London houses

Subterms

    Latest story

    113 Shares99 Views

    Eight London house extensions that maximise space and light

    by

    For our latest lookbook we’ve gathered eight London homes that have traded in unused garden space for contemporary and light-filled living areas.

    Rear extensions are a popular option for transforming the pokey side returns and galley kitchens of Victorian and Edwardian housing, abundant in many areas of London.
    The eight examples below showcase how extensions can bring contemporary flair to a more traditional home and optimise living space for entertaining, relaxing and cooking.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring soothing cabin interiors, kitchens with sleek metal details and living rooms with warming fireplaces.
    Photo by Jim StephensonVictorian terrace house, UK, by Oliver Leech Architects

    Oliver Leech Architects retained this late 19th-century building’s character while opening up the “disconnected and dark” interior of this Victorian terrace house in Herne Hill.
    Prioritising natural light, the studio expanded the ground floor to include an open living, dining and kitchen space, meeting the existing building with a large skylight and window seat.
    Find out more about Victorian terrace house ›
    Photo by Jae W V KimSunny Side Up, UK, by THISS Studio
    THISS Studio approached this extension in east London as though it were a piece of furniture rather than a conventional structure.
    “We wanted to think of the new addition at a domestic scale and more like a piece of furniture that you can sit within and enjoy, rather than a typical extension of the existing spaces,” THISS Studio told Dezeen.
    The practice reconfigured the dark interior of this interwar house which features timber joinery and a light-filled dining space.
    Find out more about Sunny Side Up ›
    Photo by Helen LeechMoroccan inspired house, UK, by Merrett Houmøller Architects and All & Nxthing
    The client’s extensive travels to Morocco and the Mediterranean inspired this rear extension in London.
    Merrett Houmøller Architects and interior designer All & Nxthing renovated and extended this Victorian home with clay-plaster walls, exposed brickwork and tile floors to evoke the feeling of a Moroccan home.
    Find out more about Moroccan inspired house ›
    Photo by Ståle EriksenHeath House, UK, by Proctor & Shaw
    A dilapidated conservatory and awkwardly sized rooms were swapped for a light, wood-filled interior at this Grade II-listed villa in Highgate, north London.
    Architecture studio Proctor & Shaw prioritised natural light and a natural material palette of wood and white brick for the above and below-ground extension in north London.
    Find out more about Heath House ›
    Photo by Tim CrockerMagpie House , UK, by DGN Studio
    DGN Studio extended the kitchen of this east London terrace house by three metres to create “a more cohesive and seamless sequence for living, dining and cooking”.
    The extension is illuminated by skylights between wooden beams and features a concrete window seat overlooking the garden with the client’s furniture and fittings incorporated throughout.
    Find out more about Stoke Newington house ›
    Photo by Jim StephensonVictorian maisonette, UK, by Nimtim Architects 
    Douglas fir timber screens, exposed brickwork and rough plaster characterise this extension of a Victorian maisonette in Camberwell, south-east London.
    Nimtim Architects responded to a brief calling for greater connectivity and openness in the home to create a “place of reflection and sanctuary from the city”.
    Find out more about Victorian maisonette ›
    Photo by Lorenzo Zandri and Christian BraileyEdwardian home, UK, by Architecture for London 
    Architecture for London transformed this Edwardian home in Muswell Hill, which had been untouched for 40 years, using only sustainably minded interventions and natural materials.
    Created for the studio’s founder Ben Ridley, the house was renovated and extended to create a minimal interior characterised by oak wood, stone and lime plaster.
    Find out more about Edwardian home ›
    Photo courtesy of AOCForest House, UK, by AOC
    Gillian Lambert and Geoff Shearcroft of architecture firm AOC wanted to add personality and a connection to nearby Epping Forest when designing the front extension of their Victorian house in north London.
    A single-storey garage was removed to create a series of interconnected, playful living spaces featuring tactile materials, exposed block work and bold colours.
    Find out more about Forest House ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring characterful kitchens with sleek metal details, soothing cabin interiors and living rooms with warming fireplaces.  

