Blurton Road, an east London house extension project by local studio Emil Eve Architects, reimagines a Victorian home into a modern interpretation of a midcentury dwelling. The commission aimed not only to improve the functionality and wellbeing qualities of the domestic space for the clients – a young family with small children – but also to infuse the historic shell with the owners' love for modernist architecture and design.
One of the architects’ primary aims was to open up the Victorian interior to create generous, light-filled spaces that respond to contemporary needs.
The goal was to create ‘places to relax, play and socialise all around the house', explains the team, led by studio founders Emma and Ross Perkin.
Warm and tactile dark timber was used throughout for anything from window frames to bespoke furniture and fittings. Among them, a tall custom-made bookcase that spans the height and length of the main staircase becomes a central feature in the new space.
The staircase itself, made from white powder-coated steel with fumed oak treads, connects physically and visually the kitchen, which is situated in the extension and looks out to a green garden, and the upper floor – where a mezzanine with a glazed screen wall leads visitors on to the living room.
The material palette, which was composed with a calming environment in mind, also includes white Corian countertops and sustainable rubber flooring by The Rubber Flooring Company.
The extension's volume, clad in brick in varying tones to match the character of the existing historical property as well as the wider residential context of the neighbourhood, features more modern, geometric shapes and large openings and bifold doors that connect the interior powerfully to the leafy outside space. Meanwhile, updates in insulation mean the project also improved substantially the original home's sustainability performance – bringing style and function to the 21st century.
-
This cult Los Angeles pop-up restaurant now has a permanent addressChef Brian Baik’s Corridor 109 makes its permanent debut in Melrose Hill. No surprise, it's now one of the hardest tables in town to book
-
French bistro restaurant Maset channels the ease of the Mediterranean in LondonThis Marylebone restaurant is shaped by the coastal flavours, materials and rhythms of southern France
-
How ethical is Google Street View, asks Jon Rafman in CopenhagenIn 'Report a Concern - the Nine Eyes Archives' at Louisiana Museum of Art, Copenhagen, Jon Rafman considers technology's existential implications
-
A former agricultural building is transformed into a minimal rural home by Bindloss DawesZero-carbon design meets adaptive re-use in the Tractor Shed, a stripped-back house in a country village by Somerset architects Bindloss Dawes
-
RIBA House of the Year 2025 is a ‘rare mixture of sensitivity and boldness’Topping the list of seven shortlisted homes, Izat Arundell’s Hebridean self-build – named Caochan na Creige – is announced as the RIBA House of the Year 2025
-
In addition to brutalist buildings, Alison Smithson designed some of the most creative Christmas cards we've seenThe architect’s collection of season’s greetings is on show at the Roca London Gallery, just in time for the holidays
-
In South Wales, a remote coastal farmhouse flaunts its modern revamp, primed for hostingA farmhouse perched on the Gower Peninsula, Delfyd Farm reveals its ground-floor refresh by architecture studio Rural Office, which created a cosy home with breathtaking views
-
A revived public space in Aberdeen is named Scotland’s building of the yearAberdeen's Union Terrace Gardens by Stallan-Brand Architecture + Design and LDA Design wins the 2025 Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom wineries-turned-music studios to fire-resistant holiday homes, these are the properties that have most impressed the Wallpaper* editors this month
-
A refreshed 1950s apartment in East London allows for moments of discoveryWith this 1950s apartment redesign, London-based architects Studio Naama wanted to create a residence which reflects the fun and individual nature of the clients
-
In this Cotswolds home, drama meets minimalismCotswolds home Hiaven house, with interiors designed by McLaren Excell, is a perfect blend of contemporary chic and calm, countryside drama
