Artist's House

A Victorian terraced house in Brixton has been reconfigured to meet the needs of an artist and her growing family - transforming their home of 12 years into a light-filled, energy-efficient abode.

Designed for a narrow urban lot, the original house embodied many of the spatial challenges typical of London’s housing stock from this period.

Living room and kitchen areas had been subdivided into small, dark rooms, which lacked gathering space for family and friends. A bright and spacious living room now flows through to the kitchen, offering dual aspect views to the outside.

The house was cold and damp in winter, so external brick walls have been lined with innovative calcium silicate natural insulation. Underfloor heating beneath the new polished concrete kitchen floor also helps keep the house warm and dry.

Upstairs, a study nook has been introduced - enabling home working for the first time. A yellow shower room borrows light from the main family bathroom through a large opaque glass wall. Separate entrances to each allow simultaneous use during the morning rush to get ready for work and school.

The new loft bedroom is reached by a slim, folded mild steel stair which is naturally lit from above - opening up the previously cramped and dark stairwell. Bespoke oak storage and a built-in bed make creative use of a change in floor level to the bedroom, whilst large full-width dormer windows maximise views out to sky, back gardens and Lambeth town hall clock tower.

The result is a healthier, better quality space for family togetherness, home-working and display of the client’s artwork – expressed through a simple palette of self-finished materials, which playfully delineate the relationship between old and new.