The Urban Refuge
This home evolves throughout the day as shifting light highlights different spaces, offering moments of variety and calm. The full refurbishment and multiple extensions to a significant Victorian end of terrace house in London started from a client’s brief to create an urban refuge, full of light, plants, views out but also privacy and control. By carefully manipulating natural light through varied openings, we created a living environment that feels expansive yet intimate, grounded yet ever-changing—a home that subtly responds to the passage of time.
The approach extended out, where we considered the home’s relationship with its surroundings, including the neighbouring listed church and adjacent Victorian villa. The façade design balances historical sensitivity with modern intervention through a blend of traditional and contemporary materials. Brick bonds were carefully mixed to create intricate, textural detailing, while the addition of a distinctive circular window on the side elevation offers a playful nod to contextual heritage, simultaneously framing views and inviting light deeper into the home.
The interior design was a true collaboration between architect and client, combining minimalist architectural forms with bold, personalised features. Crisp, clean white surfaces create a serene backdrop, while other elements inject warmth, playfulness, and individuality. The result is a design that balances simplicity with character—”Japandi meets Jungle.”
Natural textures, warm timber finishes, and curated greenery soften the structured architectural forms, ensuring that even the most dramatic spaces maintain a sense of comfort and approachability. Every detail, from bespoke joinery to carefully selected fixtures, was considered to reflect the family’s personality while enhancing the home’s overall sense of retreat.
The final design is a carefully orchestrated balance between heritage and modernity, calm and vibrancy—a space that is both functional and inspiring, offering a unique architectural refuge tailored precisely to the lives of its inhabitants.
Photo Credits: Chris Snook
We are proud to feature and promote in our architecture magazine this calm, light-filled urban refuge in London
