Architectural Visualisation
A contemporary transformation in the Surrey Hills
A complete reimagining of a 1980s family home, creating a lighter, more connected and enduring place to live within its remarkable Surrey Hills setting.
Whole House Remodel
Westhumble, Surrey Hills
Type: Detached
5 Bedrooms
Project Stage: Completed
The Brief
The clients wanted to transform an ageing 1980s property into a timeless family home that felt better suited to both contemporary life and its exceptional Surrey Hills setting.
Although generous in size, the existing house had evolved into a series of disconnected spaces. Circulation was awkward, natural light struggled to reach the heart of the plan, and the kitchen and principal living areas felt separated from one another and from the garden beyond.
The brief was not simply to create more space, but to make the existing home work harder, bringing greater clarity and connection to the layout, creating a natural heart to the home, and balancing generous family spaces with quieter areas to retreat. It also needed to accommodate multi-generational living and remain flexible enough to adapt with the family over time.
Design Response
Rather than simply extending the house, the design focused on making the existing footprint work more intelligently. The project involved a fundamental reconfiguration of the existing layout, bringing previously disconnected spaces together and establishing a clear heart to the home.
At ground floor, the kitchen, dining and everyday living spaces were brought together into a generous family hub, with carefully positioned glazing drawing in natural light and creating a much stronger connection with the garden and surrounding landscape. Quieter living spaces sit alongside this more sociable heart of the house, allowing family life, entertaining and retreat to coexist naturally.
Upstairs, the same approach was applied to the private accommodation, improving circulation, storage and the relationship between bedrooms while creating greater privacy and flexibility for family and guests.
Externally, the fragmented form of the original property was simplified and given a calmer architectural identity, using restrained materials and detailing that feel appropriate to its Surrey Hills setting.
The aim throughout was not to create a larger house, but a better one - lighter, calmer and more intuitive to live in.
Planning & Context
The property occupies a distinctive position in Westhumble, surrounded by mature landscape with long views towards the North Downs and Box Hill. Its sensitive Surrey Hills setting was an important consideration throughout the design process.
The approach was therefore one of considered transformation rather than reinvention. The scale and form of the house were carefully composed, with a restrained palette of painted render, timber cladding, clay tiles and traditional detailing helping the remodelled home sit more comfortably within its surroundings.
The Outcome
The transformation has given the house a completely new sense of clarity. Spaces that once felt disconnected now flow naturally from one to another, with the kitchen and family areas forming a genuine heart to the home and a much stronger relationship with the garden and landscape beyond.
Alongside the larger shared spaces, quieter rooms, private bedroom areas, integrated storage and self-contained accommodation allow different generations and different parts of family life to comfortably coexist. The result is a home that feels generous without being wasteful, and considered without feeling overly formal.
Most importantly, it is a home designed for the long term - one that can continue to adapt as family life changes, while feeling entirely at home within its Surrey Hills setting.
