Houzz Tour: The Beautiful Rebirth of a Crumbling Edwardian House
An elegant, sensitive renovation has given this home an authentic period atmosphere while making it fit for modern life
Sarah Alcroft
22 March 2021
Houzz UK Editorial Team
The restoration of this Edwardian house could be called ‘invisible mending’. The simple appearance of the peaceful space, with its calming palette and glorious period features, belies the painstaking work that went into reviving it. Untouched for 50 years, the building had rotting timbers, crumbling plasterwork, no central heating and an outside loo.
The new owners, a couple on the brink of starting a family, wanted to make the house fit for the 21st century, but in a sensitive way that respected its heritage. “They didn’t want anything showy or flash, they wanted something quiet and sensitive that was stewardship of the house into the next stage of its life,” says Cairn architect Kieran Hawkins, who relished the chance to gently restore the old building. “It’s always a nice way of dealing with heritage properties,” he says. “You’re just curating it.”
The new owners, a couple on the brink of starting a family, wanted to make the house fit for the 21st century, but in a sensitive way that respected its heritage. “They didn’t want anything showy or flash, they wanted something quiet and sensitive that was stewardship of the house into the next stage of its life,” says Cairn architect Kieran Hawkins, who relished the chance to gently restore the old building. “It’s always a nice way of dealing with heritage properties,” he says. “You’re just curating it.”
House at a Glance
Who lives here? A couple who had a baby on the way almost from the start of the project
Location Highgate, north London
Property An early Edwardian terraced house
Size Four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Duration of the work Around 10 months
Architect Kieran Hawkins of Cairn
Photos by Peter Landers
“The challenge with this project was making sure the house met modern specifications and good environmental standards while keeping the period atmosphere,” Kieran says.
Beyond restoring the Edwardian details, key to creating that mood was using the original finishes. “That came down to carefully choosing the materials, so the rooms had an understated character,” Kieran explains. “We really paid attention to how light would come into the building – how it would reflect off surfaces to create the calm atmosphere the owners wanted.”
As it’s in a conservation area, anything they needed to do on the outside, such as putting in new rooflights, needed Planning Permission.
Who lives here? A couple who had a baby on the way almost from the start of the project
Location Highgate, north London
Property An early Edwardian terraced house
Size Four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Duration of the work Around 10 months
Architect Kieran Hawkins of Cairn
Photos by Peter Landers
“The challenge with this project was making sure the house met modern specifications and good environmental standards while keeping the period atmosphere,” Kieran says.
Beyond restoring the Edwardian details, key to creating that mood was using the original finishes. “That came down to carefully choosing the materials, so the rooms had an understated character,” Kieran explains. “We really paid attention to how light would come into the building – how it would reflect off surfaces to create the calm atmosphere the owners wanted.”
As it’s in a conservation area, anything they needed to do on the outside, such as putting in new rooflights, needed Planning Permission.
The house hasn’t been extended, but simply opened up a little. The kitchen had been a galley and the area now containing the units to the left was a separate ‘lean-to’ that housed a coal store and the loo. “Luckily, [the former outhouse is] almost the perfect size for a run of kitchen cabinets,” Kieran says.
To the left of the units there’s a utility room/pantry that has space for a stacked washing machine and tumble dryer as well as food storage. This meant Kieran could keep the kitchen layout nice and airy, with no wall units and open shelving on the island. The perimeter worktop is engineered stone, with simple white metro tiles for the splashback, while the island is oak, the warm timber chiming with the floorboards.
As with every other aspect of the renovation, Kieran and the team went to great pains to restore the original features and reuse materials. “We took up all the floors, put the boards aside, then put them down again, having rebuilt the floors underneath,” he says.
Similarly, he kept the original windows and back door. “They were taken off, brushed down, repainted and given new mechanisms, ironmongery and draught strips,” he says. “It takes almost more time than to make something new, but it keeps the authenticity.”
Opera A2PY-8 100cm dual fuel range cooker, Smeg. Britannia K240-10-S chimney cooker hood, John Lewis & Partners. Heavy pendant light by Benjamin Hubert, Decode. Units painted in RAL 7016, Dulux. Walls painted in Strong White, Farrow & Ball.
To the left of the units there’s a utility room/pantry that has space for a stacked washing machine and tumble dryer as well as food storage. This meant Kieran could keep the kitchen layout nice and airy, with no wall units and open shelving on the island. The perimeter worktop is engineered stone, with simple white metro tiles for the splashback, while the island is oak, the warm timber chiming with the floorboards.
As with every other aspect of the renovation, Kieran and the team went to great pains to restore the original features and reuse materials. “We took up all the floors, put the boards aside, then put them down again, having rebuilt the floors underneath,” he says.
Similarly, he kept the original windows and back door. “They were taken off, brushed down, repainted and given new mechanisms, ironmongery and draught strips,” he says. “It takes almost more time than to make something new, but it keeps the authenticity.”
Opera A2PY-8 100cm dual fuel range cooker, Smeg. Britannia K240-10-S chimney cooker hood, John Lewis & Partners. Heavy pendant light by Benjamin Hubert, Decode. Units painted in RAL 7016, Dulux. Walls painted in Strong White, Farrow & Ball.
