A large traditional house with a swimming pool in a lush garden, outdoor seating area, and a modern extension in the background, architecture by Gresford Architects.

Bright interior with a wooden dining table, furry chairs, and large glass doors opening to a lush garden, pool and outdoor seating area; architecture by Gresford Architects.

Living room with grey and blue seating, a wooden coffee table with a flower vase, TV on white wall, bay window, and a mix of beige and blue decor; architecture by Gresford Architects.

A white, two-storey house with a gravel driveway, framed by tree branches and foliage, architecture by Gresford Architects.

Bright interior with a wood-burning stove, staircase, and hallway, featuring light wood flooring and white walls; architecture by Gresford Architects.

Aerial view of a large estate with multiple white houses surrounded by lush trees and gardens, with a gravel driveway, architecture by Gresford Architects.

An interior dining space with green plants, a rustic wooden sideboard, and framed artwork, with large windows showing greenery outside. Architecture by Gresford Architects.

Bright, airy living space with neutral tones, wooden accents, and seamless open-plan design, architecture by Gresford Architects.

This 1930’s home in a leafy suburb of Oxford, was bought by the clients in a state of some disrepair, having had only two owners since it was built. The house had suffered an unfortunate series of extensions, and the internal spaces were dark and gloomy.

The brief to Gresford Architects was to significantly extend the living accommodation, in a manner sympathetic to the existing, beautiful art-nouveau style of the original dwelling. The key conceptual driver was to remove the cramped staircase and entrance, creating a new front door with a double height entrance hall, with a first floor landing from which all 5 bedrooms open, thus creating a space of community and accidental interactions.

On the ground floor a new kitchen and dining area were created at the east of the house, with the dining pavilion itself extending to the rear of the house in as a more modernist space, opening up to the garden and funky 1970’s swimming pool.