The garden came first. Everything else followed. When tasked with refurbishing and extending this Victorian terraced house in southwest London, we looked to traditional Japanese tea houses for inspiration. Overlooking the landscaped garden and silver birch, the rear extension nods to the Shoji screen: floor-to-ceiling glass, criss-crossed with a delicate lattice of steel framed glazing bars. The façade is stepped in plan, with an elegant seating area ensconced within the contemporary bay window, providing a quiet reading space facing the view.
The window seat’s larch boards were carefully burnt using an 18th century Japanese technique – Yakisugi, or shō sugi ban – which preserves timber by giving it a rich jet-black appearance, resulting in a distinctive charred texture that resembles crocodile skin.
The clean, simple lines continue indoors with polished concrete floors and exposed Douglas fir joists, highlighting the bespoke kitchen cabinetry, illuminated by a large frameless rooflight. Further in, a snug library space is lined with fumed oak joinery, from which a sliding pocket door conceals a sumptuous speakeasy-style bar. Nestled inside the hidden nook, the bar is clad in rich green leather and opulent white marble streaked with a prominent green vein; a frameless glass roof lantern floods the space with natural light.
The project was designed in collaboration with interior design practice Smith & Butler Design. The garden was designed by Garden Club London.
ClientWe used Will for our own home and both his design and project management were excellent. We have recommended him to friends and are now working with him again on the next stage of our project.
Publications
Dezeen, Grand Designs Magazine, Ignant, Archello, Leibel, Plain Magazine