Houzz Tour: A Victorian House With a Basement Conversion in Bayswater
Merging a house and basement flat into one whole townhouse has created a spacious family home filled with light and sophisticated colour
Living in a three-storey Victorian house and renting out the basement flat made perfect sense when these homeowners were just a couple. But as they embarked on family life, the idea of reclaiming the basement space to create one big townhouse took hold, and before they knew it they had enlisted the help of architect Felix von Bechtolsheim and interior designer Clare Gaskin to merge the properties and extend at the back, too.
Because the family had already been living in the main house, Clare had a lot of existing furniture to work with and wanted to design the space to reflect the couple’s personalities and their love of travel and the arts. ‘I liked using their items – it gave me a starting block,’ says Clare.
The designer and architect gave the back of the house a different feel to the front. ‘We wanted it light and contemporary,’ says Clare, ‘particularly to bring daylight into the lower ground floor.’ They went for a large glass wall spanning the lower and upper ground floors, and creating the spacious feel the couple had longed for.
Because the family had already been living in the main house, Clare had a lot of existing furniture to work with and wanted to design the space to reflect the couple’s personalities and their love of travel and the arts. ‘I liked using their items – it gave me a starting block,’ says Clare.
The designer and architect gave the back of the house a different feel to the front. ‘We wanted it light and contemporary,’ says Clare, ‘particularly to bring daylight into the lower ground floor.’ They went for a large glass wall spanning the lower and upper ground floors, and creating the spacious feel the couple had longed for.
The joinery was designed bespoke by Clare. There are four different bookcases in the room, all very similar but with slightly varying depths. ‘They all have different purposes inside –some have internal suspension for hanging files, others have shelves,’ she says. ‘We wanted to continue the symmetry of the bay window, and the couple needed storage for their paperwork.’
Clare painted the joinery a slightly darker shade than the walls to define the bookcases and make them stand out as features. ‘Their style echoes traditional style in terms of fluting on the ends. I wanted it to look more like a period room where joinery would be darker,’ she explains. While the space is indeed very practical, it also needed to be ‘a bit grown-up and impressive’, as any drinks with friends would likely be held in here.
Walls painted in Slate II, Paint & Paper Library. Joinery painted in Slate V, Paint & Paper Library.
Clare painted the joinery a slightly darker shade than the walls to define the bookcases and make them stand out as features. ‘Their style echoes traditional style in terms of fluting on the ends. I wanted it to look more like a period room where joinery would be darker,’ she explains. While the space is indeed very practical, it also needed to be ‘a bit grown-up and impressive’, as any drinks with friends would likely be held in here.
Walls painted in Slate II, Paint & Paper Library. Joinery painted in Slate V, Paint & Paper Library.
While the clients have contemporary taste, they had some traditional antique pieces they wanted to integrate. ‘It helped to bring their personalities through,’ says Clare.
A staircase to the right leads up to the bedrooms, with another, slightly separate staircase leading down to the lower ground, open-plan space.
A staircase to the right leads up to the bedrooms, with another, slightly separate staircase leading down to the lower ground, open-plan space.
Extending the upper ground floor into a mezzanine gallery space gives it a contemporary and rather special feel. It also allows light to flood both floors, and is a nice interaction between the spaces.
There is further entrance on this floor, to the right beyond the coat hangers. Clare foresaw that this would be the entrance the family would typically use, so she created a hallway space with room for hanging coats.
Sideboard; dining table; chairs, all SAGA Dining Room by Christophe Delcourt from Roche Bobois.
There is further entrance on this floor, to the right beyond the coat hangers. Clare foresaw that this would be the entrance the family would typically use, so she created a hallway space with room for hanging coats.
Sideboard; dining table; chairs, all SAGA Dining Room by Christophe Delcourt from Roche Bobois.
Clare worked in close collaboration with architect and friend Felix von Bechtolsheim in the design of the lower ground floor. ‘It was a discussion of how to balance and offset the different elements,’ she explains. ‘We wanted to let in as much light as possible without it being just a big glass wall.’
The wood paired with white gives it that cool edge while keeping it warm and not too impersonal. The pendant light is by Secto. ‘I just love what they do with light – the interaction with the slatted style and what is does to the wall,’ explains Clare.
Pendant light, Secto at Skandium.
The wood paired with white gives it that cool edge while keeping it warm and not too impersonal. The pendant light is by Secto. ‘I just love what they do with light – the interaction with the slatted style and what is does to the wall,’ explains Clare.
Pendant light, Secto at Skandium.
