Homes We Love: Every day we include an exceptional space submitted by our community of architects, designers, home builders, and homeowners. Have one to share? Post it here.Project Information: Area: London, UK
From the Designer:”Integrated in the 1930s
, your home had remained mainly untouched for nearly a century. The previous owner had been born in the property and lived there his whole life, keeping it largely as it was. When Amalia Skoufoglou and Jody O’Sullivan first purchased it in 2023 it had no central heating and with just fundamental centers for cooking and bathing. However, the house still retained initial doors, fireplaces, cornices, image rails, joinery, and subtle traces of daily life collected over years. The architects welcomed this history, fixing and reusing elements wherever possible instead of changing them. “O’Sullivan Skoufoglou’s design kept the original layout and proportions of the lower floorings. The primary rooms stay mostly intact, with new openings added in between the cooking area and dining room. These openings improve light and motion, while allowing discussion to stream between each space. New joinery in the kitchen and bathrooms is developed as freestanding furniture rather than fixed units, subtly referencing Arts and Crafts principles of movable pieces. Storage and devices are proportioned to echo existing doors and joinery, enhancing a sense of connection.” The most significant intervention takes place at the top of your house, where a previously dormant and
inaccessible attic has actually been transformed into a combined main bed room and workplace for the architects. A large new window presents views to the garden and natural light, allowing drawing, model making, and extended durations of studio work. A new lumber stair connects the very first floor to the attic, producing a clear link in between the old and new. The designers used a dual-layer system to reveal the roofing system structure while achieving contemporary thermal efficiency. The existing rafters were extended and coupled with wood-wool insulation, keeping the initial building legible. Plywood wall linings and floors create a tactile, low-maintenance environment suited similarly to work and rest.”Product reuse is integral to the job. Bricks from a removed chimney breast have actually been repurposed as garden paving, original floorboards reimagined as fencing
, and terra-cotta roofing system tiles laid on edge to form the front patio area. These design options extend the life of existing products while building a sense of connection in between exterior and interior areas. The rear garden has actually been retained and thoroughly remodelled into an efficient and resistant landscape. Fully grown trees were complemented with brand-new planting concentrates on environmentally valuable species. Raised beds support growing seasonal vegetables and fruit, while recovered York stone paths assist connect the garden together.”