At CODA Bespoke, we believe style isn’t about labels. It’s about finding the sweet spot between your home’s existing character, your personal tastes and how you want to live in the space every day.
Here’s how we do it:
Every extension is a conversation between the old and the new. The first step is to look closely at the building you’re starting with:
Is it a Victorian terrace with intricate brickwork and high ceilings?
A 1930s semi with generous proportions and big bay windows?
A rural stone cottage with thick walls and deep reveals?
Each has its own proportions, materials and rhythm. And those cues are a useful starting point. A sympathetic extension might echo those lines and materials, while a contrasting one might deliberately break from them to make a contemporary statement.
In our Willow House project, located in the historic North Yorkshire farming village of Church Fenton, we used modern materials to expand the original RAF officer’s residence. Clean lines blend with the original redbrick to create contemporary, open plan living spaces perfect for family life. The result? A bold exterior that makes a statement yet is sensitive to the original building.
Most extensions fall into one of two broad approaches:
This approach respects and continues the existing architectural language. Rooflines are aligned, materials match or blend and detailing is consistent. It’s often the preferred route in Conservation Areas or with listed buildings, where heritage sensitivity is essential.
Here, the new element is unapologetically modern and sets up a dialogue between the two styles. For example, a crisp glass-and-steel structure can make a period façade feel even more special by highlighting its texture and craftsmanship.
See it in practice in the Carter Knowle Road project in Sheffield. A modern cedar-clad extension was used to expand existing kitchen of the traditional terrace house and capture as much natural light as possible.
Style isn’t just about appearances. It should respond to how you’ll use the space.
Do you need a light-filled kitchen-dining area that becomes the social hub of the home? A tucked-away office? A multifunctional family room with access to the garden? A standalone structure like the cleverly designed Cedar Pod?
Form follows function. But at CODA, we design so the two are indistinguishable. A family who loves entertaining might lean towards a bold, contemporary addition with large openings and fluid indoor-outdoor flow. Someone restoring a Georgian home might prefer a more restrained language, with proportion and symmetry taking the lead.
Your home doesn’t exist in isolation. The surrounding street, neighbourhood, and landscape all have a role in shaping what will work. Both visually and in planning terms.
The scheme at 119 Park Road is a good example of this balance. Four new-build dwellings were created in the grounds of a non-designated heritage asset, with the existing building sensitively restored into a six-bedroom super home. Past and present work together to enhance both the original building, the new additions and their surroundings.
Material choice can completely shift the style and feel of your extension. The same form built in honey-coloured larch (like the stunning Tom Lane addition in Sheffield) will feel warm and organic, while finished in zinc it will appear sleek and modern.
Sometimes, the magic lies in the mix. Pairing reclaimed brick with minimal glazing frames can make the transition from old to new feel effortless.
Planning authorities aren’t there to dictate taste, but they will have strong views on scale, massing and materials. Particularly in sensitive settings.
A well-justified design rooted in context has a far better chance of approval. That’s why we often prepare a design rationale alongside applications, showing how choices in style, proportion and materiality enhance both the home and the local area.
Early engagement with planning officers and, where relevant, conservation teams can save months later on in the project.
The most successful extensions don’t just look good. They perform well for decades to come.
We integrate sustainable principles from the start, so style and performance are inseparable. This might include:
The result is an extension that feels timeless yet quietly future-proof.
Choosing an architectural style isn’t about picking from a menu. It’s about translating your vision, your home’s character and your site’s context into a design that feels inevitable. That’s where our role comes in. We don’t impose a “house style.” Instead, we listen, analyse and create something that’s unique to the project. From the first sketches to planning permission and final detailing, we’re there to make sure every line, junction and material choice supports the bigger picture.
The “right” architectural style for your extension is the one that looks beautiful, functions effortlessly and feels like an authentic evolution of what you already love. Whether that means a faithful continuation of period detailing, a strikingly modern counterpoint or something in between, the key is to approach it with clarity, respect and imagination.
At CODA Bespoke, that’s exactly what we do. Thinking of extending your home? Let’s start with a conversation.
