London artists’ house by Mitchell + Corti Architects pays homage to midcentury design
A London artists' house has been transformed with new additions, new materials and a fresh approach to light, space and plan

Mitchell + Corti Architects has transformed an artists' house in an existing London terrace into a contemporary studio workspace as well as a family home. Working for Louise de Lima, a painter, and her partner Nivaldo, a craft leatherworker and furniture maker, the architects have transformed the interiors to better suit the couple’s live-work lifestyle.
Artists’ house by Mitchell + Corti Architects
This is a project about reuse, adaptation and evolution. The house has been extended using timber elements, with the same hardwood sapele used throughout for windows, doors, cladding and joinery. Everything was built off-site, including the new stained bamboo kitchen, and then delivered in one go to minimise waste. Oak floors and lime plaster walls are used as a counterpoint to the sapele, with other sections of walls lined with cork.
Louise de Lima’s studio is now located in the loft, with high ceilings going up to the joists and a new array of openable windows on the garden façade. This floor also incorporates a dedicated home office area, while the leather workshop has been relocated to the end of the garden. Both artists have works displayed around the house, from paintings to leather coverings and bespoke furnishings, and the refurbishment maximises the amount of wall space available for hanging.
The house also contains three double bedrooms, one of which is en-suite, as well as a separate bathroom and large living areas. ‘We were asked to develop a design that honoured the principles of midcentury modern architecture: clean lines, simple detailing, practicality, connection between indoors and outdoors, large openings and natural materials,’ the architects write.
The end result reads as a coherent hole, despite the myriad additions, enhancements and upgrades. The unifying use of hardwood, inside and out, is combined with the strict proportional relationship between the new fenestration on the top floor and on the ground floor extension and the existing windows.
The strictly ordered palette extends to other materials and specification, from the lighting to the switches. Clever planning, especially in the new roof extension, enables space for painting, office work and art storage, with an unfinished chipboard floor that will pick up patina and wear as time goes on.
‘The design of the spaces and plan allows for flexibility of use, encourages primary reliance on natural light and passive ventilation,’ the architects say. ‘As a modern take on midcentury architecture, the home honours principles of connectivity with the outdoors.’
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Jeweller Ara Vartanian and rapper Swizz Beatz team up on a fusion of spiky silhouettes, sculptural forms and seductive gems
A pairing that's been in the works since 2019 – and finally we get to see the results
-
The new CLA brings Mercedes's all-electric know-how to a new market sector
Mixing high tech moves with tremendous tactile qualities, the buttery smooth new Mercedes-Benz CLA is an electric winner. Wallpaper* drives across Denmark in a triumphant new car with a three-pointed star
-
Collagerie and Zara Home debut perfectly imperfect furniture and accessories
Lucinda Chambers’ Collagerie collaborates with Zara Home on a collection that is an ode to the everyday
-
The inimitable Norman Foster: our guide to the visionary architect, shaping the future
Norman Foster has shaped today's London and global architecture like no other in his field; explore his work through our ultimate guide to this most impactful contemporary architect
-
Shard Place offers residents the chance to live in the shadow of London’s tallest building
The 27-storey tower from Renzo Piano Building Workshop joins The Shard and The News Building to complete Shard Quarter, providing a sophisticated setting for renters
-
Kengo Kuma’s ‘Paper Clouds’ in London is a ‘poem’ celebrating washi paper in construction
‘Paper Clouds’, an installation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is a poetic design that furthers research into the use of washi paper in construction
-
Foster + Partners to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II
For the Queen Elizabeth II memorial, Foster + Partners designs proposal includes a new bridge, gates, gardens and figurative sculptures in St James’ Park
-
Wolves Lane Centre brings greenery, growing and grass roots together
Wolves Lane Centre, a new, green community hub in north London by Material Cultures and Studio Gil, brings to the fore natural materials and a spirit of togetherness
-
A new London exhibition explores the legacy of Centre Pompidou architect Richard Rogers
‘Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings’ – opening tomorrow at Sir John Soane’s Museum – examines Rogers’ high-tech icons, which proposed a democratic future for architecture
-
At the Royal Academy summer show, architecture and art combine as never before
The Royal Academy summer show is about to open in London; we toured the iconic annual exhibition and spoke to its curator for architecture, Farshid Moussavi
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshop
New Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it