Studio Wolsey Architects
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House Refurbishment // Hampstead

House Refurbishment

Hampstead

Flown the nest

This large terraced house in Hampstead, had been serving Robin and Victoria as a family home for over thirty years. In the last couple of years, the children have flown the nest, and Robin and Victoria had decided it was time to redesign the house for the next stage of their lives - enjoying retirement. In collaboration with Barbara Weiss Architects, we designed a scheme to update the whole property and add a new mansard roof extension.

At the heart of it

For Robin and Victoria, the kitchen is the heart of the home. Located on the lower ground floor, the whole plan was reconfigured to suit their lifestyle.

The new kitchen has a large sociable island and space for a sofa to allow comfy seating for a morning coffee.

Robin and Victoria love to entertain, so it was important to keep a large dining area. This was relocated towards the rear, so the doors can be opened up and bring the garden in.

The clients are also keen art collectors, and incorporating lots of open display areas into the design was crucial, and considered throughout the design process. These open shelves are walnut, with recessed LED strips to show off the ceramic collection in the evenings.

Another vital update for the lower ground floor, was to create a ‘destination loo’ - because why should guests experience anything less! We visited a selection of different stone yards until we found this beautiful Bianco Eclipse Quartzite, which creates a real statement behind the mirror and WC. The room was finished off with this amazing pink paint from Paint and Paper Library.

A final, but very important change to the lower levels was the redesign of the stairs down to the lower ground floor. The existing stairs were fairly steep, and Robin and Victoria were keen to introduce shallower stairs, which are easier to navigate as they age. The new staircase has a contemporary design which complements the older existing stairs, while clearly a modern addition. They have more generous treads and a less steep incline.

The renovation continued upstairs, where we created a generous principal suite. A bedroom, dressing room and spacious ensuite - a real luxury when you can afford the space. Again, we sourced a beautiful stone, this time a Carrara marble, to line the shower and elevate key areas like the bespoke vanity unit.

A big wish list item, was a laundry room at first floor - close to all the bedrooms and the dirty laundry. We repurposed an existing bathroom to house the laundry, complete with; washing machine, dryer, elevated drying rack and lots of extra storage space.

Next chapter

With the renovation complete, the house is now ready to see Robin and Victoria into their retirement.

The lower floors have been reconfigured, with everything in its place, to make use easy and the spaces welcoming and ready for entertaining. With the upper floors fully renovated too, everything should be low maintenance going forward, and waiting for Robin and Victoria to enjoy, as they start the next chapter of their lives.

Thanks

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