Set on two acres of living permaculture gardens with orchards and herbal lawns in Surrey Hills, Beech Cottage by MiMStudios stands out for additions that refuse to mimic the 1968 cottage’s pitched roof vernacular.
The London-based studio came to the project following Laura Pattern Architects’ plans for a series of extensions. Within that framework, the studio focused on refining the layout, introducing a more nuanced and varied use of the space. “Our role as design architects was to refine and enhance the design details, ensuring overall coherence in terms of aesthetics, materials, and functionality within the existing framework,” said the studio.
Rather than defaulting to an unbroken glazed wall, the new additions’ glass facades alternate between fixed and operable. A sitting nook looks out toward the garden through a picture window, while a column-free glazed corner opens the dining area onto the weathered timber deck. The balance between enclosure and openness feels deliberate throughout.
Inside, the studio opted for large-format porcelain tiles and lime-wash textured walls — a subtle, restrained backdrop to the family’s everyday life. A redesigned open-tread staircase recedes visually, drawing the eye to the garden as you enter. The interior palette contrasts with the dark-stained timber that unifies the roof and dormer silhouette of the exterior.
MiMStudios describes the project as “deliberately abstracted” — overhangs are pared back, protrusions are avoided, and volumes are kept rectilinear despite the pitched roof of the existing cottage. Rather than trying to blend in, the additions establish a clear, calm dialogue between old and new.
Photography © Henry Woide