Canonbury House, Canonbury, London
We have recently completed a full restoration and conversion project for a mid-terrace townhouse located within a prestigious Conservation Area. The existing property was originally divided into two separate flats, with the main aim of the proposals to reinstate the building to its original purpose as a single-family dwelling, while enhancing its functionality and ensuring it meets the needs of modern living.
The design approach is rooted in a respect for the building's historic character, with a focus on preserving and refurbishing original architectural features. At the same time, we introduced contemporary interventions that enhanced the spatial quality of the interior, providing dynamic living spaces for a young family.
To establish a strong visual and spatial connection between the upper and lower ground floor levels, we have reconfigured the layout by pulling back the rear reception floor plate. This creates a double-height living space that serves as the heart of the home. The resulting open-plan area improves the flow of natural light and fosters a sense of openness, making the home feel more spacious and connected. To give the ground floor reception rooms privacy, the double-height space can be closed off with sliding timber framed screens, enabling natural light to continue flowing through the spaces.
The existing staircase was in a poor state of repair and had been poorly altered from when the building had been split up into flats. The new staircase is clad in ash to match the floor finishes to the living spaces with a continuous handrail that rises up through the building. The staircase is open to the living levels of the house and becomes enclosed from the first floor upwards.
We introduced an infill extension on the lower ground floor, where the new kitchen has large openings that create a seamless connection with the garden. The original closet wing was refurbished, and new windows were added, including a corner high-level window that provides views of the sky from the kitchen and staircase landing. Our in-house design and joinery company, Fabricate, designed and made the kitchen, which sits in a double-height space.
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