Shore Road

Living in a townhouse in what was previously an office unit in Hackney, East London, the owner of the property on Shore Road was lumbered with an internal room devoid of practical purpose and natural light. The space had become a dumping ground, furnished with a jumble of old wardrobes and cupboards. Having worked with the owner on the refurbishment of a previous flat, Russian For Fish were asked to develop a solution that restored function to the space. Through a collaborative design process with furniture maker Jack Alexander, the result is a dramatic, naturally lit staircase that opens out into an integrated mezzanine workspace and incorporates bespoke wardrobes and deep storage units. Initial explorations of the existing ceilings and walls revealed that much of the space had been boxed in during the conversion of the building from commercial to residential use – with no clear rationale for the decision. This allowed for the room to be extended, without requiring any alterations to the structural fabric of the building. The newfound space permitted the design of a new stair that wrapped the perimeter of the room and the extra height reclaimed enabled the inclusion of a mezzanine workspace. For the owner, previously obliged to work from the kitchen table, this offered a valuable, wellbeing-enriching benefit – a defined home-office area set apart from their living space. The stairs and joinery were all constructed from maple-faced plywood by Jack Alexander, who shares a workshop with Russian For Fish in the co-working workshop adjacent to the Russian For Fish Studio, using collectively owned CNC machinery and tools, FSAC- and PEFC certified plywood, and European hardwood cores. Careful layout planning minimised waste when cutting.