    Read more: More

    More stories

    • 125 Shares159 Views

      in Rooms

      Benjamin Hale Architects extends light-starved Victorian home upwards and outwards

      by

      Welsh practice Benjamin Hale Architects has added two modern extensions – one made from pale brick, the other from black zinc – to a Victorian-era home in south London.

      The end-of-terrace house is located in Dulwich and previously featured a dim and dated interior.
      The ground floor extension accommodates a new kitchenWorking alongside local interior designer Hamish Vincent, Benjamin Hale Architects set out to bring natural light back into the plan and “engender a sense of calm and domesticity” throughout.
      The practice started by adding a pale, clay-brick volume to the rear of the property, incorporating a neglected alley that sat to the side of the plot.
      Skylights and Crittall doors help brighten up the room”An underused side return or side alley is a traditional feature of many traditional Victorian terrace homes,” the practice’s eponymous founder told Dezeen. “However, being on an edge plot offered a considerable advantage in this instance.”

      Inside, the extension contains a modern kitchen complete with oak cabinetry, pale terrazzo flooring and a central counter with a built-in cooker, where inhabitants can prepare meals.
      Fluted tiles decorate the breakfast nookA breakfast nook was set up towards the back of the room, its cushioned seating bench set against a fluted tile wall.
      Sunlight streams into the room from a skylight created in the room’s upper corner and the Crittall doors that open onto the garden.
      Eye-catching furniture pieces appear throughout the formal dining areaA new doorway links the extension to the formal dining room, where Vincent introduced a bold medley of furnishings. This includes a stripy timber table and a chandelier composed of a cluster of spherical bulbs.
      As many of the home’s original period features had been removed over time, Benjamin Hale Architects reinstated a grand marble fireplace in the room.

      Will Gamble Architects modernises London Victorian house with “soft minimalism” interiors

      Ornate coving was also fitted around the ceiling of the adjacent sitting area, which hosts a sofa and sculptural armchairs upholstered in creamy boucle.
      An oak staircase with a slatted balustrade leads up to a zinc-clad dormer roof extension, added at the request of the owners who wanted the home to have extra sleeping quarters.
      The space – which now serves as the primary bedroom – has wooden panels running around its perimeter and a large picture window that offers far-reaching views over the streets of Dulwich.
      Wooden panels envelop the principal bedroomEnsuite facilities were integrated into the room alongside a freestanding bath, snugly positioned beneath the roof’s eaves and illuminated by a small skylight.
      The project also saw Vincent infuse the property’s existing bedrooms with warmth and tactility, adding weathered stone pots, lantern-style lights, tobacco-hued surfaces and more.
      The room also has its own standalone bathThis isn’t the only Dulwich residence to recently undergo a revamp; a few months ago architecture studio Proctor & Shaw built a concrete extension for a terrace home in the affluent neighbourhood, better connecting it to its 57-metre-long back garden.
      The photography is by Pierce Scourfield.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares149 Views

      in Rooms

      Khan Bonshek arranges east London home around brick “spine wall”

      by

      Architecture studio Khan Bonshek’s founders have remodelled their own terraced house in east London around a central brick wall, carrying out the majority of the work themselves.

      Named Two Up, Two Down, the house was renovated and extended by Sabba Khan and Mark Bonshek, who founded Khan Bonshek in 2021.
      With the studio acting as client, architect and contractor, the couple aimed to rearrange the home’s interior and add small additions to make the most of the space.
      Khan Bonshek designed their own home in London”The house represents our guiding philosophy; how to make the most with very little,” the couple said.
      “Most expensive new builds are about packing in rooms and low ceilings,” continued Bonshek.

      “We’ve taken a volumetric approach. We sought to create expanse, have views beyond rooms and create something humble through spatial arrangement.”
      The house is arranged around a central brick wallThe studio removed all the existing internal walls in the terrace, which the couple acquired in 2018, before adding a central grey brick “spine wall” through the centre of the building.
      This wall supports the stairs, which are visible in the front room, and runs the full height of the home adding a natural, textural element.
      A rear extension was replacedTo improve flow and openness in the house, two small extensions were added. On the ground floor, the existing extension was replaced with a full-width brick addition, which now contains the light-filled kitchen.
      At the top of the house, the existing loft conversion was extended with the addition of a timber-framed dormer.

