Emerging architects THISS Studio are behind Sunny Side Up, an imaginative house extension in east London's Clapton. The project, a home improvement scheme for the family of clients Jack Munro (product designer and co-founder of design studio Mule) and Domino MacNaughton, was conceived as a 'crafted piece of joinery', its authors write.
Discover Sunny Side Up by THISS Studio
The project's main task was to transform a dark and cramped rear interior area into a bright and expansive kitchen, dining and family space, with a focus on entertaining family and guests around a large table.
The team elevated the interior further through bespoke joinery and a craft-based approach. Meanwhile, the structure's main frame is made from sustainably sourced sapele hardwood timber.
Dan Pope, THISS Studio project architect, said: ‘The project was driven by a carefully selected material palette. We chose sapele wood for its hardness and strength, providing the perfect properties for our assemblage of windows, doors and joinery. Its warm caramel tones and subtle grain, provide the perfect contrast to the shimmering aluminium canopy, or as we like to call it 'the fried egg'.'
'Collaboration is at the heart of our studio. It was a joy to work with Jack and Domino, their open spirits throughout the design process allowed their personality to really shine through in the space. A collaborative approach continued in our relationship with [the main contractor] Fiona of Sail & Sons, who really got behind our playful vision and executed the highest level of craft possible.’
The 'fried egg' is an aluminium canopy over the extension, conceived from research into two key visual references; Sun in an Empty Room, 1963, by Edward Hopper, and A City Garden, 1940, by James McIntosh Patrick. The two inspirations juxtapose and offer a synergy between softness and rigidity, curves and straight lines, which was also a goal here, enriching the space through variety and contrast.
The combination of flowing, characterful shapes, streams of natural light, a tailor-made approach, and sustainable architecture credentials make this a project that truly stands out – and the homeowners agree: ‘We don’t think of our work with THISS Studio as an extension, we instead see how the house as whole – and how we use it – has been transformed. We wanted a home we could enjoy, spread out and host in, with plenty of friends around the table and kitchen. The new bones of the house are the perfect backdrop to busy family life.’
-
Takashi Murakami’s flower-adorned footwear brand Ohana Hatake has arrived in LondonThe Japanese artist’s colourful sliders appear as part of a summer pop-up at The Corner Shop, Selfridges, which opens today (4 August 2025)
-
This is rubbish: how Potato Head and Max Lamb turned trash into a design brandWasted is a new design brand by Potato Head, with a series of objects designed by Max Lamb made entirely from the hotel and beach club’s waste streams
-
Slide into blissful EV anonymity with the Vauxhall Grandland Electric GSAs Vauxhall gears up to launch a performance sub-brand, we chronicle the rather more modest achievements of its mid-priced, middle market Grandland SUV
-
The Monthly Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s favourite July housesFrom geometric Japanese cottages to restored modernist masterpieces, these are the best residential projects to have crossed the architecture desk this month
-
Visiting an experimental UK home: welcome to HousesteadThis experimental UK home, Housestead by Sanei + Hopkins, brings together architectural explorations and daily life in these architects’ own home
-
A house in Leamington Spa is a domestic oasis infused with contemporary sensibilitiesThis house in Leamington Spa, by John Pardey Architects, brings together flood risk considerations, a conservation area's historic character, and contemporary sensibilities
-
A garden explaining carbon capture in nature? Head to Kew in LondonKew unveils 'Carbon Garden', a new offering at London's Royal Botanic Gardens that's all about carbon capture within nature; and how plants and soil can be leveraged to help us battle climate change
-
An old war barracks is transformed into a charming Dorset Beach HouseNestled in its coastal setting, a redesigned barracks home in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty becomes a contemporary Dorset beach house by Architecture for London
-
Studio Bark has transformed a Victorian villa into an eco-friendly family homeA Victorian villa in the South of England has been overhauled with new low-energy systems and a self-build addition to create a home fit for the future
-
The inimitable Norman Foster: our guide to the visionary architect, shaping the futureNorman Foster has shaped today's London and global architecture like no other in his field; explore his work through our ultimate guide to this most impactful contemporary architect
-
Shard Place offers residents the chance to live in the shadow of London’s tallest buildingThe 27-storey tower from Renzo Piano Building Workshop joins The Shard and The News Building to complete Shard Quarter, providing a sophisticated setting for renters
