CASE STUDY


FROM DRAUGHTY TO DREAMY


When eborah Shafi er and her husband lex set out to transform their Edwardian home in London, they wanted more than just extra space; they envisioned a cosy, sustainable sanctuary.


TEXT ALEXANDRA PRATT IMAGES JULIET MURPHY/IGUANA ARCHITECTS “W


e spent most of lockdown desperate to make changes,” says Deborah. An interior designer by


profession, Deborah had bought the Edwardian semi-detached home in London with her husband Alex four years earlier, soon after their daughter was born. The house had character, but its layout didn’t suit their lifestyle as a modern family of four, with two children aged seven and 10. “We like to entertain, have friends over, and the kitchen especially left you isolated from your guests,” explains Deborah. The family now enjoys life in this comfortable, eco-friendly home that blends modern design with earthy elements. It is a sanctuary full of warmth and texture. With clever use of natural materials, abundant light and thoughtful layout, the home radiates a sense of calm and functionality, perfectly catering to the demands of modern family life. Yet reaching this point involved a major renovation and extension project. Deborah knew from the moment they bought their home that she wanted to open it up, creating more light fi lled, practical spaces, but with an eye on both the budget and the environment. Their journey began with a serendipitous meeting at the school gate. Yaniv Peer of Iguana Architects was a fellow parent, and he understood exactly what Deborah and Alex wanted from their renovation. “My main aim was a clutter free sanctuary. Life can be so chaotic. I wanted to balance aesthetics with a sense of calm and super practical storage. We needed a nice space to relax in,” explains eborah. n terms of internal fi nishes, we love modern design but didn’t want it to feel cold and clinical. Instead, we opted for warm neutrals, wood fl oors, textured clay plaster walls and an earthy, natural, understated design, which is timeless.” Fortunately, the house’s attic had already been converted by previous owners into a guest


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“We wanted to create balance”


room, offi ce, and shower room. n the fi rst fl oor, “we were bedroom rich and bathroom poor,” laughs Deborah, who developed plans with Yaniv to extend this upper storey outward by just two metres. This meant they could change the existing family bathroom into an ensuite, create a new family bathroom and enlarge her daughter’s bedroom. n the ground fl oor, the extension was more


signifi cant, replacing an old conservatory – which was either boiling hot or freeing cold – with an elegant new kitchen and dining room that is connected to the garden via bifold doors. Their fi rst – and possibly biggest – challenge was getting planning permission for a deep, double rear extension. A now-scrapped local rule made the process unusually complicated. Under the old regulation, Deborah and Alex had to begin the work using prior approval rules. This meant building a new rear extension just 500mm away from an existing half width extension. nly after that could they apply for full planning permission to join the two into one space. The couple’s renovation went beyond just the extension – it involved the entire house, including the original structure, now over 100 years old. They approached both repairs and upgrades with a strong focus on sustainability. ne of the most noticeable changes was the addition of new cladding to the front facade. “We had a big problem… the brickwork was just completely destroyed, and so we ended up putting the Cork Sol over the top, which gives some thermal insulation,” explains Deborah. Cork is a naturally produced material that contributes to carbon sequestration and provides natural insulation, reducing energy use.


LOW POINT


The months of fi nancial recovery. Hopefully, the joy and value of the house will balance this out.


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