Extension to a Period House in South Belfast

Extension and renovation of a 1930s detached home in South Belfast

This period property in South Belfast was home to a growing family. They wanted a home extension serving as an open kitchen-living-dining area that connected easily to their leafy back garden.

Project scope

This 1930s detached house in South Belfast had plenty of square footage, but the layout wasn’t earning its keep. The rooms were cellular and closed off from each other. The rear of the house had little connection to the generous garden beyond it. For a growing family, the house felt smaller than it was.

The brief was to open up the ground floor for modern family living, create a large kitchen-dining-living space, and build a meaningful connection between the house and the garden. The kind of home where the whole family gravitates to the same space without feeling on top of each other.

How does a wraparound extension let in more light?

We designed a side and rear extension that wraps around the back of the house, creating a single storey generous open-plan space for the kitchen, dining and living areas. The rear wall is fully glazed, opening the ground floor directly to the garden. The side elevation is glazed too, so light enters from two directions.

The extension is finished in white render, matching the original house. At the front, the side extension blends with the existing elevation, so the house reads as one building from the street. There’s no jarring contrast between old and new. The period house gained a contemporary ground floor without losing its character from the front.

Front of a detached period house with blended side extension in matching white render
Stained glass window overlooking stairwell of 1930s period house

An extension that connects to the back garden

The garden works in two parts. Closest to the house, a courtyard sits at the same level as the ground floor, enclosed on one side by a curved half-wall that gives the space a sense of shelter and privacy.

Beyond that, raised lawns step up to a second level. The effect is a garden that feels like a series of rooms, rather than a single flat space, all visible from inside the house through that glazed rear wall.

Angled view from the the garden of a detached period house with a modern extension plus curved half-wall in the garden

The renovation updated the house for how the family lives now, without erasing the 1930s character that made it worth investing in.

Modern open-plan living space with kitchen, bar stools, and a brown sofa next to a blue snooker table. Large glass doors offer views of a green garden outside.
Modern house patio with large glass windows, metal table and chairs, white tiled floor, green lawn, and another house and trees in the background on a sunny day.
Modern open-plan kitchen and living area with a large island sink, gas hob, dining table, sofas, flat-screen TV, pool table, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a green garden.
Modern kitchen with a large island, grey cupboards, built-in appliances, bar stools, and floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening to a sunny, green outdoor space.
Modern kitchen with tiled floor, a vase of lilies on the worktop, and large glass doors opening to a garden with green plants and trees. Natural light fills the minimalist space.
Modern open-plan living space with a brown leather sofa, dining table, bar stools, and large floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto a patio and garden. The room is bright with minimalist décor.
Modern glass extension with a flat roof attached to a traditional white house, surrounded by a green lawn, bamboo plants, and a few trees, under a partly cloudy sky.
Stained glass window overlooking stairwell of 1930s period house
Modern living room with brown sofas, white rug, flat-screen TV, and large glass doors opening to a garden. A pool table is visible in the background, and there are green plants and purple flowers in the room.
Modern living room with two brown leather sofas, white rug, side tables, TV on the wall, and large glass doors opening to a green garden. Bright, airy space with minimalist decor and natural light.
Modern house with large glass sliding doors opening to a patio with a rectangular table, two green glasses, bamboo plants, and lush greenery surrounding the outdoor space under a blue sky.
A modern house with large glass windows and a spacious green lawn, featuring a minimalist garden and bamboo plants in front of a sleek, white exterior.
Front of a detached period house with blended side extension in matching white render
Angled view from the the garden of a detached period house with a modern extension plus curved half-wall in the garden
Modern house with large glass sliding doors, a white exterior, and a patio with a black wicker table and two green glasses outside. Lush greenery surrounds the outdoor space in the background.
open plan living area extension South Belfast by McCann Moore Architects