The Beeches

Preserving Arts & Crafts character with a modern family extension.

Keston Park, Kent 

Modern house patio with a small pool, glass walls, and lush greenery in the background.
Close-up of a white building with a decorative, arched brick entryway, a small window with a bush nearby, and a flat outdoor surface.

Restoring Character, Expanding Possibility

At The Beeches in Keston Park, our approach resisted the impulse to demolish a modest Arts & Crafts house in favour of something larger. Instead, we restored the character of the original home, retaining its crafted charm, while introducing contemporary extensions that open the house to garden views and more generous living spaces.

Front view of a white two-story house with a brown roof, surrounded by a neatly mowed lawn, bushes, and trees, with a driveway on the right side.

A new high-performance thermal envelope was added to improve comfort and reduce energy usage, demonstrating how historic homes can adapt to modern standards of sustainability. Externally, a traditional lime render preserves the tactile quality and appearance of the original period design, maintaining continuity with the home’s heritage.

Interior view of a modern black staircase with open risers, leading to an upper level, adjacent to a glass wall overlooking a backyard with bamboo plants, featuring a wooden bench with black and white patterned pillows and decorative vases on the floor.

Inside, old and new spaces are unified by a shared palette of dark wood and painted finishes. At the rear, patinated copper cladding distinguishes the new extensions, their modern detailing deliberately sympathetic to the original architecture. These additions form larger rooms with expansive openings that link indoors and out.

Modern interior view showing a living area with dark wood stairs on the left, a dining table with white chairs in the center, and a large glass door opening to an outdoor garden with trees and shrubs, sunlight illuminating the space.

The result is a home that honours its Arts & Crafts roots while meeting the demands of contemporary family life — a balanced conversation between preservation and progression.

Modern home interior with a large sliding glass door opening to a backyard with a pool, trees, and landscaped garden.

Press

Interview & House Tour
The Luxury Home Show, 2024

Modern house with large glass windows and a swimming pool in the backyard.
A historical map titled 'Sketch Plan of Keston and Farnborough Park Estates' showing the layout of estates, roads, lakes, and specific locations such as Keston Village, Farnborough Common, Keston Park, and Holwood Park in Kent, including train stations and estate offices.
Modern house with glass doors, outdoor seating area, black potted plants, white exterior, and concrete stairs.
Modern two-story house with large glass windows, surrounded by a landscaped yard with green lawn, bushes, and tall trees, under a clear sky.

Completed 2016 
Photography by Joshua Heasman, Ryan Wicks & The Modern House