À la mode

A rear and side return extension allowed Holly Wadsworth and François-Xavier Geslin to create a French-inspired kitchen and dining space fit for the whole family

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Holly Wadsworth and François-Xavier Geslin were renting in the Three Sisters conservation area of Battersea, south-west London, when they began looking for their first home. 'We weren't necessarily hoping to buy on the same road, but this house came up for sale,' says Holly. 'It needed work, but was within our budget and had great potential.' The semi-detached Victorian house was liveable but old-fashioned, with a small, dark kitchen attached to an outdoor toilet building. 'We wanted to extend at the back and renovate internally, to add more space, open up the floor plan and create a generous family kitchen and dining area,' says Holly. 'We'd never had a garden before, so were keen to retain as much exterior space as possible.'

To design the extension, Holly called in an old friend - award-winning architect Aurore Baulier of Atelier Baulier. 'I've known Aurore since 2012, we used to work together,' says Holly. 'I trust her and she's a total perfectionist, so I knew she was the right person for the job.' The design process was collaborative, with Aurore taking Holly and François-Xavier's ideas into account. 'She really thought about how the house would function,' says Holly. 'Female architects are great at considering how you're actually going to use a space.'

KITCHEN DESIGN