Houzz Tours
House Tours
Houzz Tour: Tactile Surfaces Add Warmth to a Modern Renovation
The interesting use of materials and colour have brought depth to a period property’s extension and redesign
When the owners of this Victorian home in south London asked architect Francesco Pierazzi, whose work they’d seen on Houzz, to help them gain extra space without spending a fortune, he immediately got to work researching the area for opportunities.
He looked through maps and photography and found there had previously been a lean-to construction attached to the building, which meant it would be possible to add a full-width extension under Permitted Development.
His clients were so happy with his plans, they asked him to help them with the rest of their house renovation.
He looked through maps and photography and found there had previously been a lean-to construction attached to the building, which meant it would be possible to add a full-width extension under Permitted Development.
His clients were so happy with his plans, they asked him to help them with the rest of their house renovation.
Behind the staircase is a vast open-plan kitchen-diner, which is also connected to the living room at the front of the property.
The kitchen area is dominated by a large island, with storage on both sides and a chamfered quartz worktop in a matching dark tone. A marble splashback sits above clean white base units, while a chunky white shelf disguises the extractor fan. At the back of the space, tall bespoke cabinets in a darker tone act as a backdrop to the rest of the kitchen.
Deep red steel beams form a cross and match those on the extension’s exterior elevation, which you can see in a later photo.
Fly kitchen, Modulnova. Around coffee table, Muuto. Plywood chairs, Vitra. Sofa in foreground, Heal’s. Togo sofa in living room, Ligne Roset.
The kitchen area is dominated by a large island, with storage on both sides and a chamfered quartz worktop in a matching dark tone. A marble splashback sits above clean white base units, while a chunky white shelf disguises the extractor fan. At the back of the space, tall bespoke cabinets in a darker tone act as a backdrop to the rest of the kitchen.
Deep red steel beams form a cross and match those on the extension’s exterior elevation, which you can see in a later photo.
Fly kitchen, Modulnova. Around coffee table, Muuto. Plywood chairs, Vitra. Sofa in foreground, Heal’s. Togo sofa in living room, Ligne Roset.
The back of the extension is fitted with large glazed sliding doors. Francesco created a pocket cavity in the bulkhead where roller blinds can be concealed during the day, then pulled down for privacy in the evening.
Find architects in your area on Houzz.
Find architects in your area on Houzz.
The glass wraps around the side of the extension to provide a diagonal view of the trees in the garden. There are also two rooflights in the space to bring light into the centre of the room – one that can be seen in this image and another that’s perpendicular to this above the informal seating area.
In order for the extension to comply with Permitted Development regulations, the area next to the boundary needed to be lower than the rest of the space. The steel cross marks the difference between these two areas.
The couple were keen to bring a textured feature wall into the space, so Francesco looked at ways to do this architecturally without the use of wallpaper. The solution was to use tadelakt, a polished plaster that Francesco had come across years before in a Moroccan hotel. “It’s beautiful, natural and velvety to the touch,” he says.
The soft texture contrasts with the concrete floorboards and adds a warm feel to the space. Three simple pendants above the dining table add a cosy glow to the wall without obstructing the view from the living room.
Concrete floorboards, Concreate. Manero dining table, Miniforms. Dining chairs, Hayche.
More: Everything You Need to Know About Tadelakt
The soft texture contrasts with the concrete floorboards and adds a warm feel to the space. Three simple pendants above the dining table add a cosy glow to the wall without obstructing the view from the living room.
Concrete floorboards, Concreate. Manero dining table, Miniforms. Dining chairs, Hayche.
More: Everything You Need to Know About Tadelakt
Three steps lead up to the living room, reducing the ceiling height from 4m to 3m. White walls mark the transition from the new part of the house to the original front room, while a large ledge straddles the two areas.
Francesco lined the fireplace cavity with tadelakt and added recessed LED lighting to the adjacent alcove.
Loop coffee table, Isokon Plus.
Loop coffee table, Isokon Plus.
To the right of the staircase is a generous cloakroom with storage. The team took this opportunity to add a surprise of colour, covering the walls, ceiling and joinery in bright yellow paint. “I like to use colour like spices in food to highlight different rooms,” Francesco says.
Sanitaryware, Cielo. Walls, ceiling and joinery painted in Mister David, Little Greene.
Sanitaryware, Cielo. Walls, ceiling and joinery painted in Mister David, Little Greene.
Two rooms on the first floor have been open up to create a large bedroom, dressing room and en suite for the couple. One of the doors was then closed up, so Francesco created a mirrored recess as a nod to the original layout.
The couple’s suite is divided up by the clever use of a ‘pod’ in the centre of the room. Inside the tadelakt-covered box is a dressing room, a loo and a shower. The structure doesn’t reach the ceiling, so a couple of steel beams were installed for support.
At the front of the space is the bedroom zone, with a fireplace cavity on the wall lined with the same chocolate brown tadelakt as the box. A bedside table is attached to the pod and has a bright red niche for storing books.
At the front of the space is the bedroom zone, with a fireplace cavity on the wall lined with the same chocolate brown tadelakt as the box. A bedside table is attached to the pod and has a bright red niche for storing books.
At the back of the pod is a vanity unit and bath, while doors either side of the pod allow double access to the toilet and shower. The dressing room is at the bedroom end of the pod.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite part of this Victorian home redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite part of this Victorian home redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Sponsored
Reload the page to not see this specific ad anymore
Who lives here? A family
Location South London
Property A double-fronted Victorian villa
Size Five bedrooms and four bathrooms
Architect Francesco Pierazzi of Francesco Pierazzi Architects
Photos by Gianluca Maver
The hallway of this double-fronted Victorian villa is at the centre of the property and splits the original and new parts of the building in half. The reception rooms to the right of the entrance remain untouched, while the area on the left has been transformed into a modern, open-plan space.
A timber staircase with fire regulation-compliant glass risers ensures there’s a clear view from the front door to the garden at the back of the house. In front of this, Francesco designed a concealed hinged fire door, which swings shut to block off the area in the event of a fire.
Chandelier, Flos.