House H
Brief: To modernise and enlarge the existing kitchen. To add an additional bedroom and to simplify the layout throughout the house
Objective: A single-storey rear kitchen extension at the rear of the property and a full reconfiguration and refurbishment of the house
Location: Swiss Cottage, London
Year originally built: 1960s
Completed: 2021
Budget: £250,000
RIBA Stages: 0-6
This 1960s townhouse in the London Borough of Camden was in need of complete renovation. We extended the property at the rear to create an open-plan kitchen/living/dining area whilst completely reconfiguring the existing layout.
A 5-bedroom, 2-bathroom house became a 6-bedroom, 3-bathroom house with bright, clean spaces full of natural light and pale tones. The new layout includes the utility room, the en-suite and the master bathroom which are stacked above one another in the centre of the house. The existing staircase was replaced to create more space and light in the hallways.
The new extension was lowered by two steps in order to offer a more generous floor-to-ceiling height, in which the open-plan space is divided into a living area, dining area and kitchen. The picture window, glazed doors and the kitchen skylight were strategically placed to create a dynamic space with varying natural light throughout the day.
The house now offers ample built-in storage in a cloak room, the hallway, the bedrooms, the new en-suite and formal living room and beneath the stairs, maximising the potential of every corner. The garden is a visual continuation of the internal design, providing a natural sense of flow from inside to outside and a palpable feeling of increased, highly usable space.
