Houzz Tour: A London Fields Renovation Filled With Character and Light
A clever extension transformed this Hackney house into a home packed full of light and personality
This Hackney house was in poor condition when the owners enlisted the help of architect Brian O’Tuama. They wanted a complete refurbishment without the hassle of obtaining planning permission, so the challenge was to extend and improve within permitted development guidelines.
‘The owners wanted an eclectic feel to the house that reflected their personalities, so we decided to introduce lots of pattern and texture,’ says Brian. ‘The main challenge we faced was to open the house up to as much light as possible, while at the same time making the flow of space work more effectively.’
To solve the light issue, Brian extended an existing window and added a single pane of glass over the modest-sized new extension – a feature the owners were determined to run with despite needing a crane to winch it into position. ‘The owners are both very creative, so when they approached us, they already had lots of ideas, which was wonderful,’ says Brian.
The completed house has been transformed into a sunny family home that’s bathed in natural light and bursting with personality.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A family with one young child
Location London Fields, London
Designer Brian O’Tuama Architects
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
‘The owners wanted an eclectic feel to the house that reflected their personalities, so we decided to introduce lots of pattern and texture,’ says Brian. ‘The main challenge we faced was to open the house up to as much light as possible, while at the same time making the flow of space work more effectively.’
To solve the light issue, Brian extended an existing window and added a single pane of glass over the modest-sized new extension – a feature the owners were determined to run with despite needing a crane to winch it into position. ‘The owners are both very creative, so when they approached us, they already had lots of ideas, which was wonderful,’ says Brian.
The completed house has been transformed into a sunny family home that’s bathed in natural light and bursting with personality.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A family with one young child
Location London Fields, London
Designer Brian O’Tuama Architects
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Window extensions are Brian’s speciality and this opening at the back of the house is a clever modification of an existing window. ‘It’s basically a projection that’s been patched on and it’s a creative way of gaining volume without having to dig into the foundations,’ he explains.
The original 1970s window was widened and lowered, flooding the back of the house with much-needed natural light, which dances on the parquet floor – another clever find. ‘The floor in the kitchen is a new discovery of ours. It’s engineered oak in chevron parquet that’s been pre-assembled,’ says Brian. ‘It’s laid down on site in planks and it’s a wonderful way of achieving a heritage look without having to have it hand-installed, which can be very costly.’
Sliding doors and the precious glass ceiling over the extension flood the dining area with yet more natural light. The bronze-topped dining table is among a number of vintage pieces collected by the owners over the years that they were keen to incorporate into their new home. Green metro tiles add depth to the scheme, and Brian chose the same colour for the cushions in the oriel window to consolidate the look.
See more great glass-box extensions
See more great glass-box extensions
Brian wanted the kitchen to combine the airiness of a contemporary scheme with eclectic and heritage elements to give the space plenty of character. ‘We purposefully restricted the kitchen units to one wall to keep the rest of the space free for pictures the family had collected,’ he explains. It is, he says, a multifunctional space that doesn’t conform to the stereotype. A simple, stained-oak shelf displays treasured items collected by the family, almost like a mantelpiece.
Black, white and grey concrete tiles adorn the floor of the outdoor terrace, nodding to the Victorian heritage of the building. Pieces such as the Haçienda poster add a really personal feel – one of the owners was a DJ at the club. ‘It was important we left them plenty of space to display their keepsakes,’ says Brian.
French windows mark where the garden used to begin. To unite the old and new parts of the house, Brian used the same parquet flooring in the living room as in the kitchen. The walls are painted in Arsenic by Farrow & Ball, which complements the rich velvet furniture.
Paint, Arsenic by Farrow & Ball.
Paint, Arsenic by Farrow & Ball.
Brian was careful to restore original features, such as the cornices, sensitively. ‘The family were very keen to keep these elements of the house, and we were careful to make sure the space didn’t look too new and fake,’ he says. ‘It was a gentle restoration and we kept the edges soft.’
The owners love De Gournay’s hand-painted wallpaper and decided this bijou cloakroom would be a great – and cost-effective – spot in which to showcase it. ‘It’s made to order, and very expensive, so we needed a relatively small space in which to put it,’ says Brian. Edwardian fittings were sourced to give the space a traditional feel, and a skylight was added to pull in some natural light and really make the orange come alive.
Wallpaper, De Gournay.
Check out more statement cloakrooms
Wallpaper, De Gournay.
Check out more statement cloakrooms
This bathroom on the third floor was originally a bedroom. The owners liked the quirky fireplace, so decided to keep it in the reconfigured space to add character to the crisp, white scheme. Large slate floor tiles from World’s End Tiles – complete with underfloor heating – are a practical, non-slip choice, and make a great foil for the white metro tiles in the shower.
Large slate tiles, World’s End Tiles.
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Large slate tiles, World’s End Tiles.
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