So you are seriously considering the possibility of adding an extension to your humble abode? Great idea. It will certainly cost you far less money – not to mention hassle - than moving home altogether if the reason you are tentatively planning that new extension is to achieve more space for you and your family.
As you will no doubt have realised by now if you’ve been doing your research, extensions tend to come in one and two storey varieties. However, when it comes to getting your money’s worth from a major design and build project such as this, two storey extension design ideas are, without exception, far most cost-effective.
Here at BDS we have been leafing through some of our own favourite two storey extension design ideas by other architects around the country. Each one of the 7 fabulous two storey extension designs we have featured here haven’t just added more living space for the home owners, but have also completely altered the look of the property for the better. You may even want to consider incorporating some of these ideas into your own two storey extension design:
1) Mad For Metallic
A lovely light silvery grey which allows lots of natural daylight to flood into the rooms thanks to those large glass doors on both levels, this contemporary two build extension in County Down, Ireland involved reorganising the entire ground floor layout and adding a master bedroom upstairs. One of its primary aims downstairs is to ‘bring the garden indoors’ – and the designers have certainly achieved that. Possibly our favourite part is the smart zinc-clad balcony. The overall cost of this ultra-modern extension was around £200,000:
2) Blending Brick & Glass
The back of this tall Victorian semi-detached villa in North London was extended on two floors using glass. This doesn’t just allow in additional light, but also contrasts beautifully with the traditional, worn red brick. The bottom extension was the larger of the two floors, spreading across the entire ground area of the home to incorporate an open-plan living, kitchen and dining space. The sliding glass doors here also allow the ground floor to be opened up completely to the garden – one of the many popular two storey extension design ideas.
The upper floor extension, which is used as a study, has a floor to ceiling window and next to it the terrace has a glass roof to allow light into the bottom extension. New bricks have been added. These also contrast with the existing versions. The cost for this two storey extension was around £2,400 per square metre:
3) Wowing With Wood
When it comes to two storey extension ideas, the façade design of this fabulous upper floor extension in North London is impressively unique. Stunning and sculptural in its design, the upper modern timber rear extension has been based on Nordic design principles and comprises Douglas Fir battens. The glass lower floor extension allows in plenty of light, while the kitchen is on two levels. The cost for this project, including refurbishment and modernisation of the entire house, was £720,000, excluding architect’s fees:
4) Mixing Old & New
This impressive two storey glass extension featured here has been built to contrast spectacularly with the white 18th century walls of this countryside residence, Sitting just outside London, the house is adjacent to the Grand Union Canal – the view of which was part of the reason the architect decided to go ‘completely glass.’ The large, bright extension contains a new living area as well as bedrooms:
5) Stepping Up To Extension Design
One of the design implications of this ‘stepped’ two storey frameless glass extension was to flood the new basement living area with natural light. The semi-detached Victorian dwelling house in Putney, London now has an open-plan sitting room, kitchen and dining room where the family spend much of their time together. A large skylight beams natural light down onto a staircase, which leads to a reasonably large mezzanine level:
6) Illuminating With ‘Lenses’
Known as The Lens House, the wonderfully innovative two storey extension added to this 19th century photographer’s North London home extends the first floor living room of the original building and adds a home office. The design – one of our favourite two storey extension ideas - was based on the idea of the individual extension parts being similar to ‘large apertures,’ and which were to be connected by trapezoidal planes.
The lenses ‘frame’ particular views, such as the giant walnut tree on the right of the photograph. This design also incorporates a new sunken courtyard and roof terrace. A sliding glass wall underneath the bay window connects a dining room to the small patio area:
7) Adding Glass To ‘Listed’ Properties
This tall and narrow Grade I listed terraced property in Regent’s Park, London was given a ‘modern make-over’ with the help of an impressive two-storey glass extension. This was built onto the back of the property between the three tier rear extension and the building next door. The kitchen sits on the ground floor and is connected to the glass extension via a large opening. Other than glass, only two visible steel beams can be seen throughout the extension.
Meanwhile, a glass floor separates the two different storeys in the extension, allowing light to pour through into the kitchen. This transparent ceiling also acts as a terrace for the upper floor. Meanwhile, a double glazed door on the lower floor extension gives the home owners easy access to the rear garden. The total cost of this extension and refurbishment was around £1,050,000!
Images via Ideal Homes, Real Homes, Dezeen and e-architect
Our FREE Guide To House Extensions
Here at BDS Architecture we hope you enjoyed viewing these two storey extension design ideas. If you are interested in learning more about the design and build process and would like to find out how an extension can blend in with your own family dynamic and lifestyle, then please download our new e-book The Ultimate Guide To Expanding Your Living Space today. Click here to claim your copy.
