Houzz Tour: A Clever New Build Modelled on a Late Georgian Townhouse
This Surrey house looks for all the world like its late Georgian neighbours, but it’s secretly newer – much newer…
John Dyer Grimes was forced to find an unusual but elegant solution when the authorities turned down planning permission for a contemporary family home in a conservation area. The plot of land – on a residential street in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey – was home to an ugly, derelict concrete property. The problem? Inside was an historic Anderson bomb shelter the local council and heritage society were keen to preserve.
‘The owners were devastated, convinced they’d wasted their money on land they’d never be allowed to build on,’ says John. So he tried a very different approach. ‘The houses on the street date from the early 1800s, so rather than try for a contemporary design, we decided to build an exact replica of the historic three-storey townhouse next door,’ he explains. ‘The thinking was that it would be in the local vernacular and therefore much more difficult for the authorities to refuse. It’s a very unusual approach, but it was the only way we could get a new house built.’
John’s gamble paid off and he was finally able to answer his clients’ brief for a fabulous family home. ‘It was a very interesting project, and very different to what we originally envisaged,’ he says, ‘but it’s turned out beautifully.’
‘The owners were devastated, convinced they’d wasted their money on land they’d never be allowed to build on,’ says John. So he tried a very different approach. ‘The houses on the street date from the early 1800s, so rather than try for a contemporary design, we decided to build an exact replica of the historic three-storey townhouse next door,’ he explains. ‘The thinking was that it would be in the local vernacular and therefore much more difficult for the authorities to refuse. It’s a very unusual approach, but it was the only way we could get a new house built.’
John’s gamble paid off and he was finally able to answer his clients’ brief for a fabulous family home. ‘It was a very interesting project, and very different to what we originally envisaged,’ he says, ‘but it’s turned out beautifully.’
John’s proposal to build a detailed replica of the period house next door won over the local planning authorities – they even agreed to the demolition of the bomb shelter – but they were adamant the facade had to match, right down to the last detail.
‘We matched the front of the house with the yellow London stock brickwork next door. The neighbours were incredibly helpful,’ reveals John. ‘They allowed us to go in and copy the brickwork and plasterwork, and we were even able to re-create the detailed brickwork above the door from an original heritage moulding.’
Try these 10 steps to freshen up your front door
‘We matched the front of the house with the yellow London stock brickwork next door. The neighbours were incredibly helpful,’ reveals John. ‘They allowed us to go in and copy the brickwork and plasterwork, and we were even able to re-create the detailed brickwork above the door from an original heritage moulding.’
Try these 10 steps to freshen up your front door
The clean, crisp kitchen-diner has been designed to maximise light in this downstairs space. Gleaming white surfaces and bespoke cabinetry bounce light around the scheme.
‘Although the house looks old in places, it’s actually been built to code level five specifications, which means it’s super sustainable,’ reveals John. ‘It’s fitted with solar panels, an air source heat pump and ultra-thick insulation.’
Bespoke kitchen, Dyer Grimes Architecture.
‘Although the house looks old in places, it’s actually been built to code level five specifications, which means it’s super sustainable,’ reveals John. ‘It’s fitted with solar panels, an air source heat pump and ultra-thick insulation.’
Bespoke kitchen, Dyer Grimes Architecture.
John introduced a generous skylight into the kitchen-diner to filter even more light into the space. ‘It’s a north-facing garden, but it’s still possible to get lots of light in here when the sun shines in from above.’
A seating area on the left-hand side provides plenty of space for family and friends to lounge after dinner, while plentiful storage keeps clutter hidden neatly away.
Barcelona chair by Knoll, Nest.
A seating area on the left-hand side provides plenty of space for family and friends to lounge after dinner, while plentiful storage keeps clutter hidden neatly away.
Barcelona chair by Knoll, Nest.
The owners were very involved in the design process and decorated the interior themselves. In the kitchen-diner, a striped rug has been chosen to break up the whiteness and echo the blue artwork. The pale floor tiles, meanwhile, chime with the outdoor tiles on the patio, creating the illusion the room is much larger than it is.
