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Room of the Week: A Light-boosting Makeover for an East London Semi
Opening up the ground floor of this midcentury home added garden views, a bright new workspace – and a special feature for the owners’ cats
When the owners of this semi-detached 1950s house in London first bought it, the downstairs area was dark and the original rear conservatory was poorly built. As a professional couple who do most of their work from home, they were essentially living entirely on the top floor of the house; they used the living room for storage and the kitchen not at all, ordering in takeaways instead of cooking.
After deciding they could no longer live that way, the couple sought the help of Scenario Architecture, and had their home designed to suit their lifestyle. The renovation gave them a bright new workspace with garden views and a full bathroom downstairs, and freed up the top floor to allow them full use of their three bedrooms, one of which had previously been the home office.
After deciding they could no longer live that way, the couple sought the help of Scenario Architecture, and had their home designed to suit their lifestyle. The renovation gave them a bright new workspace with garden views and a full bathroom downstairs, and freed up the top floor to allow them full use of their three bedrooms, one of which had previously been the home office.
The homeowners have two cats and wanted their home to be designed around the animals’ needs as well as their own.
High up on the wall to the right is a space to which the cats can retreat when there are guests in the house. It’s accessed via a hole by the staircase, and provides them with a spot from where they can have a sense of control over the room without feeling threatened. ‘It’s mainly an area where they can sit, relax and watch guests,’ Anastasiadis says.
The door furthest away on the far wall leads to the bathroom. In it there is a separate space allocated to housing the litter tray. The cats can access this space via a clever square cut into the wall low to the ground.
High up on the wall to the right is a space to which the cats can retreat when there are guests in the house. It’s accessed via a hole by the staircase, and provides them with a spot from where they can have a sense of control over the room without feeling threatened. ‘It’s mainly an area where they can sit, relax and watch guests,’ Anastasiadis says.
The door furthest away on the far wall leads to the bathroom. In it there is a separate space allocated to housing the litter tray. The cats can access this space via a clever square cut into the wall low to the ground.
The minimal, wood-burning fireplace between the living room and kitchen is double-sided. Spaciousness was important to the homeowners, so they wanted the fireplace to be sleek to match this idea. ‘We chose glass for the hearth because it’s easy to clean, reflects light and creates a connection with the glass of the fireplace,’ Anastasiadis says.
He fitted downlights in the living room. ‘They provide uniform lighting when placed in a grid and create ambience without a pendant light dominating the room,’ he says.
Fireplace, Stovax. Ringo range downlights, Delta Light.
He fitted downlights in the living room. ‘They provide uniform lighting when placed in a grid and create ambience without a pendant light dominating the room,’ he says.
Fireplace, Stovax. Ringo range downlights, Delta Light.
This bench is to the left of the front door as you walk into the house. The curved shape of the wall hugs the body, making it more comfortable to lean against.
‘It also creates a much more pleasant visual area for the whole house,’ says Anastasiadis. ‘The walls are bevelled to create a smooth transition. We didn’t use right angles because they’re harder.’
The bench is actually double the length seen here – it’s cut in half by the curved wall; the other end serves the living room. There is also space for storage underneath.
‘It also creates a much more pleasant visual area for the whole house,’ says Anastasiadis. ‘The walls are bevelled to create a smooth transition. We didn’t use right angles because they’re harder.’
The bench is actually double the length seen here – it’s cut in half by the curved wall; the other end serves the living room. There is also space for storage underneath.
The wall that separates the kitchen and the hallway is structural, so it wasn’t removed, but it’s narrower in the middle section to give more space for people to pass through.
From this view you can see how open the whole ground floor is.
See how a room divider can boost your open-plan space
From this view you can see how open the whole ground floor is.
See how a room divider can boost your open-plan space
The custom-made kitchen island was originally meant to incorporate the dishwasher, but the homeowners abandoned that idea, instead opting to leave it hollow so the dining table, which is also custom-made, could slide under it when the homeowners have guests and more space is needed.
The worktops are quartz and the splashback is white reflective tiles.
All kitchen units, Simple Interiors. Vintage pendant lamps, homeowner’s own.
The worktops are quartz and the splashback is white reflective tiles.
