Room of the Week: A Hackney Flat Gets a Living Room Makeover
Once the bedroom level, the ground floor of this London flat has been extended and turned into a sociable living space
This two-storey home in Hackney, London was originally arranged with bedrooms on the ground floor and a living room and kitchen on the first floor. “The owners wanted to turn that around,” says Adrie Rensen, of Edwards Rensen Architects, who together with Jo Edwards designed the new space. The goal was to create an open living, kitchen and dining room, all on the garden level, and to extend at the rear and sides to gain extra space.
Discovering that about 4sq m of the garden actually belonged to the upstairs flat lead to two years of legal wrangling, before the owners were eventually able to buy it and the build could go ahead. “During that time we called regular meetings to show the clients some materials or sketches, just to keep them encouraged,” says Rensen. “They were tearing their hair out and thought the build might never happen. It did though, and they’re delighted! It was all worth it in the end!”
Discovering that about 4sq m of the garden actually belonged to the upstairs flat lead to two years of legal wrangling, before the owners were eventually able to buy it and the build could go ahead. “During that time we called regular meetings to show the clients some materials or sketches, just to keep them encouraged,” says Rensen. “They were tearing their hair out and thought the build might never happen. It did though, and they’re delighted! It was all worth it in the end!”
The house was extended out and to the side to gain 23sq m of space. “It’s a typical Victorian house which had an outrigger at the back,” says Rensen. “We basically filled that in, to square off the house at the rear and also extended out a little.” The brick wall that runs along one side is the original boundary wall. Now, bifold doors across the rear open completely onto the garden.
Porcelain tiles used inside and out create a seamless surface. “The exterior tiles look the same but have a little more texture, so they are not slippery,” says Rensen.
Porcelain tiles used inside and out create a seamless surface. “The exterior tiles look the same but have a little more texture, so they are not slippery,” says Rensen.
Now the family can move between the garden and the house easily. They also built a studio at the rear of the garden, which is used by the fashion-designer owner, who works here during the day. “So he looks back at the extension and regularly crosses between the living space and the studio,” says Rensen. “The outside space is enclosed and intimate, and it connects the two parts of their lives.”
Dome pendant light with ribbed interior, Lighting Styles.
Dome pendant light with ribbed interior, Lighting Styles.
“When you convert houses like this it’s quite a challenge to get the ceiling right,” says Edwards. “You can get funny volumes popping down into the space, because of a half landing above or something like that. So we put a lot of design work into ensuring the lines and shapes of this ceiling make sense.”
“You don’t immediately understand it when you first enter the space, but then you see that the ceiling never really stops; the whole thing flows,” adds Rensen. “You can follow it easily with your eye. There is nothing abrupt there.”
“You don’t immediately understand it when you first enter the space, but then you see that the ceiling never really stops; the whole thing flows,” adds Rensen. “You can follow it easily with your eye. There is nothing abrupt there.”
“The owners tend to sit at the breakfast bar rather than the table,” says Edwards. “They have renamed it the Prosecco bar!”
It is bathed in light from the rooflight above. The original plans included a single large rooflight over the living area near the rear doors, but Edwards and Rensen rethought this. “We pulled that one rooflight apart and fitted two instead, with another small one over the dining table,” says Rensen. “They create washes of light across the floor and walls really nicely. When you sit at the bar it’s really light there.”
“Using two rooflights instead of one was a cost-saving move initially, as was installing framed rather than frameless glazing,” explains Edwards, “but from a design point of view it’s worked out much better, too.”
Drift oak and white bar stools, Atlantic Shopping.
Read these tips for making the kitchen the heart of your home
It is bathed in light from the rooflight above. The original plans included a single large rooflight over the living area near the rear doors, but Edwards and Rensen rethought this. “We pulled that one rooflight apart and fitted two instead, with another small one over the dining table,” says Rensen. “They create washes of light across the floor and walls really nicely. When you sit at the bar it’s really light there.”
“Using two rooflights instead of one was a cost-saving move initially, as was installing framed rather than frameless glazing,” explains Edwards, “but from a design point of view it’s worked out much better, too.”
Drift oak and white bar stools, Atlantic Shopping.
Read these tips for making the kitchen the heart of your home
The kitchen cabinets were inexpensive. “We often advise clients to buy budget cabinets but spend money on nice worktops and taps – the things you touch,” says Edwards.
The worktop is Corian. “It creates a continuous U-shape around the kitchen,” adds Rensen. “With no cabinets below it at one end it becomes the bar and extends down to the floor.”
The splashback is made from American walnut veneer, stained and treated with matt oil.
American walnut veneer, from DW General Wood Machinists. Matt oil, Osmo.
Discover 11 nifty places to store your pots and pans
The worktop is Corian. “It creates a continuous U-shape around the kitchen,” adds Rensen. “With no cabinets below it at one end it becomes the bar and extends down to the floor.”
The splashback is made from American walnut veneer, stained and treated with matt oil.
American walnut veneer, from DW General Wood Machinists. Matt oil, Osmo.
Discover 11 nifty places to store your pots and pans
The owner made the dining table. “He used the offcuts from the splashback veneer and hairpin legs bought from Ebay,” says Edwards.
The roof is held up by a support structure that includes this column. “We couldn’t bury the column in the lovely brick wall,” says Rensen, “and we didn’t even want to back it against the wall. So we just fitted it about 30cm away from the wall. It’s a nice addition to the space and becomes an object in its own right.” The owners have since sprayed the column gold!
Marcus dining chairs in Grey, Atlantic Shopping.
The roof is held up by a support structure that includes this column. “We couldn’t bury the column in the lovely brick wall,” says Rensen, “and we didn’t even want to back it against the wall. So we just fitted it about 30cm away from the wall. It’s a nice addition to the space and becomes an object in its own right.” The owners have since sprayed the column gold!
Marcus dining chairs in Grey, Atlantic Shopping.
Bespoke storage runs along one wall of the space and this tall cupboard contains the boiler. “We designed the handles and had them made,” adds Edwards. The same walnut veneer has been used to make a desk and surface for the storage, and warms up the white.
Wall lights, lights beneath the kitchen wall cabinets and slot lights, recessed into the ceiling, transform the living area by night, giving it a warm, inviting glow.
This rooflight connects the existing house wall to the new extension.
What do you love about this clean-lined extension? Tell us in the Comments below – and please remember that you’re discussing someone’s home!
What do you love about this clean-lined extension? Tell us in the Comments below – and please remember that you’re discussing someone’s home!
Sponsored
Who lives here A couple and their two teenage sons
The property A ground- and first-floor flat in a Victorian terraced house
Location Hackney, London
Room dimensions This L-shaped space has a width of 2.7m at its narrowest and 5m at its widest. At its longest point, it’s 6m
Architects Jo Edwards and Adrie Rensen of Edwards Rensen Architects
Photos by Adelina Iliev Photography
“Both of the owners had great ideas for the design,” says Rensen. “They wanted a clean-lined style but not something completely minimalist and all white. They wanted a calm, clean interior with nice warm touches.”