You can see the long, thin outhouse that’s now been incorporated into the room on this ground floor plan. It also shows the pantry/utility room tucked to the side, and a cloakroom, accessed from the hall.
Retaining the original timber floor meant no underfloor heating, but Kieran fitted a layer of board underneath. “It’s not as warm as a fully insulated floor, but the owners are happy with that,” he says.
The leaded glass panel above the door is original.
The leaded glass panel above the door is original.
Before Photo
As you can see in this ‘before’ shot of the unusual bay window in the front reception room, the paint was peeling and the woodwork and plaster needed stripping back.
“There were all the issues you’d expect – damp, a roof that needed replacing,” Kieran says. “We had to take the whole house apart to deal with the structural issues, move the pieces around, then put it back together again.”
“There were all the issues you’d expect – damp, a roof that needed replacing,” Kieran says. “We had to take the whole house apart to deal with the structural issues, move the pieces around, then put it back together again.”
Now the walls have been replastered and the woodwork and plasterwork has been restored, the room feels fresh but original at the same time.
Walls painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball.
Walls painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball.
Kieran took out the wall between the two reception rooms, but kept the individual character of each space.
“Now it’s one space, there are two fireplaces – one that’s quite refined at the front, then this big one at the back, which used to be in the old scullery,” he says. “They give the room [a sense of] two different zones.”
“Now it’s one space, there are two fireplaces – one that’s quite refined at the front, then this big one at the back, which used to be in the old scullery,” he says. “They give the room [a sense of] two different zones.”
“The fireplace was originally tiled, but some were broken, so we replaced them with white plaster,” Kieran says. “It was almost like dentistry!”
Not extending into the side return means the original glazed door at the back of the room remains, bringing in light and adding to the authenticity. A pathway leads through to the garden.
From here you can see the outside of the former outhouse and its original curved brick buttress on the top, which, as Kieran says, “is a unique feature and nice to retain”.
From here you can see the outside of the former outhouse and its original curved brick buttress on the top, which, as Kieran says, “is a unique feature and nice to retain”.
All the doors are hardwood and feel reassuringly heavy, while the door handles are handcrafted.
“The door plate is original – we managed to take it off and clean it up,” Kieran says. The handle and escutcheon are new, but in the same ribbed style.
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Make the challenge of finding the right people for your project easier by searching the Houzz Professionals Directory and reading client reviews.
Under the hall there’s a small coal cellar, which has a higher ceiling than is usual, so Kieran located the boiler and extra storage space in there. “We had to tank it and use a waterproof render,” he says.
Walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball.
Walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball.
The front door and glorious stained-glass vestibule doors are original. The hallway tiles are new, but in the same style as the old ones.
Kieran says the calm atmosphere in the house can be felt from the moment you walk in. “It really has that feel of a different time and is a peaceful space to be in,” he says. “When you step through the front door, you leave modern London behind.”
Kieran says the calm atmosphere in the house can be felt from the moment you walk in. “It really has that feel of a different time and is a peaceful space to be in,” he says. “When you step through the front door, you leave modern London behind.”
Some of the staircase structure stayed, but a lot was rebuilt. The design of these unusual balusters is original, and damaged ones were replaced like for like.
Recreating the original design of the house wasn’t without its challenges, not least when it came to replastering. “There’s a double curve on the underside of the stairs going up to the second floor, and not everyone can plaster a surface like this now in terms of the quality of craftsmanship,” Kieran says. “There were some areas like this that tested the modern builder.”
Walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball.
Recreating the original design of the house wasn’t without its challenges, not least when it came to replastering. “There’s a double curve on the underside of the stairs going up to the second floor, and not everyone can plaster a surface like this now in terms of the quality of craftsmanship,” Kieran says. “There were some areas like this that tested the modern builder.”
Walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball.
The first floor drawings show how a little study and a second cloakroom are slotted between the main bedrooms and family bathroom.
The couple’s bedroom is at the front of the house on the first floor. The property’s unusual triangular windows continue up here. The floorboards on this level are also the restored originals.
Anglepoise wall lights, Nest. Walls painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball.
Anglepoise wall lights, Nest. Walls painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball.
Before Photo
One of the few things in reusable condition in the house were the fireplaces; all the rooms had them and the main bedroom was no exception, with this gorgeously decorative design.
There was a tiled hearth hiding under the carpet, which was painstakingly cleaned up.
“The bathroom is a really amazing, calming retreat, with the cast-iron bath and fireplace,” Kieran says. “We built the cupboard in the alcove and painted it very dark grey to match the fireplace.”
The tiles in the surround needed a lot of TLC to get them to look this good. “It took endless scrubbing, then finishing with a sealant, which helped to bring out the colours,” Kieran says. They added a new slate hearth, hidden behind the bath in this shot.
Astonian Epoca cast-iron roll-top bath, Aston Matthews. Cupboard and bath painted in Black Blue, Farrow & Ball.
The tiles in the surround needed a lot of TLC to get them to look this good. “It took endless scrubbing, then finishing with a sealant, which helped to bring out the colours,” Kieran says. They added a new slate hearth, hidden behind the bath in this shot.
