Chalcot Square, London

Over the years, this late Georgian Grade II listed terraced house had been so poorly and repeatedly altered that no original features remained, and what was once a grand single family dwelling had been chopped up into numerous small and squalid bedsits with no redeeming architectural qualities whatsoever.

The approach to this refurbishment was simple: to re-establish the shell of the building using period-appropriate materials, finishes and classical detailing, but with the inclusion of minimally detailed kitchens, bathrooms and joinery units. These were designed so as not to compete with the historic fabric of the building, but instead complement the late Georgian aesthetic that was to be painstakingly restored.

Whilst the footprint of the house remained unaltered, internally the main reception rooms on the ground and first floors were combined with the introduction of large framed openings between the front and back rooms. A new conservation roof light above the main staircase provides much needed light and ventilation to the building core.

The back garden, surrounded by walls on four sides including a 5-storey flank wall to the rear, presented itself as a great opportunity to create not simply another rear garden, but rather an outdoor reception room resplendent with period gas fireplace, pillowed limestone flooring, an ornate cast iron staircase, and a fish pond. The dramatic tree ferns thrive in the shaded garden, with their expansive fronds providing a natural, leafy canopy overhead.

Year2013 - 2015LocationLondon, United Kingdom