CASE STUDY
VICTORIAN VALUE, UNLOCKED
When Amanda and Kevin decided to renovate their Victorian home in south London to provide better space for their family, their chosen architects managed to unlock the home’s full potential and achieved a trouble-free project
TEXT ROSEANNE FIELD IMAGES LORENZO ZANDRI
modernisation. Needing more space for them and their children, they bought it with the intention of doing a full renovation. “It had been owned by the same family for about 20+ years so when we bought it it hadn’t been modernised for a while,” explains Amanda. When they purchased the house it had four
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bedrooms, which Amanda says wasn’t really sufficient. “With three children and family staying with us quite often, we definitely needed extra bedrooms,” she says. They’ve since transformed the house into a six bedroom family home, achieved by rejigging the internal layout along with a side return extension, loft conversion and full basement excavation. “It was quite a major renovation!” Amanda says.
One of the most important things to sort for the couple – and key to the success of the project for them – was finding the right team to work with. Amanda had for some time had a particular practice in mind – Matthew Giles Architects. “10 years ago they appeared in an article in The Sunday Times listing the ‘top 50 architects in the country’,” she explains. “We intended to one day buy a house which needed work, so I kept the article.”
Amanda and Kevin had a clear vision of the aesthetic they wanted to achieve, and finding an architect who would understand that was essential. “I did my research, I wanted an architect that had the same kind of aesthetic and philosophy that we did,” Amanda says, continuing: “We wanted a modern, clean, minimalist home with a very natural palette, and they fit into that.” This was confirmed by looking into previous projects Matthew Giles had completed, and the fact they were based not far away was an added bonus. Amanda
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www.sbhonline.co.uk
hen a London couple bought their Victorian era home in Wandsworth, it was in desperate need of
adds:“It all played out really nicely.” DESIGN & PLANNING
Sharing a general design aesthetic with the architects, the couple found getting the design drawn up and finalised to be a stress-free – and even enjoyable! – process. “We didn’t really have to say that much,” Amanda says. “I think that’s why finding an architect who aligns with your design philosophy is so important. We gave them quite a free hand to come up with the design because we trusted in what they would produce.” Sure enough, the design presented to them by Matt and Tom was exactly what they were after, utilising natural light and natural materials such as wood and stone. They had a few key requirements; an open plan living space at ground floor level, a polished concrete floor, and a freestanding bath and walk-in shower in the family bathroom. “Victorian homes can be quite narrow and tight but credit to them, they managed to fit in all our space requirements!” Amanda says. The couple had holidayed in France a lot and the designs they saw during trips there inspired their home’s design. “There’s a lot of emphasis on natural craftsmanship and living in a space that complements the natural environment, and we really liked that,” explains Amanda. As well as the polished concrete floor, their home has exposed beams, timber cabinetry, brickwork, parquet flooring, Corten steel, and white Carrara marble. However, the couple also wanted to ensure this would blend harmoniously with the Victorian period features of the home. “The architects did a beautiful job of that,” says Amanda. “Very modern elements that fit seamlessly with the period features – we’ve kept the original mouldings and ceiling roses in the front room.” With a design finalised the next step was to
HIGH POINT
“Seeing the design that you’ve seen on paper take shape in the flesh. And the house design process itself was very fun.” – Amanda
jan/feb 2022
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