studying at the dining table, and doing yoga in the mornings. It’s such a lovely space, and we couldn’t have done it without Julia.”

More Budget Breakdown stories:

A Feral Terrace House Becomes a Magical Garden Home for $423K

This London Couple Did the Dirty Work to Keep Renovation Costs Low

A London Architect Gives Her Micro Apartment a Major Upgrade for $17K

Project Credits:

Architect: 4 S Architecture / @4sarchitecture

Contractor: Lidax Building Solutions Ltd

Structural Engineer: Morph Structures

Party Wall Surveyor: David Franklyn Party Walls

Approved Inspector: Wilkinsons Construction Consultants

Windows: Velfac

Rooflights: Roof Maker

Rubber Flooring: Nora Systems

Countertops: Cosentino

Photographer: Henry Woide / @henrywoide

Budget Breakdown: In London, a Midcentury-Inspired Kitchen Update Leads to a $229K Home Revamp