The residence is located in a Victorian era street and square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, famous for its shared communal gardens.

We designed a new basement apartment, focusing on making use of the quirkiness and the limitations of the layout. Two bedrooms open onto the spacious rear garden, tucked away from the busy street in front of the property, now overlooked by the living room and the kitchen.

The primary bedroom and the bathroom share an open plan as per the client’s brief, while the new secondary bathroom makes use of a beautiful existing niche, now tiled with speckled penny tiles.

Due to sunken nature of the space, particular care was given to draw in as much light as possible. Preserving expansive historic windows and their naturally weathered timber imparts a distinctive character to the space.

The inherent patina of these and other weathered elements adds a nuanced texture, contributing to the overall aesthetic richness of the space. This fosters a connection to the historic context, blending heritage with modern design.