      Will Gamble Architects modernises London Victorian house with “soft minimalism” interiors

      To further improve the sense of space, the walls enclosing the bathroom and study on the first floor were replaced with curtains.
      In the bathroom, a section of the ceiling was removed to create a double-height space.
      A timber framed dormer increased the loft spaceDuring the demolition, Khan Bonshek salvaged materials, which were reused in the reconstruction.
      These materials were supplemented with accessible materials such as plywood and yoghurt pots along with salvaged teak, black marble and brass.
      A double-height space was created in the bathroomAccording to the couple, the focus of the renovation was to create a home that would be an enjoyable place to live in, rather than adding value to the property.
      “We were very clear from the outset that we were creating a comfortable healthy home, rather than an asset,” said Khan.
      “We need to get to a place where we change policy and attitudes around housing as assets and instead to places which offer a reprieve and comfort.”
      The stairs are connected to the spine wallKhan believes the home can be an example of how existing terraced houses in the UK can be upgraded and argued that the government should amend tax laws to encourage renovations
      Refurbishments in the UK currently incur 20 per cent VAT, levies that are not applied on new build developments.
      “We have a duty to provide housing from the existing stock,” Khan added. “Think about all the embodied energy and why that’s such a better option than demolishing and putting up lots of new buildings.”
      The home is located in east LondonOther London home extensions recently featured on Dezeen include a minimalist extension to a Victorian home and a Grade II-listed villa with a wood-filled extension.
      The photography is by James Retief.

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      James Shaw’s light-filled London home is almost entirely underground

      by

      Lumpy recycled plastic furniture and circular skylights characterise this sunken London house, which designer James Shaw concealed on a 60-square-metre plot for himself and his family.

      Located in a conservation area in east London, the two-storey dwelling was constructed by Shaw and his friend, architect Nicholas Ashby.
      James Shaw built himself a sunken but light-filled homeThe neighbourhood’s planning restrictions required the pair to build all but 2.7 metres of the building out of sight from the street level, resulting in a sunken home with a large basement invisible from the outside.
      An open-plan kitchen, living and dining area feature in this underground space, which has exposed concrete walls interrupted by large, floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open onto a small terrace with a dinky plunge pool.
      The designer squeezed a bespoke sofa into one of the irregular cornersShaw and his writer-curator wife Lou Stoppard chose eclectic interiors for the home they share with their baby daughter – a collaboration that began with the duo’s 2022 London Design Festival installation of clashing furniture, created to poke fun at the tensions that arise when couples move in together for the first time.

      Made by Shaw, the pear-shaped walnut table from the installation features in the living area, surrounded by spindly stacking chairs first designed by furniture brand Blå Station founder Börge Lindau in 1986.
      Veneered MDF defines the kitchen cabinetsA custom aluminium bookshelf stretches across the wall opposite the table, built by Shaw to fit the unusual space. The designer also squeezed a bespoke burnt orange sofa into one of the irregular corners, illuminated by a large circular skylight.
      Known for his Plastic Baroque furniture made from recycled and extruded HDPE, Shaw placed a lumpy two-tone blue lounge chair next to the sofa – another piece that featured in his previous installation.
      The bathroom features Anni Albers-style mosaic flooringOpposite the living and dining area, the rectilinear kitchen cabinets were finished in veneered MDF, while the fridge was also fitted with a knobbly plastic handle.
      Stainless steel and pale blue HIMACS make up the worktops – one of which is on wheels to allow for flexibility when hosting.
      Squiggly pear-shaped sculptures top the bedpostsAcross the basement, a combination of oak finger parquet and raised-access metal tiles were used to create contrasting flooring. The silver-hued tiles can be lifted to reveal extra storage.
      Also underground, the bathroom was designed with a playfully patterned mosaic floor informed by the work of Bauhaus artist Anni Albers, including an abstract illustration of the couple’s cat, Rupert.
      The mirrored bathtub reflects and enhances the intricate flooring, while another rounded skylight adds natural light to the space.