Astonian Epoca cast-iron roll-top bath, Aston Matthews. Cupboard and bath painted in Black Blue, Farrow & Ball.
The bathroom is a generous size, with space for a big, walk-in shower and an extra-wide basin. The original floorboards have been kept in here, too.
“It’s nice having a wooden floor in a bathroom – there’s something really luxurious about it,” Kieran says. “Usually, you’d lay tiles for practicality, but if it’s a grown-up space and you can avoid splashing too much, it’s nice to have [the wood].”
It’s such a high ceiling in here, the contractor had an extra-long pipe made for the shower head. The light is an outdoors design.
Astonian Geo basin, tap shower tray and shower rose, Aston Matthews.
“It’s nice having a wooden floor in a bathroom – there’s something really luxurious about it,” Kieran says. “Usually, you’d lay tiles for practicality, but if it’s a grown-up space and you can avoid splashing too much, it’s nice to have [the wood].”
It’s such a high ceiling in here, the contractor had an extra-long pipe made for the shower head. The light is an outdoors design.
Astonian Geo basin, tap shower tray and shower rose, Aston Matthews.
The nursery at the back of the first floor has a matching, smaller version of the fireplace in the couple’s room.
Cute textiles soften the space.
Walls painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball.
Walls painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball.
Next to the baby’s room there’s a home office in what was a bedroom. To the left of that is a second cloakroom.
Study walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball.
Study walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball.
Before Photo
This is the view mid-renovation from what is now the couple’s bedroom to the nursery at the back of the house.
The little door seen here from the top floor leads to the attic of the outrigger, which provides extra storage space.
The second floor plan shows the storage beyond the little door, as well as the arrangement of the two bedrooms and shower room.
Before Photo
As you can see from this view of the loft space, there was already a usable area at the back of the house (on the right), but Kieran managed to create enough extra space under the eaves at the front to slot in a shower room and a small bedroom.
It turned out the roof needed a lot of work, which ate into the budget pretty quickly. “The moment we realised we needed to replace the whole roof, because the structure was rotten and half the tiles were defective, we had to take a deep breath,” Kieran recalls. “The whole contingency fund went in one fell swoop, second week on site. That meant we had to be even more careful for the rest of the project, because there was less money to spend.”
It turned out the roof needed a lot of work, which ate into the budget pretty quickly. “The moment we realised we needed to replace the whole roof, because the structure was rotten and half the tiles were defective, we had to take a deep breath,” Kieran recalls. “The whole contingency fund went in one fell swoop, second week on site. That meant we had to be even more careful for the rest of the project, because there was less money to spend.”
The guest bedroom at the back of the loft space has an en suite shower room under the sloping roof at the front.
Arabesque floor tiles, Tons of Tiles at Walls and Floors.
Arabesque floor tiles, Tons of Tiles at Walls and Floors.
Kieran has slotted in a second guest room up here, with storage under the eaves.
Tongue-and-groove panelling painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball.
Tongue-and-groove panelling painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball.
On the outside of the house, the team repaired the brickwork and repainted the windows. They also also laid some simple pavers to create a patio.
At the front, Kieran repainted the white render and tidied everything up. The canopy over the door needed to be rebuilt, as the wood was rotten. “It was a case of taking it back to a better version of what was there originally, rather than changing it,” he says.
The genius of this renovation is you could easily think the house had had nothing more done to it than being given a lick of paint, as all the work is behind the scenes. “It’s almost a resurrection, as it was such a wreck when we started – unliveable,” Kieran says. “We’ve brought it back to life and updated it, so it can be used. It’s also a sustainable thing to do rather than knock it down and build another one.
“Its strength is it’s subtle and sensitive. All the complexity is hidden behind a calm Edwardian exterior,” he says. “There are some lovely spaces in there.”
Tell us…
What do you like about this sensitive renovation? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
The genius of this renovation is you could easily think the house had had nothing more done to it than being given a lick of paint, as all the work is behind the scenes. “It’s almost a resurrection, as it was such a wreck when we started – unliveable,” Kieran says. “We’ve brought it back to life and updated it, so it can be used. It’s also a sustainable thing to do rather than knock it down and build another one.
“Its strength is it’s subtle and sensitive. All the complexity is hidden behind a calm Edwardian exterior,” he says. “There are some lovely spaces in there.”
Tell us…
What do you like about this sensitive renovation? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Amazing (and scary) transformation. Well done. I love the colour pallet through the house and that plaster fire place was just meant to be 😍
We restored a thirty year old house four years ago- complete with orange kitchen tiles, an aubergine bathroom suite, and two others in baby pink amd avocado! We also went grey throughout most of the common areas- I think it’s a reflex response to the garish colours there before, a need for calm and quiet. Four years on we’ve just done a refresh and a glorious wallpaper adorns our previously grey wall in the living room!
Love the flow and timeless simplicity. I am thinking of adoption the same scheme in my project: Strong White, Cornforth White and Pubeck Stone. Wondering if they are perhaps too cold? And should I go for Ammonite and Skimming Stone instead?