Kitchen company Eggersmann was responsible for the construction of the kitchen, in collaboration with the designer and architect.
‘I was keen for them not to have an all-white kitchen,’ says Clare. ‘I wanted to use walnut to warm it up and give it a bit of character, but all walnut can be quite heavy.’ A mixture between the two proved the perfect compromise. The aesthetic is sleek and light, but nicely balanced by the heavier island. It’s all about contrast. ‘The flat, smooth texture of the units with the natural grain of the wood gives the space a personality that suits these clients,’ she says.
‘I was keen for them not to have an all-white kitchen,’ says Clare. ‘I wanted to use walnut to warm it up and give it a bit of character, but all walnut can be quite heavy.’ A mixture between the two proved the perfect compromise. The aesthetic is sleek and light, but nicely balanced by the heavier island. It’s all about contrast. ‘The flat, smooth texture of the units with the natural grain of the wood gives the space a personality that suits these clients,’ she says.
A landscape gardener designed and planted the garden. ‘There’s a big wall at the back of the garden and, because we installed glass doors, we had to do something with the exterior wall to make it interesting,’ says Clare. Painting it white and adding sculptural shrubs makes for an attractive view.
The pendant lights above the kitchen island demonstrate something of the mother’s personality. ‘I was really keen on those lights,’ says Clare, ‘and showed her the different finishes. She said, “Why can’t we just have one of each?”’ And so they did.
Pendant lights, Tom Dixon. Worktop, Divinity White from Diresco. Cabinets, Eggersmann. Fridge, Fisher & Paykel. Extractor, Gutmann. Sink, Franke. Taps, Dornbracht.
The pendant lights above the kitchen island demonstrate something of the mother’s personality. ‘I was really keen on those lights,’ says Clare, ‘and showed her the different finishes. She said, “Why can’t we just have one of each?”’ And so they did.
Pendant lights, Tom Dixon. Worktop, Divinity White from Diresco. Cabinets, Eggersmann. Fridge, Fisher & Paykel. Extractor, Gutmann. Sink, Franke. Taps, Dornbracht.
Just beyond the kitchen area is the family room. Storage was key in here to enable the toys to be tidied away so it could also be used by the parents. ‘They wanted it to be fun, and to work for both the parents and the children,’ explains Clare. ‘I wanted it to be fun, but not specifically kiddy, because I didn’t want to lock the space into their ages right now.’
Blind fabric by Christian Lacroix, Designers Guild. Walls painted in Slate II, Paint & Paper Library.
Blind fabric by Christian Lacroix, Designers Guild. Walls painted in Slate II, Paint & Paper Library.
Up two flights of stairs is the master bedroom with en suite, a guest room and a further bathroom. The couple wanted to create a walk-in wardrobe space in the master bedroom, which was a challenge given the proportions of the room.
Clare and Felix designed and constructed a partition wall with hanging space on the other side. There was some apprehension about creating the wall division, as it would block off some of the light, but it was the only way to give the couple the storage they wanted and, in the end, it worked out nicely. ‘You don’t have to look at the clothes, and you don’t need big bulky doors, which would have been a bit much in the space,’ Clare says.
To keep light levels high, Clare chose metallic wallpaper to reflect light and give the room a hotel-luxe feel.
Wallpaper; blind fabric, both Romo. Inset border of blind fabric, Designers Guild.
Clare and Felix designed and constructed a partition wall with hanging space on the other side. There was some apprehension about creating the wall division, as it would block off some of the light, but it was the only way to give the couple the storage they wanted and, in the end, it worked out nicely. ‘You don’t have to look at the clothes, and you don’t need big bulky doors, which would have been a bit much in the space,’ Clare says.
To keep light levels high, Clare chose metallic wallpaper to reflect light and give the room a hotel-luxe feel.
Wallpaper; blind fabric, both Romo. Inset border of blind fabric, Designers Guild.
A deep-buttoned headboard gives a luxurious feel to the room to complement the wallpaper. To one side is shelving, providing space for books and other trinkets. There are also two standalone wardrobes at the foot of the bed to give the couple additional storage space for any special items of clothing.
Bed, Feather & Black. Pendant light, Graham & Green. Tito reading lights, Cube Lighting.
Bed, Feather & Black. Pendant light, Graham & Green. Tito reading lights, Cube Lighting.
The couple wanted to re-create the luxury feel of chic hotel, so continuity between the bedroom and bathroom was key. ‘They wanted a spot where they could really relax and have a long soak,’ says Clare.
