Notting Hill I

Notting Hill, London Private Client 950 m² | 10,225 ft² 2015

Complete refurbishment of double fronted Victorian Villa including rear extension and basement.

The client brief was to create a modern and elegant family home, with a basement pool that could convert quickly into a large party space by means of a moving floor. The primary design challenge lay in the awkward positioning of the original staircase that split the house on all five floors; a new cantilevered stone staircase was therefore designed which allowed rooms to extend across the whole width of the building overlooking the garden.

Timber joisted floors were replaced with concrete slabs to minimise sound transmission, and the thermal performance of the house was significantly improved by adding insulation to all external walls as well as the use of double-glazed panes within traditional timber sashes.

Whilst the upper floors featured classical detailing, the garden level was designed in a contemporary aesthetic, with large sliding glass doors opening directly onto a landscaped garden. The basement – including both staff and guest accommodation – was similarly contemporary, although it was far from minimal with extensive use made of stone, timber and decorative tiles to create a warm atmosphere.

A key feature of the basement is the pool with its softly undulating timber ceiling, whose open structure allows both lighting and ventilation to be concealed whilst reducing echoes to a minimum. A living wall was added to one side of the hall, with daylight artificially supplemented to maintain the plants. Seating and bar areas were included, and the whole space can quickly be converted into a party room by raising the pool floor.

Photography by Nick Guttridge.

Whilst the upper floors featured classical detailing, the garden level was designed in a contemporary aesthetic, with large sliding glass doors opening directly onto a landscaped garden