|
Brosh Architects
|
Sponsored Content
Pro Spotlight: Take Your House Back to the Future
Architect Lior Brosh on how understanding your period home’s past can inspire its redesign
Sponsored Content
Who: Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects
Where: Islington
In his own words: “Every building has a story to tell, but these stories can get lost due to the many renovations they’ve had over the years. My passion is bringing these stories back to life so that they can be enjoyed and experienced all over again.”
When it comes to updating a period property, is it more important to focus on restoring historic charm or updating to suit your modern lifestyle? “You can do both” says Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects, who works to give period properties a new lease of life by combining historic features with contemporary comforts. “We cannot live in the past, we are living in the future, but a house has a story to tell and I’m here to tell it.”
Where: Islington
In his own words: “Every building has a story to tell, but these stories can get lost due to the many renovations they’ve had over the years. My passion is bringing these stories back to life so that they can be enjoyed and experienced all over again.”
When it comes to updating a period property, is it more important to focus on restoring historic charm or updating to suit your modern lifestyle? “You can do both” says Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects, who works to give period properties a new lease of life by combining historic features with contemporary comforts. “We cannot live in the past, we are living in the future, but a house has a story to tell and I’m here to tell it.”
Undercover historian. Ever since he moved to England from Israel 20 years ago, Brosh has been fascinated by the historic features of homes, a curiosity that features heavily in his period restorations. “The first thing I do is a big piece of research. Who used to occupy the house? What’s the story behind the area? Where are the original plans?,” he says. In so doing, Brosh tries to bring the layout back to a degree of what it used to be before, while still working well in the present.
Finders keepers. Brosh takes time to study each home carefully to discover original features, and he urges you to do the same. “Don’t throw away anything that’s original from the house,” says Brosh, who has restored everything from a wall of crumbling bricks to an original staircase.
If the authentic features have been lost, don’t fret. Look to past ‘for sale’ ads to identify styles that are common in the area. “I’ve even knocked on the neighbour’s door to ask what type of original door handles they’ve got,” says Brosh. Once you know what the features are you can restore them in a modern way. “These oak floorboards are actually brand new, but we put them in a giant ‘tumbledryer’ with chains and stones and then stained them to get that beautiful aged look,” he says. The modern twist is that they have underfloor heating.
Read on for Brosh’s tips on how to update your period home with respect for its past.
If the authentic features have been lost, don’t fret. Look to past ‘for sale’ ads to identify styles that are common in the area. “I’ve even knocked on the neighbour’s door to ask what type of original door handles they’ve got,” says Brosh. Once you know what the features are you can restore them in a modern way. “These oak floorboards are actually brand new, but we put them in a giant ‘tumbledryer’ with chains and stones and then stained them to get that beautiful aged look,” he says. The modern twist is that they have underfloor heating.
Read on for Brosh’s tips on how to update your period home with respect for its past.
1. Reassess Your Home’s Layout
Our lifestyles have changed dramatically in the last hundred years, and so has design. “Traditionally, Victorian houses were divided room by room to keep the heat in and also for privacy – doors even used to open inwards to allow the servants to peer in first,” Brosh says. Today’s heating technology means we can live in a more flexible, open layout with a greater sense of space and light. “The important thing to remember is flow. It needs to be very comfortable to move from one space to another.”
Light fills this Hampstead property through a modern extension that opens out to a courtyard. Brosh looked to the streetscape to source authentic new pavers, replacing ‘70s crazy paving in the process. Crumbling original brickwork was cleaned up and set against a waterproof wall. Finally, sliding doors replaced UPV ones. The front glass is not quite straight to mimic the original look, but heated glass attached to smart technology gives it a modern spin.
See more of this project
Our lifestyles have changed dramatically in the last hundred years, and so has design. “Traditionally, Victorian houses were divided room by room to keep the heat in and also for privacy – doors even used to open inwards to allow the servants to peer in first,” Brosh says. Today’s heating technology means we can live in a more flexible, open layout with a greater sense of space and light. “The important thing to remember is flow. It needs to be very comfortable to move from one space to another.”
Light fills this Hampstead property through a modern extension that opens out to a courtyard. Brosh looked to the streetscape to source authentic new pavers, replacing ‘70s crazy paving in the process. Crumbling original brickwork was cleaned up and set against a waterproof wall. Finally, sliding doors replaced UPV ones. The front glass is not quite straight to mimic the original look, but heated glass attached to smart technology gives it a modern spin.
See more of this project
2. Flood With Light
Use both natural and artificial light to your advantage. “The more natural light the better,” Brosh says, whether that’s knocking in a new window or adding a skylight to bounce light around. Artificial light is important too, but Brosh advises that you take extra care when using spotlights as they can draw attention immediately to lower ceilings in period homes.
In this bathroom in Hampstead, Brosh created a niche beneath the mirror cabinet, in which to fit a strip light and diffuser that pours light onto the worktop. “The warm LEDs provide a soft light that’s not too overpowering when you get up in the middle of the night,” he says. In the mirror’s reflection you can also see an example of “feature” lighting. The ceilings in this bathroom were already high, so Brosh lowered it by 100mm to house concealed strip lighting which bounces off the walls to exude a soft, relaxing glow.
See more of this project
Use both natural and artificial light to your advantage. “The more natural light the better,” Brosh says, whether that’s knocking in a new window or adding a skylight to bounce light around. Artificial light is important too, but Brosh advises that you take extra care when using spotlights as they can draw attention immediately to lower ceilings in period homes.
In this bathroom in Hampstead, Brosh created a niche beneath the mirror cabinet, in which to fit a strip light and diffuser that pours light onto the worktop. “The warm LEDs provide a soft light that’s not too overpowering when you get up in the middle of the night,” he says. In the mirror’s reflection you can also see an example of “feature” lighting. The ceilings in this bathroom were already high, so Brosh lowered it by 100mm to house concealed strip lighting which bounces off the walls to exude a soft, relaxing glow.
See more of this project
3. Invest in Bespoke Storage
When it comes to creating a sense of light, flow and space, storage is key. “We all have so much stuff,” Brosh says. The trick is to plan storage that is unique to each space. He suggests considering bespoke storage: “It’s more expensive but it’s designed to look like part of the house,” he says.
The owners of this house in Kentish Town wanted storage that was a feature in itself, but that also kept valuables safe. With this in mind, Brosh designed a coffee table that combines hidden internal storage with open niches to keep books on display. “Everything has the potential for storage … the important thing is that it looks neat and organised,” Brosh says.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Lior Brosh and examples of his work, visit Brosh Architect’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
When it comes to creating a sense of light, flow and space, storage is key. “We all have so much stuff,” Brosh says. The trick is to plan storage that is unique to each space. He suggests considering bespoke storage: “It’s more expensive but it’s designed to look like part of the house,” he says.
The owners of this house in Kentish Town wanted storage that was a feature in itself, but that also kept valuables safe. With this in mind, Brosh designed a coffee table that combines hidden internal storage with open niches to keep books on display. “Everything has the potential for storage … the important thing is that it looks neat and organised,” Brosh says.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Lior Brosh and examples of his work, visit Brosh Architect’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Brosh Architects is a young and energetic architectural practice – our core belief is that good planning & design... Read More
Review by Jeffrey Fine:
We found Lior Brosh through a personal recommendation. We asked him to give us ideas on how to sort out a massive damp problem in our basement and patio. We live in a Victorian terrace house in a cons...More
Great blend of old and new