Our client's townhouse sits on the site of an old shoe factory that was knocked down by the Cadogan Estates and rebuilt as a house in the 1970's.
By the time our client bought it, it was feeling its age and was in desperate need of a rethink to make it into the comfortable London base they were after.
Working with the client's Interior Designer Nikki Atkinson, we completely rethought the the interior space. We started by replacing the utilitarian narrow staircase with something that was better designed, slightly wider and far more attractive - with sweeping wide curves rather than tight corners and narrow treads.
We also designed a lantern skylight in the roof over it which allowed daylight to find its way down all three floors making for a surprisingly airy space.
On the ground floor as there was an existing parking area, we used some of the integral narrow garage to turn it into a utility room and downstairs bathroom, with the rest to enlarge the kitchen and sitting room. These can be closed off from the hall with a clever hidden and space-saving fireproof sliding door.
The sitting room now leads out into the garden with a glass wall that opens as a door but then can be folded right back to the full width of the room, making the terrace and garden part of the house.
With careful planning, we incorporated the fireplace and TV into the existing chimney stack with bookcases either side. These included discrete LED shelf lighting with the lights pointing into the shelves rather than the usual sides, preventing the typical glare.
The first floor became a guest bedroom at the front with a wall of cupboards and a good size bathroom with shower/bath. The back became a wonderfully light and comfortable sitting room. This has a new balcony accesessed by a set of cleverly designed fully opening and folding doors with views over the garden.
The third floor is then the master suite with a spacious bedroom and again with a another twin set of folding doors onto a new terrace overlooking the Chelsea skyline and the garden below. An extensive series of cupboards can be closed off with another space-saving pull-out sliding door, leading to the the front of the house and the bathroom suite. The suite includes his and her's basins, generous shower room with built in shelving and separate bathroom. Surprisingly we even found space on the landing to create a plant room and airing cupboard.
We were able to secure planning permission for a full basement, but in the end our client decided that with the new layout, the extra and better designed space was not really necessary. They could now kick off their shoes and relax in a very comfortable home in the heart of London.