      WillemsenU submerges house under the ground in the Netherlands

      An extruded blue plastic bannister snakes up the staircase to the bedroom – the only street-level room in the house.
      The Shaw-designed oak and brass bed features bedposts topped with squiggly pear-shaped sculptures, while the thin timber wardrobe was hand-painted with decorative panels by artist Marie Jacotey, who completed the project on-site.
      The bedroom is the only street-level roomStoppard’s vast art collection features throughout the sunken home, including delicate paintings by emerging artists Lydia Blakely and Mary Stephenson and antique artefacts from various travels.
      Elsewhere in London, Shaw’s trademark plastic furniture has also been used for retail projects. Footwear brand Camper’s Regent Street store includes bumpy yellow shelving by the designer, and a Traid charity clothes shop in Shepherd’s Bush has a wiggly bench upholstered in unsold clothes salvaged from the Traid warehouse.
      The photography is courtesy of James Shaw and Lou Stoppard. 

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares179 Views

      in Rooms

      Will Gamble Architects modernises London Victorian house with “soft minimalism” interiors

      by

      UK studio Will Gamble Architects has extended and modernised a Victorian house in south London, using curved shapes and a palette of natural materials to create a calm and minimalist aesthetic.

      The clients – a married couple looking to create their forever home – asked Will Gamble Architects to oversee the transformation of the semi-detached house in Putney into a serene sanctuary.
      Architecture firm Proctor & Shaw initially developed the planning drawings before Gamble’s studio was appointed to develop a cohesive interior design service throughout the home, including technical drawings and revised spatial layouts for the upper floors.
      Will Gamble Architects has extended and modernised a south London Victorian houseTo fufil the clients’ request for increased space, a rear and attic extension was added.
      “We were keen to maximise space and light as much as possible through clever design solutions,” architect Will Gamble told Dezeen.

      “This was particularly relevant over the upper floors where the brief called for four bedrooms and three bathrooms which a conventional layout couldn’t accommodate.”
      Gamble’s “soft minimalism” approach is defined by gentle tonal huesGamble applied an approach he described as “soft minimalism” throughout the interiors, utilising a restrained palette of textural materials to ensure consistency across all floors.
      “Soft minimalism is defined by curved lines, gentle tonal hues, natural materials and carefully curated spaces,” said the architect. “This aesthetic allowed us to deliver a highly bespoke project tailored to our clients’ needs.”
      Muted colours enhancing the “soft minimalism” aesthetic include whites and pinksArched niches, curved walls and a bespoke staircase with semi-circular landings, circular spindles and a turned-oak rail contribute to an aesthetic defined by a gentle geometry.
      Muted colours including warm whites and soft pinks provide a soft and coherent backdrop, while more textured materials including pippy oak and richly veined marble add personality to some of the spaces.