Discover how to make classic white work in your scheme
Discover how to make classic white work in your scheme
Upstairs, the clients wanted a more traditional aesthetic, and John has introduced some classic pieces to complement the period-style architecture. ‘Downstairs has a very contemporary feeling to echo the architecture in that part of the house,’ explains John. ‘This transitions as you move upstairs to where the period elements are visible, such as the cornicing and sash windows.’
Floor lamp, Endon. Find a similar leather armchair at Rose & Grey. Wall paint, Farrow & Ball.
Floor lamp, Endon. Find a similar leather armchair at Rose & Grey. Wall paint, Farrow & Ball.
In spite of its aged appearance, the house has all the mod cons you’d expect in a contemporary home, and benefits from cosy underfloor heating throughout. The gleaming Jerusalem stone floor in the hallway, meanwhile, has been chosen for its textural appearance to enhance the vintage look. ‘We wanted to give the feeling of many feet having trodden on the flagstones,’ explains John.
A brand-new but period-appropriate balustrade completes the traditional feel in this part of the house.
Stone floor tiles, Jerusalem Stone & Mosaics. Wall paint, Farrow & Ball.
A brand-new but period-appropriate balustrade completes the traditional feel in this part of the house.
Stone floor tiles, Jerusalem Stone & Mosaics. Wall paint, Farrow & Ball.
In the formal living room, a large bay window has been painstakingly matched to one next door. The window has been left bare to allow plenty of natural light to flood into the generous space. ‘It’s a wonderful feature in the room and a great way of introducing a bright and airy quality to the space,’ says John.
Sofas, Sofa.com.
Get expert advice about the best way to dress your windows
Sofas, Sofa.com.
Get expert advice about the best way to dress your windows
Up in the attic, one of the children’s bedrooms has been fitted with a mezzanine, perfect for sleepovers. ‘It would have been easy to put a flat ceiling across here, but we would have missed a terrific opportunity,’ explains John.
‘As well as being a useful little space, it’s also much more interesting from an architectural point of view and it meant we were able to introduce a roof light to make the most of what could have been a dark space.’
‘As well as being a useful little space, it’s also much more interesting from an architectural point of view and it meant we were able to introduce a roof light to make the most of what could have been a dark space.’
The crisp palette and simple lines in the guest bathroom echo the pared-back scheme in the attic bedrooms on this floor.
‘Ordinarily, this should have been quite a dark space, but the vaulted ceiling allowed us to put in another skylight,’ says John.
‘Ordinarily, this should have been quite a dark space, but the vaulted ceiling allowed us to put in another skylight,’ says John.
On the landing at the front of the house, a simple antique console table adds interest to the scheme without blocking the beautiful bay window.
An antique dressing table is a lovely period reference in the restful master bedroom. John kept the scheme in here calm and pale. ‘It’s a very simple, classic look that’s perfectly in keeping with the style of the house,’ says John. Roller blinds are a great way to leave the grand windows unobscured during the day.
Wall paint, Farrow & Ball.
Wall paint, Farrow & Ball.
‘These kinds of properties always had a chimney running up through the centre of the house, which is why they tend to have alcoves,’ explains John. ‘This part of the house is built to a traditional design, so we’ve included all these features. The devil is in the detail.’
Although there is no fireplace in this guest room chimney breast, it makes the perfect spot for the bed, with space for shelving either side.
Although there is no fireplace in this guest room chimney breast, it makes the perfect spot for the bed, with space for shelving either side.
The restrained palette continues into the guest bathroom. ‘The owners wanted to maintain a pared-back look,’ reveals John, ‘although there are some creative flourishes, such as the pretty mosaic tiles in the shower.’
Mosaic tiles, Fired Earth.
TELL US…
What do you think of this period replica? We’d love to hear your opinions in the Comments below.
Mosaic tiles, Fired Earth.
TELL US…
What do you think of this period replica? We’d love to hear your opinions in the Comments below.
Who lives here A family with two children
Location Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
Year built Modelled on the 1820-built house next door; renovation completed in 2014
Architect John Dyer Grimes at Dyer Grimes Architecture
Size 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
That’s interesting It’s the first new property to be built in the street
‘The clients are Australian and they really wanted an indoor/outdoor space at the rear of the property,’ says John. By opening up the back of the house, he was able to create a seamless flow from the kitchen-diner out into the lower garden area. ‘The planners were more lenient when it came to the back of the house,’ he adds.