There’s a particular moment in every renovation when a house reveals what it wants to become. Not what the architect imagines or what the builder proposes. Not even what the owners have pinned to their mood boards. But what the building itself has been quietly waiting for all along.

At the property we visit in Reigate, that moment arrives the second you step through the front door. Your eye is drawn through the house towards a wall of glass and a garden beyond. Light spills through the interior. Spaces connect naturally. Family life unfolds across a series of rooms that feel both generous and intimate.

It’s difficult to imagine that, not so long ago, this impressive family home turned its back on its greatest asset.
“Previously, when you entered the house, you faced a wall,” explains architect Elena Draganova. “The house sits in a wonderful position, but there was no visual connection to the garden. We wanted to open up the house, create a functional layout for the family, and ensure that from the moment you entered, you understood the relationship between the house and its setting.”

That ambition became the guiding principle behind a remarkable transformation completed by Canterwood Partnership, specialists in architecturally led extensions and refurbishments. The result is a home that feels simultaneously contemporary and timeless, one that celebrates light, craftsmanship, and family living in equal measure. Most importantly, it is a project born from collaboration. The owners brought their wish list, the architect her vision, and the builders the expertise to make it real.

When a client is South African, certain priorities tend to rise naturally to the top of the list. Light, space, a connection to the outdoors. If the British climate can’t promise endless sunshine, then the architecture must try and capture every available ray.
The original property featured a large south-facing conservatory. Like many conservatories it was too hot in summer and too cold in winter. The brief was not simply to replace it. The challenge was to create a space that could be enjoyed throughout the year.

The answer came in the form of a substantial rear extension that dissolves the traditional boundaries between house and garden. Floor-to-ceiling glazing floods the interior with daylight, while carefully positioned rooflights draw sunshine deep into the house. Yet this is not architecture that shouts for attention. The extension feels calm and considered. Exposed brickwork echoes the materials of the existing property, while warm oak detailing softens the contemporary glazing. There is enough contrast to feel modern, yet enough continuity to feel as though it has always belonged.

The rear elevation is undoubtedly the star of the show. Huge glazed openings stretch across the back of the house, creating uninterrupted views of the garden and allowing the landscape to become part of the interior.

The doors themselves are supplied by Maxlight, whose ultra-slim sightlines and exceptional manufacturing capabilities were central to Elena’s design. “Most manufacturers will take you to around 2.1 or perhaps 2.3 metres,” explains the team.

“Maxlight can achieve up to 3 metres. Here we have 2.7m – as high as the ceiling – which allows us to create true floor-to-ceiling glazing.”
Rather than looking through windows, occupants experience the garden almost as a living mural. The eye travels effortlessly across the lawn and mature planting, creating a sense of openness that extends beyond the footprint of the extension.

But the glazing is only part of the story. Hovering above is one of the most distinctive elements of the project: a beautifully detailed canopy roof that extends the living space outdoors.
The South African influence appears most clearly here. For many homeowners, a patio is somewhere to place a table and barbecue. For this family, outdoor living needed to be something more sophisticated.

The canopy creates a genuine outdoor room. Sheltered from rain, shaded from the summer sun, and open to the garden throughout the year.
Its structure is clad in iroko, often referred to as African teak. Dense, durable and richly coloured, it possesses a remarkable depth and lustre that changes with the light. Unlike cedar, which gradually silvers with age, iroko retains much of its warmth and character, making it an ideal material for a project focused on creating visual connection between inside and outside.

The timber brings warmth and richness, its natural grain contrasting beautifully with the crisp contemporary structure. Integrated heating allows the family to enjoy the space long after summer has faded. On cool evenings or drizzly autumn afternoons, the doors can remain open and the relationship between house and garden continues uninterrupted. Come rain or shine, the family can be inside and outside at the same time.