      Emil Eve Architects brightens London house with terracotta tile-clad extensions

      The new staircase was illuminated by an oval roof light that continues the theme of gentle, round forms. The roof light casts natural light deep into the floor plan and is openable to allow stack ventilation to naturally cool the interior.
      Bespoke joinery brings functionality and visual interest to rooms including the main bedroom, where a headboard unit made from pippy oak provides additional storage as well as concealing the en-suite shower room.
      Textured materials like pippy oak and richly veined marble add flare to certain spacesThe bespoke bed and headboard with integrated wardrobes are centrally located within the room to maximise the available space. The en suite contains a pair of marble-clad vanities either side of a walk-in shower.
      Pippy oak was used elsewhere in the house for furniture including bedside tables and built-in storage. The wood’s distinctive knots and knot clusters stand out whilst complementing the other natural materials.
      “The ‘cats paw’ pattern of the pippy oak adds a decadence to the otherwise muted material palette,” Gamble added. “We used this unique material in key areas to help establish a hierarchy across the spaces throughout the project.”
      A pippy oak headboard unit in the main bedroom conceals the en-suite shower roomAs part of the renovation project, the building’s historic fabric was thermally upgraded to reduce energy consumption and create a more comfortable environment. A home automation system was also incorporated that minimises visible light switches and contributes to the uncluttered, minimalist interiors.
      According to Gamble, the owners were interested in “achieving a high-quality finish driven by an acute attention to detail”, which led to a highly bespoke project tailored to their exact requirements.
      Will Gamble established his London-based studio in 2018 after working for architectural practices Farrells and Francis Philips Architects. The office specialises in sensitively retrofitting existing buildings through contemporary architectural interventions.
      The studio’s previous projects include a home built within the ruins of a 17-century parchment factory in Northamptonshire and a glass-walled extension to a Georgian house in Leicestershire.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares99 Views

      in Rooms

      Tabitha Isobel gives London townhouse a “surprising and bold” makeover

      by

      Designer Tabitha Organ combined natural materials with metal details to transform this London townhouse into a home with a “slightly futuristic” feel for a client who loves entertaining.

      The five-storey property on St Pauls Road had recently been renovated by a developer using poor-quality finishes, so the client – a young tech entrepreneur and first-time homeowner – asked Organ’s studio Tabitha Isobel to create a more bespoke interior.
      The brief called for a scheme that retains the Victorian house’s original features, whilst layering vintage pieces and contemporary design to create spaces with a distinct character.
      Tabitha Isobel transformed the Victorian north London townhouse”The client wanted a home that would be surprising and bold but also timeless,” Organ told Dezeen. “Amongst his peers, he is a frequent host of parties so he wanted an interior that would be a backdrop to these and bring a certain entertaining ‘vibe’.”
      Some of the original details that survived the previous renovation included detailed mouldings and the wooden window shutters in the living areas.

      Organ sought to emphasise these elements by introducing a carefully chosen palette of complementary colours and materials. Other spaces received a more expressive treatment, including the golden-toned cinema and DJ room in the basement.
      The five-storey property’s renovation adopts a “slightly futuristic” feelThe main architectural interventions occurred on the first floor, where previously disjointed spaces were reorganised to create a large bedroom with an adjoining bathroom and dressing area.
      The bedroom, which has windows on two sides due to the property’s end-of-terrace location, is connected to the bathroom by a walk-through wardrobe containing bespoke cabinetry built from naturally patterned burr walnut.
      New bespoke features include an adjoining walk-through wardrobeThe house’s main living areas are unified by the consistent application of green hues and metal details, which featured in an image of a kitchen given to Organ by the client as inspiration at the beginning of the project.
      “As the living and dining area is open plan with the kitchen, we introduced a Verde Guaco Green fireplace surround that sits on the same elevation as the kitchen so the tones speak to each other,” Organ explained.
      “We also chose a green velvet sofa from Maison Dara that is positioned in line with the kitchen, helping the spaces to feel connected.”
      Green hues and metal details inform the house’s living areasThe designer added that the combination of natural materials and metal surfaces contributes to the scheme’s sense of timelessness while creating a juxtaposition of textures and finishes that adds visual interest to the design.
      “As part of the concept, we wanted the spaces to have a slightly futuristic feel to them,” she pointed out. “Metals are timeless materials and I find they lift palettes, bringing them to life and creating a richness through reflection and depth.”

