My Houzz: A Radical Reworking of a Victorian Terraced House
Moving the staircase and extending out and up gave this two-storey 1890s home a spacious, open-plan layout
Lizzie and Joe Fraher’s southeast London home used to be a typical Victorian terrace. The rooms were dark and they were grouped around a staircase that took up a significant part of the house and had no natural light.
To turn it into the family home they wanted, the architect couple were prepared to make fundamental changes. They removed walls, altered floor levels, and relocated the staircase to divide the house into a more spacious front and rear. They extended up into the loft and added to the side of the house, too.
The Victorian past isn’t forgotten, though. Throughout the house are striking reminders of the original structure and features.
To turn it into the family home they wanted, the architect couple were prepared to make fundamental changes. They removed walls, altered floor levels, and relocated the staircase to divide the house into a more spacious front and rear. They extended up into the loft and added to the side of the house, too.
The Victorian past isn’t forgotten, though. Throughout the house are striking reminders of the original structure and features.
Each of the floors of the house has a consistent accent colour, and here on the ground floor it’s yellow. “We have two young daughters and we gave them the opportunity to choose the colours, so they could be involved in the design,” Lizzie Fraher says.
The kitchen is a bespoke design by Shape London, a joinery company in which the Frahers are also creative partners. The cabinets are made from Valchromat, a through-coloured MDF. “It has a slight grain, so it’s a really tactile finish,” Lizzie says. They’re in grey, with the ground floor’s signature yellow used for feature recesses, shelves and other details.
The worksurface is grey Corian. “It has a slim profile, so it’s a clean aesthetic,” Lizzie adds.
Kitchen cabinetry, Shape London.
The worksurface is grey Corian. “It has a slim profile, so it’s a clean aesthetic,” Lizzie adds.
Kitchen cabinetry, Shape London.
The kitchen floor is polished concrete, which extends throughout this level of the house. “It’s very robust and we love the texture and tone. It’s easy to maintain and it’s a great surface to run around on – perfect with two young children,” Lizzie says.
The dining table and bench were existing pieces given a colourful makeover. “The girls wanted a pink table, so we painted it and the bench,” says Lizzie. It’s teamed with Eames chairs. “I’m not worried about clashing colours,” she says.
Parker dining table and bench, Habitat. Eames DSR side chairs, Aram.
Parker dining table and bench, Habitat. Eames DSR side chairs, Aram.
The house’s original staircase was moved as part of the refurbishment, leaving space for a shoe and coat rack opposite the front door in the new layout. Made to fit the space, there’s a shoe storage bench at floor level, pegboard for coats, and cupboards above for items such as umbrellas and cycle helmets.
The details on the top cabinets were inspired by the house’s original features. “There were two decorative ladies’ faces in the plasterwork,” Lizzie says. “They were replaced in yellow and grey.”
Joinery, Shape London. Floor tiles, BluePrint Ceramics.
The details on the top cabinets were inspired by the house’s original features. “There were two decorative ladies’ faces in the plasterwork,” Lizzie says. “They were replaced in yellow and grey.”
Joinery, Shape London. Floor tiles, BluePrint Ceramics.
The floor levels throughout the house were lowered, resulting in a loft conversion that’s as spacious as the ground and first floors. Here in the living room, which is off the hallway, the height change has left the bay window relatively higher than it was, making the room more private.
Sofa, Habitat. Lampe de Marseille (wall light); floor lamp, both The Conran Shop. Mirror, Shape London.
Sofa, Habitat. Lampe de Marseille (wall light); floor lamp, both The Conran Shop. Mirror, Shape London.
Looking across the ground floor towards the hallway, it’s impossible to miss the previous location of the staircase. It’s delineated in the accent yellow on the storage wall, which is made from Valchromat. The push-opening doors conceal storage for toys, cleaning things, camping stuff and more.
The sliding door to the hallway is space-saving. The exposed ironmongery of the barn-style fixing is another opportunity to feature the yellow accent shade.
Storage wall, Shape London.
The sliding door to the hallway is space-saving. The exposed ironmongery of the barn-style fixing is another opportunity to feature the yellow accent shade.
Storage wall, Shape London.
The house’s new staircase bisects the building into front and rear sections – the latter area is where the kitchen (just seen) is located on the ground floor.
The staircase is clad in Douglas fir plywood, as are the new walls alongside it. “It’s almost as if the staircase is growing up through the building,” says Lizzie.
The staircase is clad in Douglas fir plywood, as are the new walls alongside it. “It’s almost as if the staircase is growing up through the building,” says Lizzie.
A groove was routed into the stairs and the Douglas fir plywood stained grey to create the impression of a stair runner, leading the eye upwards. “We didn’t want to introduce another texture,” says Lizzie.
Chair, Monoqi. Lampe de Marseille (wall light), The Conran Shop.
Chair, Monoqi. Lampe de Marseille (wall light), The Conran Shop.
Reorientating the staircase balanced the size of the bedrooms and created functional spaces on the landings. Here on the first floor, there’s a study. The flooring is again Douglas fir plywood, as the area is part of the unified staircase structure.
Flos IC pendant lamps, The Conran Shop.
Flos IC pendant lamps, The Conran Shop.
Throughout the house, the original floor, ceiling and skirting board levels are marked on the walls.
A rope handrail is positioned alongside the staircase leading from the first to the top floor of the house. “Our youngest daughter can’t quite reach a normal height,” says Lizzie.
The first floor’s accent shade is orange and features in the display space in this rear bedroom. “The cubbies break up the wardrobes to make a design feature,” says Lizzie. The sliding door to the room saves space inside the bedroom.
All the doors in the house are clad in Douglas fir plywood and the pulls inset with brass. “We love brass because it patinas when you touch it,” says Lizzie.
The first-floor bathroom has brassware in orange – the floor’s signature colour. The basin was made bespoke from concrete. The couple chose an almost black colour to create contrast with the accent orange.
Resin flooring was laid in here, chosen to complement the ground floor’s polished concrete and for its slip-proof quality.
Basin, Shape London. Brassware, Vola.
Resin flooring was laid in here, chosen to complement the ground floor’s polished concrete and for its slip-proof quality.
Basin, Shape London. Brassware, Vola.
On the second floor of the house, the accent shade is green, seen here on the shower control. Vinyl flooring was laid on this floor and the one below, aside from in the bathrooms. “It’s cost-effective and creates a seamless floor,” says Lizzie.
A green shelf with storage beneath runs around part of the girls’ play area, which is located on the top floor’s landing space. “They can play at a comfortable height without leaving trip hazards all over the floor!” says Lizzie.
The shower room on the top floor has a fixed roof light above the shower to bring in daylight. A herringbone tile pattern has a dynamic effect. The brassware and towel rail here are in the floor’s accent green.
Basin; mirror, both Shape London. Brassware, Vola.
Basin; mirror, both Shape London. Brassware, Vola.
The sustainability of the house was important to the couple, and they opted for a wildflower roof for the extension to replace the garden space lost to the addition. The house was also highly insulated, and new double-glazed, timber-framed windows were fitted.
Tell us…
What do you think of the transformation of this Victorian house? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you think of the transformation of this Victorian house? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here Lizzie and Joe Fraher and their two young daughters
Location Southeast London
Property A Victorian terraced house
Size Four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Architects Lizzie and Joe Fraher of Fraher Architects (now Fraher and Findlay)
Joinery Shape London
Photos by Adam Scott
A pivot door leads from the new extension at the back of the house into the garden. Choosing this style of door allowed a single leaf to be used for the tall opening.