This five-bedroom link detached was spacious and well proportioned – except for the kitchen, which – in typical Victorian style – was small, a little gloomy and set apart from the flow of the house. To bring in the light, expand the space and introduce more room for storage, we widened the building’s rear outrigger, using reclaimed brick for the repositioned walls to create a seamless join and installing a long rectangular skylight in the new ceiling. By fitting a corner set of 5m sliding glass doors, we created an unbroken sightline into the garden, and a removable boundary between indoors and out. The new kitchen/diner was linked to the rear reception room, allowing it to become effectively open-plan as desired, while maintaining the building’s historic footprint.