We designed a contemporary rear extension and internal remodelling to a detached family home in Drayton, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The design opens the ground floor to create a more connected kitchen, dining and living space, with large-format glazing forming a stronger relationship with the garden. A simple, restrained extension was developed to sit clearly against the existing brick house, with careful studies of proportion, materials, daylight and views. Timber screening was used to define spaces and add warmth, while maintaining an open and flexible family layout.