All kitchen units, Simple Interiors. Vintage pendant lamps, homeowner’s own.
White Bertoia Wire chairs practically disappear, keeping the look open.
Table designed by Scenario Architecture, made by Mindegas Carpentry. Kitchen island, Mindegas Carpentry. Bertoia Wire chairs, available from The Conran Shop. Toaster, Dualit.
Table designed by Scenario Architecture, made by Mindegas Carpentry. Kitchen island, Mindegas Carpentry. Bertoia Wire chairs, available from The Conran Shop. Toaster, Dualit.
Towards the fireplace end of the kitchen, on the right-hand wall, there’s a side door. ‘Having the side door means the owners can now take rubbish out of the kitchen without having to pass through the rest of the house,’ says Anastasiadis.
The gap under the dividing wall to the left was originally meant to have drawers, but the homeowners decided to leave it open. The cats use it as a play area, and it balances the top gap.
The gap under the dividing wall to the left was originally meant to have drawers, but the homeowners decided to leave it open. The cats use it as a play area, and it balances the top gap.
The reflective nature of polished concrete means light bounces off the floor readily.
‘The owners like concrete,’ says Anastasiadis. ‘We could have continued the polished concrete outside, but to keep within budget, they decided to leave the existing outdoor paving.’
Anastasiadis fitted bifold doors rather than sliding ones as they allow for a larger opening. ‘If you open the folding doors all the way, they stick nicely to the wall,’ he says.
Read this expert advice on fitting bifold doors
‘The owners like concrete,’ says Anastasiadis. ‘We could have continued the polished concrete outside, but to keep within budget, they decided to leave the existing outdoor paving.’
Anastasiadis fitted bifold doors rather than sliding ones as they allow for a larger opening. ‘If you open the folding doors all the way, they stick nicely to the wall,’ he says.
Read this expert advice on fitting bifold doors
This area at the back of the house, with great light and direct access to the garden, is used as the owners’ workspace. The dining table and island can easily take laptops and work paraphernalia, while the pillow sofa gives them a secluded area in which to work away from a desk.
Bertoia Diamond chair, available from The Conran Shop.
Bertoia Diamond chair, available from The Conran Shop.
‘The large pillow sofa pushes the space outside a bit,’ says Anastasiadis. ‘When you sit there, you feel isolated but also connected to the rest of the house. When looking towards the garden, you don’t feel the rest of the house, but you can feel a direct connection when you turn towards the kitchen.’
The fireplace is operational, though there is also underfloor heating throughout this level.
The extension follows the footprint of the previous layout, so there was no problem with getting planning permission.
For the exterior, Anastasiadis used timber and black paint with a sheen. ‘It reflects the colour of the sky and the bricks,’ he says. ‘Vertical cladding is easy to use on bevelled walls’ – a look the homeowners were keen to carry through the renovation.
Exterior walls painted in black, Ronseal Exterior Wood Paint.
For the exterior, Anastasiadis used timber and black paint with a sheen. ‘It reflects the colour of the sky and the bricks,’ he says. ‘Vertical cladding is easy to use on bevelled walls’ – a look the homeowners were keen to carry through the renovation.
Exterior walls painted in black, Ronseal Exterior Wood Paint.
BEFORE The living spaces were closed off from each other and the only room that benefited from full views of the garden was the dining/storage room.
AFTER Large windows and few separating walls create a flow and immediate visual connection between the rooms.
TELL US…
What do you think of this east London home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
TELL US…
What do you think of this east London home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A young professional couple and their two cats
Location Victoria Park, east London
Property A two-storey, semi-detached house built in the 1950s
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms; ground floor approx 72 sq m
Completed Early 2015
Budget £80,000 excluding fees
Architect Fanis Anastasiadis of Scenario Architecture
At the top of the owners’ brief for the renovation of their home was a visual openness from the front to the back of the building, so one of the things architect Fanis Anastasiadis did was open up the living room to the rest of the house by removing a door and wall. You can now see straight through to the garden from this corner of the living room.
Engineered oak floorboards, Maxzara. Walls throughout painted in Cotton White, Dulux Trade Diamond Matt. Radio, Vita Audio. Eames RAR white rocking chair, available from John Lewis.