One of the most successful aspects of the redesign is the way it balances openness with intimacy. Large open-plan spaces can sometimes feel overwhelming. The cleverness of this project lies in how it creates different zones without sacrificing connection.
At its heart sits the kitchen. Handcrafted by Canterwood’s specialist joinery team, it combines elegant proportions with practical family functionality. The deep blue-green island anchors the room, while pale cabinetry and marble surfaces ensure the space remains bright and welcoming. The quality of the craftsmanship is immediately apparent. Canterwood operates its own dedicated joinery workshop in Lublin, Poland, overseen by joinery manager Marcin. The story behind the workshop says much about the company’s approach. When Marcin chose to return to Poland, Canterwood invested in both him and the business relationship, ensuring his expertise remained part of the company. Today, all of their bespoke cabinetry is produced there.

The workshop gives clients access to larger sheet sizes and materials not commonly available in the UK, allowing more seamless installations and refined detailing. The kitchen is entirely bespoke: solid oak drawer construction, custom cabinetry, and tailored storage. The kitchen island is precisely the sort of element that benefits from having design, manufacture and installation managed within one organisation.
Just beyond the kitchen sits one of the home’s most delightful spaces – the snug. With its built-in window seat, bespoke cabinetry and garden views, it perfectly encapsulates the project’s philosophy. This is not a separate room hidden away behind a door. Nor is it simply another corner of the open-plan layout. Instead, it occupies a middle ground: connected yet distinct, social yet private.
The cabinetry, once again crafted in Lublin, frames a generous picture window overlooking the garden. Shelving provides space for books, personal treasures and family photographs. It is exactly the sort of space that makes a house feel like a home.

Elena’s background in theatre is evident throughout the project. For someone trained to think about atmosphere and visual composition, lighting becomes an architectural material.
Three carefully positioned rooflights play a vital role in distributing natural light throughout the day. One sits above the kitchen. The second is positioned over the living area. The third larger rooflight adopts a subtle pyramid form and projects above the canopy roofline over the garden sitting space, on top of the pitched section of the roof. Its off-centre positioning was carefully calculated to equalise daylight from morning through to evening, washing over the pyramid vaulted ceiling inside with light.
Artificial lighting receives the same level of attention. A sophisticated Lutron system allows lighting levels to respond naturally throughout the day, balancing the patterns from sunrise to sunset. Architectural uplighting highlights key features, while the flexible track system above the dining table can accommodate both spotlights and pendants depending on the family’s changing needs. Integrated Sonos speakers complete the experience, extending music seamlessly from the interior into the outdoor entertaining area.
Throughout the house, small decisions accumulate to create something greater than the sum of their parts. The downstairs cloakroom introduces playful botanical wallpaper against crisp white tiles. Upstairs, bathrooms combine marble surfaces, twin basins, and elegant black-framed mirrors. The staircase retains its character while incorporating carefully matched replacement spindles. The previously dark entrance hall and landing have been opened up, bringing daylight deep into the centre of the home.
Even the flooring reflects a thoughtful balance between beauty and practicality.

The new extension floor resembles timber but is actually porcelain tile, providing durability and ease of maintenance for a busy family with three children. The herringbone pattern in the original hallway establishes a visual dialogue with the new spaces beyond.
Canterwood completed the project in two phases, beginning in winter 2022. The first phase, completed in autumn 2023, focused on the extension, internal remodelling and garden works. A second phase commenced in 2025, refreshing the upper floors, bedrooms, and bathrooms. What stands out is the consistency of execution. With an in-house team of around fifteen specialists and direct control over joinery production, Canterwood maintains exceptional coordination and quality throughout.
This project is ultimately a reminder that the best renovations are rarely about square footage alone. They are about understanding how a family wants to live. This house now does exactly that. It opens itself to the garden, embraces the changing seasons, and provides a setting perfectly suited to modern family life. It is not simply a larger house. It is a better one.

Address Book:
To get in touch with Canterwood Partnership about bespoke carpentry and build see canterwood.co.uk
Nova Architecture + Design novaarchitecture.co.uk
Havwoods havwoods.com/uk
Mandarin Stone mandarinstone.com
Maxlight maxlight.co.uk
Lutron Lighting commercial.lutron.com/uk/en/home
Wever & Ducré (track lighting) weverducre.com