Belsize Lane

The design in red brick and clay tiles now appears dated and the integral garage had become a redundant extravagance. The small courtyard garden to the rear was accessed through a narrow conservatory with sliding doors and very basic single glazing to the roof. Rather than open the house to the garden this created a cold, unusable barrier offering no benefit to inside or outside.

The scheme opens up the back of the house with a minimal glazed enclosure as a seamless visual and practical link between house and garden. This new conservatory is wider and slightly deeper than the previous version to create a meaningful extension to the living space, bringing light and connection to the interior without overwhelming the garden. The garage has been converted into a kitchen of more appropriate size than the original cramped version.

A new opening connects to the dining space at a raised level, with reconfigured steps down to living and conservatory offering a seamless sequence of spaces through to the courtyard garden. These small and discreet interventions have transformed the house, updating and maximising the existing spaces to create a comfortable and spacious interior.

Photography by Dan Welldon