EXTERIOR utdoo seating aound a fi e


EXTERIOR View of the house from the garden


INTERIOR The lower ground features a bar


hen Lily and Rob Wood began a hunt for a home in need of renovation to make their own, they ended up with a plot of land just a few minutes away from their existing home with an uninhabitable cottage that gave them the chance to design a bespoke family home in Barnes. “With a growing family, we wanted to upsize without moving out of the area,” says Lily, who is an interior designer. “But the options within Barnes at the time were limited and prohibitively expensive. The sweet but uninhabitable cottage that once stood here was attractive for its detached plot, proximity to the school our children were attending and the potential it presented for us to design our own home.” But this perfect plot came with many challenges. After seeing the property in 2019, it was another two years before building work began on the site and a further year before they could move in with their three children: sons Joshua and Leo and daughter Marlowe. “We had a challenging experience with the council, having to deal with frequently changing case ofi ces ith vaying deands hich meant that the application approval was rather painstaking and certainly lengthy. Once the demolition had been executed, we ran into further delays with party wall agreements, before we would eventually begin the excavation and build in March 2021.”


W


The frustrating delays in the planning process meant the building reached a critical point at the height of the Covid pandemic. “To be honest, the whole planning process was a very frustrating period whereby avoidable delays, frequent goalpost moving and unreasonable requests cost us, our contractors, architects


36


and neighbours unnecessary money, time and nuisance. Agreeing contracts, sourcing products and suppliers and managing the programme in the height of the pandemic was also less than ideal.” The family had previously only undertaken cosmetic changes, such as bathrooms and kitchens in their former homes. But throughout all the delays, work was going on in designing the house, which was conceived by Phil Coffey of Coffey Architects with his cues coming from the original 1930s facade and the unique aspect of the house facing down a garden belt at the rear. “The concept was to remain unassuming and respectful to the architectural precedence of the surrounding houses,” adds Lily, “while delivering an unexpected modern architectural punch upon entry.” Architect Coffey describes it as an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ feel to entering the house. Coffey Architects’ brief relied on three key aspects: a distinctive geometry, a palette of earthy materials, and a high level of craftsmanship to complement the clients’ efi ned taste The resulting four storey house incorporates a aste suite on the to  oo thee uthe edoos and to athoos on the fi st  oo and the main living space/kitchen/dining room on the gound  oo ith a study oot oo toilet and utles anty he loe gound  oo eatues a  eile ovieguestgy oo lus living room, bar, utility, plant room, and toilet. The back of the house looks out onto multi- levelled landscaped gardens. “I’m inspired by a lot of Australian architecture and interior design. While we have neither the lateral plots or weather here in London, we


HIGH POINT


“The site was a few minutes from where we were living at the time of the build, and round the corner from the children’s school, which meant that I could pop in frequently (much to the builders’ delight). Consequently, I could monitor progress and really appreciate both the milestone moments and the daily attention to detail. The day I came in to see the staircase in all its glory was one to remember!”


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