The Courtyard
Draw were appointed on to a project in Dulwich. The property required a huge upgrade, extending at ground and second floor as well as a complete redesign aiming to breathe new life into the whole house and create a comfortable and welcoming space for a growing family.
The clients aim was to create a well-designed functioning home that was unique and to maximise space in the property wherever possible, through a Side Return & Loft Extension.
Some of the original features in the property had been pulled out through the years, so whilst modernising the house, dRAW reinstated many of the traditional features to restore the character of the property.
dRAW have completed many projects around London over the years, a few properties have similar styles but they aim with every new client to bring a discerning edge to the property and make it different to the last.
Many design decisions were discussed, all decisions were carefully considered from the schematic stage to when on site.
The ground floor of the property was completely gutted, a key design decision was to move the staircase from the right hand side of the existing hallway to left which then allowed for the front two reception rooms to become one large open space, Moving the Staircase then allowed for a visual connection right from the front door straight through to the garden. The entrance to the cellar was moved as well beneath the staircase with a sleek glass balustrade enhancing the new classic staircase leading up to the first floor.
Without knocking through the whole ground floor careful considerations have to be made to ensure all areas of the living areas were filled with plenty of natural light. The installation of a courtyard between the dining area and the new side return created two avenues of light through the property. In many terraced houses in London the middle dining room can become void of light and become a difficult space to occupy.
A decision was then made to keep the living area in the existing part of the house surrounded by the traditional features. However, an element of modernity was introduced with the crisp white walls and modern furniture. All those design gestures highlight the beauty of the space.
Whilst retaining as much of the existing property as possible throughout the main house, the new, large and quite industrial kitchen space becomes the contemporary area of the property. Striking Exposed beams and a stunning exposed brick wall really are the centrepieces of the space. A modern walnut veneer kitchen sits on one side of the kitchen with beautiful copper lights over the island. The large kitchen area is a perfect space for entertaining.
The Glazing in the courtyard and the large sliding doors in the kitchen allow for the interior to be part of the exterior and visa versa.
A traditional parquet floor taken up from a Chateau in France was installed throughout the house creating a beautiful design feature set off the by crisp white walls and minimalist modern furniture. The striking floor is definitely the defining edge to the space, perfectly complimenting and enhancing the other design features in the property, and enabling the different spaces in the property to co-exist.
The structure of the first floor rooms remained the same, the original features were restored and redecorated with crisp light colours.
Three large skylights in the roof are placed above the staircase of the loft, making the loft space feel much larger and allowing light to flood all the way down to the ground floor extenuating the parquet floor and dark hardwood balustrade.
dRAW Architecture
340 Old York Road, Wandsworth, SW18 1SS