Tara Mata | Charles Tashima Architecture

Our brief was to provide a new extension while providing a new look to what was a rather unremarkable, mid-century cottage. The property is near the picturesque village of Kingsdown not far from the Cliffs of Dover. Important to our design was to establish a strong connection between inside and outside throughout the house, both physically (to the immediate garden, pool and terrace), and visually (to the distant hills and farmland).

We were asked to ensure that the house feel comfortable for the couple on their own, whilst also accommodating overnight guests and larger weekend parties. On the ground floor, we provided a generous, open plan living-dining-kitchen area with a double-sided fireplace. This main room provides our clients with generous spaces for their frequent weekend gatherings of friends. On the first floor is a substantial office-sitting room commanding views to the surrounding landscape. Externally, the challenge was to devise a way of blending and improving the look of the cottage with the extension of Tara Mata.