When John Gahan decided to future-proof his semi-detached Victorian home in South East London, he took the opportunity to transform the dark, unwelcoming kitchen into one that was modern and light-filled. Remodelling and extending the ground floor of his home made for a more practical space and would allow for ground-floor living should John ever need it as he got older.

Part of the brief he gave the architect, John Proctor of Proctor & Shaw, was to add light and create a comfortable, welcoming space. The north-facing kitchen at the back of the house was so dark that John had to turn on the lights even in the height of summer.

Proctor’s design extended into the side return to create an open-plan kitchen and dining room with a glazed roof and bi-fold doors with vertical glazing above, adding dramatic height and light. An intimate timber-lined snug with a box window frames the views into the garden and a glass wrap-around connects the original house to the new extension.

He explains why he recommended Schüco for the glazed units: “It’s a tall space and the Schüco system was the only one that offered the height we needed. With any other system we would have had to modify the design to get the full glazed height. Schüco fit the bill.”

John’s home renovation has given him an improved quality of life and created a home he can stay in as long as he wishes.

John explains: “I now realise the absolute power that a well-designed room has on one’s spirits. I practically live in the kitchen now. I can come down in the morning, even in the deep recesses of winter, and come into a place bathed in light and warmth – it lifts the spirits instantly.”

The snug is a favourite spot with its window seat overlooking the garden and the strip of glazing that runs up the west-facing wall and wraps over the roof.