This Victorian Grade II listed house in a conservation area in Little Venice, north London, had been neglected for many years and remodelled in the 1980s to include a jarring Postmodern white rendered extension. Our client asked us to exorcise all Po-Mo elements, and to completely renovate the entire house, exposing and restoring original features where they had suffered or been hidden over the years.
Our strategy was to get back to the raw architectural framework of the building, to reinstate the original proportions and restore the integrity of the house. Then, once the house felt ready, we grafted on the contemporary requirements. Preserving Victorian proportions and period details while introducing modern, functional spaces allows the home to meet the needs of contemporary living without losing its historic character. Powell Tuck Associates carefully balanced heritage and contemporary design by creating alterations that clearly distinguish the original architecture from the new additions.The works were closely controlled and scrutinised by the Little Venice Garden Committee, whose stringent restrictions had to be adhered to, and so obtaining permissions was challenging.
We restored the key rooms, mindful of their proportions, and were lucky to find the original Portland stone under layers of finishes in the hall and main stair. The side extension was reconstructed to be clearly distinct from the main house and a new kitchen was built on the upper part of this extension, with vast glass sliding doors to a balcony and commanding view over the garden. The choice of materials and palate created a balanced and natural progression from one area to another, and the garden was given a contemporary look and feel by landscape designer Christopher Bradley-Hole, creating a more natural connection to the redesigned house.
