colour

A gallery of bright extensions to show how a carefully crafted palette of shades can easily make your project stand out from the crowd

- REBECCA FOSTER

BOLD SELECTION

Mat Barnes, a director at CAN, designed this cheerful rear extension for his family. The scheme was inspired by mountainous landscapes - but more specifically, the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride at Disneyland. 'The colours were picked to celebrate each of the different architectural elements,' says Mat. Eclectic materials, including worktops and kitchen fronts made from recycled chopping boards/milk bottle tops, terrazzo floors and a concrete wall contribute to the eclectic array of hues. The exposed bricks have been painted in Valspar's Keep Calm, the underside of the staircase in RAL Dahlia Yellow, with RAL Traffic Red and RAL Sky Blue for the steels.

GOLD STAR

This wow-factor extension in north London replaces the cramped lean-to structure that previously sat at the back of the house. 'The gold zinc was chosen to contrast with the pared-down colour palette of the internal space, while complementing the rich shade of the London stock brick,' says James Dale, director at James Dale Architects. 'To create a similar look, I'd suggest starting with the big decisions, like external finishes. From there, build up the materials palette as the design progresses.'

GOING GREEN