Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
A loft conversion and ground-floor extension to a Victorian terraced house to bring in light and frame
views of the neighbouring park.
The clients wanted to stay in their Victorian home but wanted to improve the connection to their
surrounding landscape. Achieving this connection was realised through increasing light levels into the
house through doubling the size of the existing kitchen by extending into the shady, under-used side
return, and converting the loft into a master bedroom suite to enjoy views over the parkland beyond – a
rare privilege in zone 2.
The brief was for contemporary and lightweight additions to bring in light, while preserving the original
building’s period features. The introduction of a side extension creates a light-filled, open plan
kitchen/dining room under a glass roof, with a pivoting door set for generous access to the rear garden.
The new roof is planted with native British meadow flowers and grasses, which improves the view and
environmental credentials. A brick pamment floor is laid in a herringbone pattern in the kitchen/dining
room to match the brick patio outside – to create a sun-soaked courtyard effect.
The two original reception rooms were combined to form a spacious living room with a new
hardwearing engineered oak floor but the original pine boards were salvaged and re-laid in the loft. The
original floorboards are also exposed on the upper floors and the staircase that perfectly replicates the
slim handrail and fine spindles of the existing Victorian stairs extended up to the converted loft.
The converted loft houses a generous master bedroom suite with the salvaged floorboards laid
diagonally to emphasise the angular nature of this space. The pallet has been kept neutral and
understated which means that all attention is focused on views of the adjacent park through the wall of
floor-to-ceiling pivoting glazing set – bringing the openness of parkland seamlessly into their inner
London home.