Stepping in to aid the reimagining of a family home in North London, architecture practice Russian for Fish is the expert behind this modern urban redesign that brings together old and new through a geometric, zinc clad extension.
The first thing the firm had to do was support their client through the planning process that had proven tricky in the past due to a badly built post-war addition to their Victorian terraced house, which complicated the process. Swiftly overcoming this hurdle allowed the architects to transform the two bedroom house into a contemporary four bedroom home through the addition of two discreet volumes – one on the ground floor, towards the garden at the rear, and one on the top level, expanding the interior into the loft space.
The family's main living space was dramatically increased with a new ground level kitchen and dining area. Its irregularly angled roof was custom designed to catch the best daylight for the interiors. Meanwhile, extending the second floor into a previous dormer space created ample room for a loft en-suite.
Zinc cladding wraps around the new parts, elegantly signifying the additions, with dark coloured frames highlighting their floor-to-ceiling openings. Inside, a colour palette dominated by greys, blues and neutral colours enriches a sophisticated composition of surfaces that includes materials such as concrete (in the kitchen worktops, for example) and oak parquet floors (including the one in the living room).
The East London-based architecture and design studio is an experienced hand when it comes to contemporary residential work on any scale. Set up by Pereen d'Avoine in 2006 and now co-directed by d'Avoine and Nilesh Shah, the firm also has workspaces, installations and exhibition design under its belt with several ongoing projects, including a striking pair of live/work units in South London.
INFORMATION
-
Gorden Wagener leaves the helm of Mercedes-Benz design after 28 years with the companyThe German designer is stepping down from the role of chief design officer at Mercedes-Benz. We look back at his influence and impact on the world of automotive and luxury design
-
These Christmas cards sent by 20th-century architects tell their own storiesHandcrafted holiday greetings reveal the personal side of architecture and design legends such as Charles and Ray Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
-
Lucila Safdie’s ‘feminine and surreal’ womenswear is inspired by teenage bedrooms and internet loreThe latest in our Uprising series, the Central Saint Martins graduate is honing a pastel-shaded vision rooted in depictions of girlhood in film and literature
-
Arbour House is a north London home that lies low but punches highArbour House by Andrei Saltykov is a low-lying Crouch End home with a striking roof structure that sets it apart
-
A former agricultural building is transformed into a minimal rural home by Bindloss DawesZero-carbon design meets adaptive re-use in the Tractor Shed, a stripped-back house in a country village by Somerset architects Bindloss Dawes
-
RIBA House of the Year 2025 is a ‘rare mixture of sensitivity and boldness’Topping the list of seven shortlisted homes, Izat Arundell’s Hebridean self-build – named Caochan na Creige – is announced as the RIBA House of the Year 2025
-
In South Wales, a remote coastal farmhouse flaunts its modern revamp, primed for hostingA farmhouse perched on the Gower Peninsula, Delfyd Farm reveals its ground-floor refresh by architecture studio Rural Office, which created a cosy home with breathtaking views
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom wineries-turned-music studios to fire-resistant holiday homes, these are the properties that have most impressed the Wallpaper* editors this month
-
In this Cotswolds home, drama meets minimalismCotswolds home Hiaven house, with interiors designed by McLaren Excell, is a perfect blend of contemporary chic and calm, countryside drama
-
Find solace in the forest at this expansive treehouse retreat in DorsetFor sale for the first time, a treehouse, Mallinson’s Woodland Retreat, is a tribute to the skill of designer and master craftsman Guy Mallinson
-
100 George Street is the new kid on the block in fashionable MaryleboneLondon's newest luxury apartment building brings together a sensitive exterior and thoughtful, 21st-century interiors
