This small project packs quite a punch. Designed by London architecture practice Studio VA, a fairly compact and straightforward home renovation resulted in a rather impactful design with the right blend of colour, sleek lines and an industrial material palette. The scheme is called Project Hereward, and its design solution showcases how balancing old and new on the small scale can be just as rewarding as the larger projects.
The commission came to the young studio, headed by architect Akis Pattihis, from a couple who were after their ‘forever home'. ‘They put a lot of trust in me and the design, to offer them something which is really very different to what they had initially considered they wanted,' the architect recalls. ‘They had faith in the design and now I am sure they are very thrilled with the final outcome.'
A lot of the work had to be done to the existing house’s old extension, a neglected addition that was in dire need of a refresh. The architects replaced its roof entirely and included in the new one a series of skylights to allow more natural daylight into the kitchen area. The old external wall featured a small window and a narrow glass door; these were also replaced by a set of generous, 4m-wide bifold doors that lead into the garden.
The open-plan living and kitchen area on the ground level was treated as the home's main centrepiece, as the architects worked with colour, pattern and a set of hardwearing materials, such as a steel column, wood and tiles to transform the space into a bright, impressive contemporary interior that straddles minimalism and industrial architecture influences. The rest of the house was refreshed as well, while keeping the period property's character and existing features.
As for the small project's biggest challenge? ‘The biggest difficulty was probably working with the existing house,' says Pattihis. ‘Having to support it during demolition (as we removed all downstairs walls) and then dealing with the integration of the new steels, the relationship between the new steel structure and the existing timber joists – and hoping that all the new surfaces would align in a way that would accommodate the bespoke joinery.'
INFORMATION
-
Aesop’s Salone del Mobile 2024 installations in Milan are multisensory experiencesAesop has partnered with Salone del Mobile to launch a series of installations across Milan, tapping into sight, touch, taste, and scent
-
Dial into the Boring Phone and more smartphone alternativesFrom the deliberately dull new Boring Phone to Honor’s latest hook-up with Porsche, a host of new devices that do the phone thing slightly differently
-
Berlinde De Bruyckere’s angels without faces touch down in Venice churchBelgian artist Berlinde De Bruyckere’s recent archangel sculptures occupy the 16th-century white marble Abbazia di San Giorgio Maggiore for the Venice Biennale 2024
-
Extraordinary escapes: where would you like to be?Peruse and lose yourself in these extraordinary escapes; there's nothing better to get the creative juices flowing than a healthy dose of daydreaming
-
Year in review: top 10 houses of 2022, selected by Wallpaper* architecture editor Ellie StathakiWallpaper’s Ellie Stathaki reveals her top 10 houses of 2022 – from modernist reinventions to urban extensions and idyllic retreats
-
Roz Barr’s terrace house extension is a minimalist reimaginingTerrace house extension by Roz Barr Architects transforms Victorian London home through pared-down elegance
-
Tree View House blends warm modernism and natureNorth London's Tree View House by Neil Dusheiko Architects draws on Delhi and California living
-
Maison de Verre: a dramatic glass house in France by Studio Odile DecqMaison de Verre in Carantec is a glass box with a difference, housing a calming interior with a science fiction edge
-
Modernist Coromandel farmhouse refreshed by Frankie Pappas, Mayat Hart and Thomashoff+PartnerAn iconic Coromandel farmhouse is being reimagined by the South African architectural collaborative of Frankie Pappas, Mayat Hart and Thomashoff+Partner
-
East London house extension infuses Victorian home with warm modernismBlurton Road by London architecture studio Emil Eve is a residential extension project that transforms a modest Clapton house
-
Pergola Extension transforms Victorian Melbourne homePergola Extension by Krisna Cheung Architects offers a contemporary touch to a Victorian Melbourne property, infusing it with sustainability and generosity of space
