A humble London cottage becomes a home of vibrant colours

Muswell Hill London cottage — (Image credit: Anna Stathaki)

This north London cottage, in suburban Muswell Hill, is a two-storey period workers' home recently renovated by Collective Works. The property’s existing 44 sq m came with a large garden, which provided architects and clients with the perfect opportunity for a valuable, but low-cost extension.

A north London cottage gets a fresh extension by Collective Works

Siri Zanelli, co-founder of Collective Works, worked closely with the clients, Louise and Akin, who wanted to have a bigger space in which to raise their teenage children, as well as an interior that nodded to their cultural identity (Akin is British-Nigerian, Louise has British and Zulu South African heritage).

‘Louise and Akin have real confidence in their style and a clear idea of what they liked about their historic cottage and what wasn’t working for them,’ says Zanelli. ‘We didn’t want to take away from the personality of the workers’ cottage, so instead we embraced and emphasised the cosy layout in the original part of the property. The large extension gave us an opportunity to contrast with that. We set light alongside dark, airy against cosy and open-plan spaces segueing into programmed rooms.’

The aim for the expansion was to create more space, more light and more privacy from the street. The cottage already included a large open-plan living and dining room, with an adjoining kitchen. Although the clients adored the open views through the house, they felt exposed.

They attended an interior workshop with the architecture firm, which led them to manage the project themselves and to source the furniture and textiles to match their vision. Coupled with this, they were clear that they wanted the kitchen to be part of the dining area, and also have multiple areas for the family to socialise together, or seek moments of solitude.

Zanelli says, ‘There are plenty of nooks and corners that make spaces that feel cosy and plenty of storage to keep clutter at bay. Deep and rich colours in the original cottage rooms make a calm and comfortable backdrop to carefully sourced works of art and family mementos that reflect the clients’ personality. They have friends that visit and say “its so gorgeously you” – that's what they're most pleased about, that the house truly represents them, not trends.’

The renovation works comprise a new porch that carves out an entrance hall from the existing living room at the rear of the cottage. ‘The project came with a very tight budget, so there were constraints on what we could do,’ Zanelli tells Wallpaper*. ‘We retained the original openings in the rear façade – avoiding big steels; this saved both cost and carbon.'

Louise and Akin were inspired by the bold colours of Upside Down House, a previous residence by Collective Works. By revisiting their family heritage, the couple added deep colours, as seen in the dusty pink library walls, which are partnered with wallpaper inspired by a patterned African mask. The snug is also intimate and cosy, with deep greens, whereas the utility space boasts rich terracotta shades.

‘The colour was a game changer,’ says Louise. ‘People have conservative opinions about what a home should look like. It was a risk, but working with Collective Works gave us the courage to go for it, to express ourselves. The colour brings warmth and calm.’ Akin adds that ‘the utility room in particular was a worry, we went really leftfield painting the small space a dark red. Instinct said it was going to work, but the mind doubted it: we love it.’

The home, which has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a library, a living room and a kitchen/living area, has beautiful detailing and nods to culture in every corner; however, it is the kitchen and dining area that is Zanelli’s favourite. She says, ‘[I] especially love the bench under the long window facing the garden. Louise wanted the home to be a sanctuary. When we started working, she had recently been to Morocco and fell in love with the quiet, relaxing privacy of the riyadh.

‘We tried to capture some of this sense of an anonymous exterior façade; you cannot imagine what is hidden behind this humble cottage street front. You have to move through several rooms to reach the warm, light-filled family room facing the garden – a little family retreat away from the busy-ness of London.’

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Tianna Williams is Wallpaper’s staff writer. When she isn’t writing extensively across varying content pillars, ranging from design and architecture to travel and art, she also helps put together the daily newsletter. She enjoys speaking to emerging artists, designers and architects, writing about gorgeously designed houses and restaurants, and day-dreaming about her next travel destination.