This substantial house in the charming Oxfordshire village of Bloxham didn’t really work as a modern family home, or celebrate its lovely setting on a hillside, overlooking rooftops. Our clients had a list of requirements but were also open to our interpretation of what they needed. As you walk around the site, you realise its complexity. There are different levels and several access points, outbuildings and neighbouring properties. We worked closely with our clients on the details of a scheme to increase the size of the house and maximise its potential. The result is a subtly modern remodelling and extension of a classic Oxfordshire village house. Now there is a clear pathway through the property from a new contemporary entrance porch. This clearly modern addition hints at the further changes inside. You enter past formal reception rooms into the amazing new kitchen – a beautiful and functional space leading into the extension and onto a new terrace through floor-to-ceiling glass doors. The view of the village roofscape is stunning. The sedum green living roof on the extension provides a blanket of wild flowers and grasses visible from the upper floors throughout the year, alongside improved thermal insulation and air quality. This is a great example of a modern extension that accentuates the main house. It isn’t modern for the sake of it. The overall scheme balances this traditional house with contemporary architecture that complements and defines the existing building without dominating or overshadowing it. Our clients really enjoy design details including a Japanese-inspired rain chain dropping down from guttering on the side of the kitchen, carefully framed views of the Grade I listed village church from the new second floor bedrooms and bathroom, and a great utility space that even includes a dog shower.