Structural Kitchen-Diner Remodel

Project Overview

This Edwardian mid-terrace on Canning Road had a tiny galley kitchen at the back and a separate dining room that the owners rarely used. They wanted one open space where they could cook, eat, and keep an eye on their children playing in the garden. The wall between the kitchen and dining room was load-bearing, supporting the first floor and the chimney breast above.

We removed the wall and installed a 5.1m steel beam (RSJ) to carry the loads, supported on concrete padstones at each end. The chimney breast was removed at ground-floor level, with the upper sections supported on a gallows bracket. This created a single room roughly 3.5m x 8m, with the kitchen along the rear wall and a dining table in what was the old dining room.

The kitchen was supplied by a local joiner in Shaker style with hand-painted units in Farrow & Ball Railings. Worktops are 30mm Silestone in Calacatta Gold, with a 2.4m island housing a Bosch induction hob and a Quooker tap. The floor throughout is engineered oak over underfloor heating. A new set of French doors replaced the old rear window, opening onto the garden.