Belsize Park I

This is a luxurious renovation of a large detached Victorian villa in NW3 Belsize Park, North London.

We were approached to transform a dilapidated property with 2 flats into a single-family dwelling. This included major works that only retained the four elevations with a new superstructure with services and a complete internal re-modelling of the property with a double garage. The brief was to create a contemporary home for a family of three with a drawing room, media room, open-plan kitchen, dining space, playroom, bespoke garden, wine cellar and five double bedrooms and bathrooms. We also gained planning for a full basement development below the existing footprint of the house and garden but that was never implemented.

A daring double height glass slot adds a dramatic effect in connecting the reception room with the kitchen & living room below through a huge double volume space with a bespoke designed chandelier. A tall single pivot glass door connects the lower levels to the landscape designed garden.

Great consideration was given to the historical building with its high ceilings when formulating our design which is open-plan and contemporary in terms of layout. The renovation is a blend of meticulous restoration of the traditional architectural details of the facades with an internal renovation that is cutting edge yet respectful and complimentary of its historic character. The refurbished new home brings period living up to date with our modern-day requirements for a smart home.

We always aim to increase the size of a house and its value while we create much needed space and redefined the layouts to suit a comfortable and sensible lifestyle. We seek to add a dramatic contrast between old and new that exceeds our clients’ expectations and becomes a home that they are proud of. 

In line with our design ethos our objectives are to deliver a clean, timeless, and modern design while working closely with our client to celebrate their personal preferences and lifestyle. This project is a result of the collaboration with our clients, a process we see as the weaving of their ideas with our enthusiasm to create a unique project. The result is a bespoke product as can be seen from these images. We also worked closely with several craftsmen and bespoke joinery companies to deliver this project successfully.

This exciting concept allowed us to combine old and new by experimenting with the following design concepts and materials:

- A combination of a new curved glass spiral staircase going down to the lower ground floor set against the restored existing grand timber staircase that is ornated with detailed cast iron spindles. The primary staircase was also extended into the loft which utilised a new fully turned cherry wood handrail to match the existing with matching cast iron spindles and new timber treads.
- Contrasted modern materials with traditional to create a strong bond between old and new which can be seen with natural wood against expansive clear glass, large format porcelain floor tiles against hand laid solid wood parquet with a high-tech CNC cut ceiling to our bespoke design.

- Lighting is always very important; we successfully lit the house with the bare minimum of downlighters. The lighting installation was all achieved via well concealed LED light slots creating dramatic spaces with ambience.

This project is also published on Houzz, Architizer and Archello.

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