      Unknown Works brightens Victorian townhouse with dusty pink extension

      Metal and wood combine in a bespoke solution designed to conceal the television above the fireplace. Eight hand-carved wooden panels are set within a brushed aluminium frame that incorporates bi-fold doors that open to reveal the TV.
      Throughout the home, textiles provide a further textural contrast to the hard metal surfaces. This approach is encapsulated by a vintage metal-framed armchair in the living room that was reupholstered in a boldly patterned fabric by UK brand Schumacher.
      A reupholstered metal-framed armchair provides textural contrastWhile the living area and bedroom are predominantly monochrome, there are moments of bright colour elsewhere in the home – particularly in the en-suite shower room.
      Organ chose terracotta tiles with different scales to bring a sense of richness and warmth to the space. The walk-in shower is lined with cobalt blue tiles intended to introduce a surprising element.
      Terracotta tiles in the en suite shower room provide a sense of richness and warmthA cinema room located on the basement level was designed to resemble a moodily lit members’ club, with a cotton moire wall covering matched to a high-gloss painted ceiling and mid-gloss cabinetry.
      The room is used for hosting parties and includes a concealed home bar with stainless steel shelves set in front of a bronze-tinted mirror.
      Marble and metal wall lights illuminate the textured walls as well as a velvet sofa with oversized cushions, a vintage coffee table and a bespoke walnut DJ console crafted by furniture maker Spinback.
      The cinema room conceals a stainless steel home bar in front of a bronze-tinted mirrorOrgan founded Tabitha Isobel in 2023 after working for a decade as an interior designer for London-based studios Conran + Partners and Sella Concept.
      The designer’s approach focuses on combining historical and contemporary elements to create timeless spaces driven by authenticity rather than trends.
      Other creative townhouse transformations include a Brussels home with a skylit atrium and a London home that was given a 1970s-style makeover.
      The photography is by Genevieve Lutkin.

      Read more: More

    • 100 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      PL Studio applies Moroccan-inspired palette to London townhouse

      by

      Interior design office PL Studio has transformed an east London townhouse using colours and graphics that take cues from the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh.

      The three-storey, new-build house features similar shades of blue, green and yellow to the Morrocan villa that was once home to artist Jacques Majorelle.
      The home’s colour palette draws from the Jardin Majorelle in MarrakeshFurther green tones allude to the villa’s verdant garden, while soft pink hues bring a sense of overall “warmth and joy” to the palette.
      PL Studio designed the scheme for creative couple Tom Lalande and Julian-Pascal Saadi, who live in the house with their chihuahua puppy, Sasha-Lee.
      A green shade was applied to the main bedroomThe studio founders, couple Sabrina Panizza and Aude Lerin, felt the design should reflect their clients’ love of colour.

      “Although we admired the architecture and loved how the townhouse was beautifully filled with natural light, we felt that overall, the property was lacking character and positivity,” said the pair.
      “We wanted to create a home that reflected our clients’ personalities and joyful spirit, a home filled with positive energy.”
      The reception room features cobalt blue walls and arch graphicsLalande and Saadi had recently returned from a trip to Marrakesh, which led this to becoming the starting point for the design.
      The reference is most evident in a reception room at the house’s entrance, which features cobalt blue walls, a colour-block rug, plants and a Tom Dixon Etch pendant light in gold-toned brass.
      The arch graphics feature on both walls and doorwaysThe effect is heightened by paint graphics that include arched openings – both real and illusionary – and stepped blocks that create the suggestion of extra staircases.
      As Saadi works as a psychologist, this room primarily serves as a waiting room for his clients.
      Picture-frame-style graphics provide a backdrop to the dining tableThe couple’s main living space occupies the uppermost floor, where an L-shaped room gives the pair a combined kitchen, dining area and lounge.
      Geometric wall graphics tie these three spaces together but also highlight the divides between them. The most striking of these is a triptych of picture-frame-style blocks that frame the dining table.