There’s no natural light in the bathroom when the door is shut, so going for a shimmery look in the tiles not only echoed the bedroom wallpaper, it also helped to bounce light around. The glass mosaics also add to the feeling of opulence.
Wall and floor tiles, Casamood. Bath, Bette at QS Supplies. Shower enclosure, The Shower Lab. Valves, Hansgrohe. Walls painted in Dimity, Farrow & Ball.
Discover how to bring hotel style to your bathing space
There’s no natural light in the bathroom when the door is shut, so going for a shimmery look in the tiles not only echoed the bedroom wallpaper, it also helped to bounce light around. The glass mosaics also add to the feeling of opulence.
Wall and floor tiles, Casamood. Bath, Bette at QS Supplies. Shower enclosure, The Shower Lab. Valves, Hansgrohe. Walls painted in Dimity, Farrow & Ball.
Discover how to bring hotel style to your bathing space
For the guest bedroom on the same floor as the master suite, the couple wanted something quite practical that was both a little fun and not too specific. ‘It’s a really small space and, because of the structure of the room, there was one natural area where we installed shelving, which doubles as a bedside table, too,’ says Clare. ‘We just wanted to add a bit of colour without spending too much time or money on the space,’ she adds.
Light, Graham & Green. Blind and cushion fabric, Howard Hodgkin at Designers Guild. Duvet cover, Ikea.
Light, Graham & Green. Blind and cushion fabric, Howard Hodgkin at Designers Guild. Duvet cover, Ikea.
The second bathroom on this floor is visible from the hallway as you enter the house on the upper ground floor. Clare realised the room would be seen frequently, as the door wouldn’t remain closed the entire time, so she wanted to do something quite bold. ‘It’s as if you have a bit of artwork on the wall,’ she says. ‘I looked at some wallpaper with more colour, but thought it would be a bit much. I love this monochromatic print.’
Wallpaper, Cole & Son. Toilet, Laufen. Shower enclosure, Merlyn.
Wallpaper, Cole & Son. Toilet, Laufen. Shower enclosure, Merlyn.
Up a further flight of stairs are the two children’s bedrooms and a family bathroom. ‘The idea here is that the wall can be used as a little art gallery for the kids as they get older,’ says Clare. It’s tucked away from the rest of the house, and the neutral colour of the carpet and walls means the space can easily be updated as the kids get older.
Blind fabric, Linwood fabrics at TM Interiors.
Blind fabric, Linwood fabrics at TM Interiors.
For one of their children, the parents wanted to go with a pink scheme. They already had many of the pieces, such as the toys and bed, and decided to keep them. ‘We wanted there to be some continuity for the kids while the house went through the transformation,’ Clare explains.
Blind fabric, Sandberg. Walls painted in Middleton Pink, Farrow & Ball.
Blind fabric, Sandberg. Walls painted in Middleton Pink, Farrow & Ball.
In the second bedroom, Clare went for a blue scheme. ‘I picked a grey-blue that’s quite smart and works nicely with the light in the room,’ she says. They kept most of the existing furniture the same.
Blind fabric, Schumacher. Walls painted in Borrowed Light, Farrow & Ball.
Blind fabric, Schumacher. Walls painted in Borrowed Light, Farrow & Ball.
For the family bathroom the children share, Clare decided to have a little more fun. The nautical wallpaper is whimsical without being over the top, and the electric blue bespoke cabinetry injects some vigour into the space.
Kaj wallpaper, Sandberg at Jane Clayton. Paint, colour-matched to a blue radiator from Bisque. Basin, Laufen.
TELL US…
Have you extended your property to make room for a growing family? What do you think of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Kaj wallpaper, Sandberg at Jane Clayton. Paint, colour-matched to a blue radiator from Bisque. Basin, Laufen.
TELL US…
Have you extended your property to make room for a growing family? What do you think of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A family of four
Location Bayswater, London
Size 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Interior designer Clare Gaskin of Clare Gaskin Interiors
Architect Felix von Bechtolsheim
A peaceful study adjoins the upper ground floor sitting room. The difficulty with houses where the lower ground floor contains an open-plan kitchen-diner and sitting area is that the upper ground floor tends to become a bit of a walk-through space, and Clare was keen to avoid this. ‘I wanted to give this room purpose and identity,’ she explains.
As the mother sometimes works from home, it was important she had an area she could shut off from the rest of the home. ‘This wasn’t a space where fun was a key part of the functionality,’ says Clare.
Curtain fabric, Nina Campbell.
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