Russell Jones' minimalist mews house in Highgate, London

London architect Russell Jones is behind this minimalist transformation of a garage and back yard into an elegant home on a mews street in the capital's Highgate area

(Image credit: Rory Gardiner)

By Harriet Thorpe

last updated 13 August 2022

in Features

Compact living has never felt so spacious; enter Mews House, a two-bedroom home on a cobbled little street in Highgate, North London. Using a subtle palette of materials, architect Russell Jones has transformed a garage and overgrown garden in a recently regenerated area into a serene haven for modern living.

Working with a fairly constrained site of 90 sq m, backing onto a red brick terrace, Jones says he was fortunate to have a client who allowed 'a relatively free hand to maximise the accommodation and develop a sensible approach to the design and construction of the project'.

The architect used several clever techniques to make the most of what was available. The ash-coloured Wienerberger Marziale brick helps lift the interior, creating a bright environment that encourages light to reach deep into the mews building. Extra luminosity was achieved by using a Scandinavian brick surface smoothening technique called 'sækkeskuring', which Jones chose 'as a way of creating a more monolithic architecture, without losing the identity of each and every brick.'

Floor plan of london garage conversion into a residential space

Take an interactive tour of Mews House

The same material continues inside, complemented by neutral concrete floor tiling that flows seamlessly between the ground floor open plan kitchen, living and dinning interior and the external courtyard. Continuous lines and light-coloured, earthy tones create a sense of spaciousness, reflecting the natural sunlight brought in through floor-to-ceiling windows on the ground level, as well as tactically placed dormer and skylights upstairs. The upper floor hosts the two bedrooms and a bathroom.

While relatively small, this home has plenty of personality. A floating staircase of light oil-finished Douglas Fir creates a focal point for the minimalist, open plan living space. Practical elements are harmonised with the overall aesthetic, highlighting Jones’s attention to detail. Examples include external storage for bikes and recycling, built-in storage in the bedrooms and niches in the courtyard wall for plants and candles.

'The house was designed for those living there to feel safe, sheltered, aware of the weather around them and for all to see the material and tectonic qualities that make this little home special', says Jones. The result? A city dweller’s perfect bolthole.

Minimalist design of a london garage conversion — The architect used ash-coloured Wienerberger Marziale brick inside and out, creating smooth transitions between indoors and outdoors

The kitchen in a london garage conversion — A neutral and light coloured material pallette enhances the interior's sense of calm, while also encouraging sunlight to reach deep inside the house

exterior of London garage conversion looking into the house through patio doors — Concrete floor tiling flows seamlessly between the ground floor open plan kitchen, living and dinning interior, and the external courtyard

Bedroom in london garage conversion — Continuous lines, sharp detailing and clever built-in storage help make the most of the fairly modestly sized property

The floating staircase in London garage conversion — The floating staircase of light oil-finished Douglas Fir creates a focal point for the living areas

Staircase leading to the upper level of london garage conversion — It leads to the upper level, which consists of the house's two bedrooms and a bathroom

INFORMATION

For more information visit the architect’s website

Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.