In a London terrace house in Islington, Studio Hagen Hall has orchestrated a masterful exercise in restraint. Heion House is not a typical 'light and airy' renovation, but a sophisticated dialogue between Late-Georgian heritage and the rigorous aesthetics of Japanese details and modernism, complete with a moody snug.
The couple, who previously lived and worked in Japan, rejected the standard impulse to extend, opting instead to build less and build better within the original Grade-II listed footprint. The result is a home defined by a singular, immersive material palette of oak, with bespoke joinery and wall panelling. A delicate balance between darkness and light eschews the common white-walled look in favour of atmospheric interiors.
'Heion House is guided by a belief that heritage and modernity can coexist without compromise,' says studio director Louis Hagen-Hall. 'By carefully repairing the Late-Georgian fabric and introducing new joinery interventions, we've created a home that communicates a contemporary language of craft.'
The studio peeled back layers of neglect to address structural issues and upgrade thermal performance with insulation and breathable plasters. The reconfiguration includes a primary bedroom moved to the upper ground floor, complete with a walk-in closet and a detached bath, thus allowing the middle floor to become a south-facing 'snug' that spans the front width of the home, furnished with David Horan armchairs and antique Japanese pieces.
Throughout the home, traditional Japanese elements are reimagined through a modernist lens. A Genkan (entryway) defines the arrival, while a grid of glass shelving, inspired by Shōji screens, filters light between the snug and the kitchen. On the lower ground floor is the snug with built-in leather single-bed-sized sofas on two sides, integrated storage for bedding and blankets, a concealed TV, and a grid of shelves that offers space for the clients’ Japanese ceramics collection, like a Tokonoma 床の間 (a niche for displaying flower arrangements and art).
In the garden, a former utility room has been transformed into a sunken dining room featuring a custom oval oak table by the studio. By lowering the external paving to create level access to the kitchen, the studio has blurred the boundary between the garden and interiors.
Heion House is a masterclass in fusing existing history with new details. It is a home that values the weight of shadows and the character of timber.
