In Kentish Town, the slightly sleepier side of Camden, a newly renovated Victorian residence artfully blends midcentury interiors with characterful, original period details. The clients, a designer and creative director working in film, had owned the building's upper maisonette for 14 years; when the lower flat became available, they saw the potential for a project.
Step inside this modern Victorian conversion
Working closely with Architecture for London (which also recently completed a Neo-Georgian Islington house), the couple converted the Victorian structure's two separate flats back into one. The transformation wasn’t intended to be a huge revelation, however; instead, it whispers.
‘The clients loved the Victorian character of the house, so we tried to retain and reuse as much of the existing fabric as we could,’ explains Sophie Armstrong, senior architect at Architecture for London. ‘Instead of choosing between old and new, we wanted the two to sit side by side comfortably. The house had been divided into two flats, so much of the work was undoing that and restoring the generosity of a single family home.’
The big focus of the project was for the client’s midcentury furniture to fit effortlessly into the space. The architecture firm completely reconfigured the space. The former maisonette’s kitchen, on the first floor, was converted into a laundry and shower room, while the second floor was reconfigured, including moving the stairway, to create a spacious main bedroom.
The roof was replaced with a new loft conversion, which allowed space for two additional bedrooms and a large bathroom. The ground floor opens up into a spacious Shaker-style kitchen and a generous living and dining room.
Says Armstrong, ‘The exposed timbers and large rooflight [in the kitchen] give a generous sense of height, and the metal-framed glazing, reclaimed brick and Portland stone lintels help it sit seamlessly against the existing house. The kitchen is at the heart of the plan, and the lowered snug beside it adds a cosy pocket of space.’
Achieving this result wasn’t as effortless as it seems, as the biggest challenge was converting the two flats back into one while the clients continued to live on site. There was also a planning challenge.
Armstrong tells Wallpaper*, ‘The house lies within a conservation area, so external alterations had to respond sensitively to the area and meet the council's requirements. Every visible change, from the rear extension to the lead-clad loft dormers, needed to sit naturally within the character of the Victorian terrace.’
The house feels unfussy and welcoming. ‘It's a home for a working, creative family, so it should feel relaxed, rather than precious,’ shares Armstrong. ‘Tactile materials like timber and marble bring warmth, and the light-filled kitchen at the centre of the plan draws people in. It should feel like a Victorian house that has been quietly and thoughtfully refined, rather than being completely transformed.’
