Attributed to Scottish landscape architect John Claudius Louden, the property is one of several allegedly built to house Wellington’s victorious, returning officers. The façade has an ionic colonnade and portico complete with a triumphant stucco eagle. Given the listed status of the house, interventions were carefully controlled by the local planning and conservation councils. Complying with planning regulations, we were able to upgrade the property with some significant spatial reordering of the interior architecture.
Our London studio revived the house’s classical character, restoring mouldings and architraves and celebrating the original Georgian proportions on the ground and upper floors. On the lower ground, a narrow garage became a boot room that leads to the pantry and kitchen, freeing up the formal raised ground floor entrance from everyday clutter. We dropped the floor level of the existing, unsympathetic rear extension to allow for a more lateral arrangement of the kitchen, dining and family room across a single level.
We wanted to make a feature of the ceiling in this space and depart from a flat, uniform surface, hence the introduction of ceiling battens. French doors, painted black, frame the patio outside and a tiered garden leads up to the gym, clad in black timber. Colours intensify throughout the house, with a deep blue butler’s pantry, red armchairs in a petrol blue library, a raspberry red cloakroom with a green velvet sofa, mirroring the tones in the 18th-century artwork behind.
The living area facing the garden is clad in contemporary, wide oak panels to add texture and warmth. The reception room one floor up is a blend of contemporary, vintage and antique pieces with Picasso prints and an antique sofa, reupholstered in Nicholas Haslam fabric.
Need Our Help
We would be delighted to discuss your design needs for your renovation project. Please feel free to reach out to our design team to explore how we can bring your vision to life.
Contact
