Done right, it’s perfectly possible to bring two ostensibly different styles of design together to create a singular sense of architectural unity. Case in point, The Cottage, which sees a quintessential English cottage completed by a highly modern extension, one that has tripled the property’s size. The key here is giving into our craving for the other: when in the dark and wonky comforts of the cottage, so we crave the light and simplicity of the modernist space – and visa-versa.

Before the retrofit The Cottage was, of course, already a picture of Kentish charm. However, the many changes in the way we live today meant it was much more a winter hideaway than year-round house. Now, during the winter, the original cottage serves as retreat, a place to hunker down, get warm, and enjoy the closeness of its materiality. During the rest of the year, however, the modern extension provides the space with which to stretch, move, and make the most of a design that pours out into the garden – and back in again.

Satisfying our cravings, the quality of the new in The Cottage gently and beautifully matches the history of the old, proving that it is, after all, possible to have the best of both worlds.