Like many of our domestic projects the challenge has been tackled before, in similar context, by a similar client, with a similar budget but often without design or material quality as a priority. This sandstone semi is surrounded by similar houses, of which many have been badly extended to the detriment of the existing house. Our challenge was to carefully add an extension that takes all its cues from the existing house scale and materials, replacing an octagonal kitchen extension to the rear that significantly reduced the feeling of space in the garden. Opening up the ground floor plan, introducing lots of rear elevation (south-facing) windows and repositioning the kitchen has transformed this house without loosing the best qualities of the external character and context. From the street our design could almost be missed, appearing to having always been there.