A Historic London Home's Renovation Prioritizes Space And Sunshine
Historic homes have their charms, but bright, open spaces generally aren't one of them. So when a young family with a toddler found a 19th-century home in West London, they knew they needed to update the layout and bring in more natural light. They called on architect Neil Dusheiko to help bring their vision of a spacious, family-friendly home to life. "The goal was to update a house that hadn't been modernized for quite a long time and improve the energy efficiency," Dusheiko said. The first floor's rear wall was moved back and rebuilt as a curved façade using existing bricks, and cramped rooms were combined into an open plan. Upstairs, the removal of a storage loft provided more square footage for a master bedroom that's complete with a skylight. And to make the family's stomping ground even larger, the basement was expanded to include a playroom, guest room, office, and screening room. The end result is perfect for everything from dinner parties to playdates — just what the family wanted.
1. Living Area
The ground floor gained an open floor plan, including a kitchen and dining space that flows seamlessly into the terrace. Eames chairs surround the dining table, which is ready to seat a crowd. The home uses a combination of white oak floors by Parkwood Interiors and concrete flooring by Lazenby.
2. Kitchen
Tim Crocker
A trio of copper pendant lights by Heal's illuminate the island in the kitchen, which is lined with cabinetry by Schmidt Kitchens.
3. Sitting Area
Tim Crocker
The living area's fireplace is flanked by custom cabinetry, which displays a collection of family photos. Pillows by Flock add a burst of color to the otherwise sparse palette.
4. Outdoor Space
Tim Crocker
"They wanted the living space to be easily connected to the garden space, so we added sliding glass doors," Dusheiko said.
5. Glass Floor
Tim Crocker
The living area's glass floor lets natural light into the basement. The playroom has custom cabinetry and a built-in desk.
6. Media Room
Agnese Sanvito
"The client works for Universal Pictures, so we had to create a cinema in the house," Dusheiko said. "He probably watches over a thousand films a year." Concealed fabric screens separate the media room from the playroom and block out light during screenings.
7. Bedroom
Tim Crocker
The loft storage space was removed to give the master bedroom a soaring ceiling complete with a skylight. A George Nelson pendant light is suspended above the space.
8. Bathroom
Tim Crocker
"They wanted a calm atmosphere," Dusheiko said. The bathrooms are lined in Riverstone porcelain tiles by Pentagon Tiles.
9. Bathroom
Tim Crocker
A large skylight above the guest bath's tub creates a relaxing spot to soak. The bathroom fittings are from Just Add Water.