      Familien Kvistad brings colour to 1950s house in Oslo

      “Our clients didn’t have a clear idea of what they wanted, but they had a strong desire to be surrounded by pieces of art, colours and objects that would give them good energy, which is so powerful,” said Panizza and Lerin.
      “They were not afraid of mixing different shades and colour combinations, so we went for bright, bold, and fearless!”
      A guest bedroom features a striped ceiling akin to a market stall awningThe main bedroom, located on the middle floor, uses subtly different shades of green to create colour depth. This is offset with monochrome stripes and pops of pink and blue.
      Also on this floor is a guest bedroom that doubles as a dressing room, featuring a striped ceiling that looks like a market stall awning and a pink bathroom framed by black linear details.
      Arches feature throughout these spaces, in the form of mirrors and wardrobes as well as wall graphics.
      A pink bathroom is framed by black linear detailsSaadi’s ground-floor office takes the place of a third bedroom. This room has a different character from the rest of the house, with details inspired by surrealist art.
      Key features include a sculptural table in the shape of a hand and ceiling wallpaper depicting a cloudy sky.
      A ground-floor office takes cues from surrealist art. Photo is by Aude LerinPanizza hopes the “kaleidoscopic” project can serve to inspire people who see London’s new-build homes as characterless compared with the city’s older properties.
      “We want to show it is absolutely possible to create a home with lots of personality and character. It just takes a bit of courage,” she told Dezeen.
      The photography is by Taran Wilkhu unless otherwise indicated. Top image is by Aude Lerin

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares99 Views

      in Rooms

      Mid-century Zero House in London imbued with “Kubrick feel”

      by

      Timber ceilings and a fireplace clad in mahogany tiles feature in this London house, which its owners have renovated to honour the dwelling’s mid-century roots and nod to the colour palette of Stanley Kubrick films.

      Located in north London’s Stanmore, Zero House belongs to recording artists Ben Garrett and Rae Morris, whose former home in Primrose Hill is the Dezeen Award-winning Canyon House designed by Studio Hagen Hall.
      Zero House in Stanmore was built between 1959 and 1961Unlike their previous dwelling, Garrett and Morris updated Zero House themselves but adopted the same mid-century palette when creating its interiors.
      “The house was built between 1959 and 1961 by a Hungarian architect,” said Garrett, who explained that the original design was informed by Californian Case Study Houses such as Charles and Ray Eames’s 1949 home and design studio.
      The two-storey dwelling was renovated by its owners”It’s a great example of a number of imaginative mid-century domestic houses dotted around metro-land,” he told Dezeen. “Our main aim was to freshen it up relatively in keeping with the time but not to feel like we were living in a total time capsule.”

      The pair maintained the matchbox timber ceilings that run throughout the two-storey home, which were stained with a dark reddish tone alongside stained wooden doors.
      Slim mahogany tiles clad the floor-to-ceiling fireplaceSlim mahogany tiles clad the floor-to-ceiling fireplace in the living room, which features the same micro-cement flooring found at Canyon House and opens out onto a lush garden.
      Garrett and Morris also maintained the home’s many exposed brick walls and inserted geometric timber shelving that displays eclectic ornaments including amorphous vases and a colourful set of nesting dolls.
      The kitchen was panelled in light-hued timberReeded 1970s-style glass was used to form various windows including a rectilinear opening in the kitchen that illuminates minimal timber cabinetry topped with grainy surfaces.
      The pair transferred the tubular Marcel Breuer chairs and Tulip dining table by Eero Saarinen from their former home, as well as the same “heinous digital artwork” that decorated their previous living space.
      Darker tones create a “horror film” feel upstairsUpstairs, a moody mahogany carpet darkens the main bedroom, which features the same timber wall and ceiling panels as the communal areas.
      “There’s a lot of dark reds and browns in the house,” said Garrett.
      “We leaned into the horror film slash Kubrick feel of the upstairs and made a few more austere choices this time,” he added, referencing the late filmmaker, whose credits include the 1980 supernatural horror movie The Shining.

      PW Architecture Office brings “a little excitement” back into mid-century Australian home

      Coffee-hued cork was chosen to clad the exterior of the bathtub and the surrounding walls while another walk-in shower interrupts the dark wooden theme with bright orange tiles and deep white basins.
      Zero House also holds a timber-panelled recording studio, which is located in a separate low-slung volume at the end of the garden and can be reached via a few stepping stones.
      Bright orange tiles were chosen for a walk-in showerGarrett and Morris left the structure of the property largely untouched. Instead, the duo chose to focus on dressing its mid-century interior.
      “We didn’t have to be clever with this house as the space is abundant and the flow and design were incredibly well thought out in the early 60s,” he said. “So it was more of a cosmetic thing.”
      There is a standalone recording studio in a shed at the back of the gardenOther recent mid-century renovation projects saw Design Theory update a coastal home in Perth from the 1960s while Woods + Dangaran added a koi pond among other elements to a Los Angeles dwelling built by architect Craig Ellwood during the same decade.
      The photography is by Mariell Lind Hansen.

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares129 Views

      in Rooms

      Studio Varey Architects celebrates natural light in Notting Hill house renovation

      by

      London firm Studio Varey Architects has simplified this Victorian terraced house to create a light-filled home in Notting Hill, with timber-framed skylights designed to catch the sun.

      Set in the Westbourne Conservation Area, Huron House has belonged to its current owners for the last 25 years.
      Huron House is a renovated Victorian terrace in west LondonThe overhaul of the 19th-century building started as a simple ground-floor renovation to replace the kitchen and improve the connection between the house and its garden.
      However, exploratory works showed the four-storey property to be in bad structural condition, which demanded major improvement works but also gave the owners an opportunity to reimagine their period home.
      Decorative oak beams frame the skylight in the extensionThe new brief to Studio Varey Architects included a full house renovation and interior design, with special emphasis on the bathrooms as well as custom joinery and the rebuilding of the 1990s rear extension to create a new open-plan kitchen and dining room.

      “Our goal was to create an open-plan living space and bring lots of natural light into the ground floor, helping it to feel more inviting and better suited to entertaining friends and family,” the studio told Dezeen.
      A simple white staircase leads upstairsThe property sits on a rough east-west axis, giving it the potential to achieve great light levels throughout the day, with the sun moving from the back of the house in the morning to the front in the afternoon.
      “We wanted to ensure this natural light was captured through the architecture and design of the spaces,” the studio said.
      On the ground floor, Studio Varey Architects removed a structural post that supported the building but divided the back wall.
      A skylight illuminates the top-floor bathroomThis has been replaced with a steel frame, which allowed the studio to introduce slimline aluminium sliding doors that now run along the whole back of the property.
      An existing skylight in the flat roof here was enlarged and framed with oak beams, pulling more light into the centre of the hybrid kitchen-dining space.
      “Natural light cascades into the back of the house, while the introduction of oak beams created a feature that plays with the light as it travels through the property,” the studio said.

      Office S&M uses colour and geometry to create Graphic House in London

      The whole staircase was replaced and positioned further away from the home’s large rear windows, creating a lightwell funnels sun into the lower floors.
      On the top floor, an existing bathroom was fully renovated. Situated in the middle of the top floor it featured no windows save for a small skylight, meaning that light levels were totally inadequate.
      Here, Studio Varey Architects cut back the ceiling to create a multifaceted surface clad in birch plywood – its colour knocked back with a wash of soft white – to bounce light around the space.
      The ceiling was cut back to allow more light into the interior”We created a splayed ceiling that increased the height of the space, allowing for the playful integration of materials to emphasise the new angles,” the studio said.
      “Naturally finished birch ply, leading from the skylight down into Tadelakt walls, beautifully captures sunlight creating a special warmth in the space.”
      Oak forms bookcases in the sitting romWhite oak can be found throughout the house in the form of built-in joinery from bookcases and wardrobes, as well as in the feature beams of the extension.
      “We wanted to simplify the material palette and keep it light, both in appearance and number of elements we used,” the studio said.
      “This was done to emphasise the quality of the materials themselves, highlight the craftsmanship of the work and establish a visual link between the interior spaces throughout the home.”
      Oak joinery features in the primary bedroomPolished concrete, used for the floor at ground level, is underlaid with underfloor heating and provides a durable surface that is easy to clean for the owners after walking their dog.
      Other recently renovated houses in London include Sunderland Road House by 2LG, which features pastel-painted corniced ceilings, and Graphic House by Office S&M, which is defined by graphic shapes and bold hues.
      The photography is by Taran Wilkhu.

      Read more: More