Phoebe’s House

Unmistakably 1980’s from the outside, this three storey end of terrace town house is quirky and bold in form and detail. Part of a unique wider typology in the immediate area, on the edge of the River Thames, whilst the outside had architectural strength the inside was dark and segmented.

The original house had a unique typology that had good contemporary aspiration, but its narrow width vs deep length footprint, unfortunately had neglected to address some key principles of quality residential design; bringing natural light deep into the plan and the interconnection of living paces. The clients didn’t necessarily need more space, but needed the existing spaces to better connect & relate to each other, sparking more joy when being used.

Phoebes House Sitting Room Entrance MW Architects

The main architectural moves in this project was to create a visual and physical connection to the rear garden from the ground floor level - which was addressed by reconfiguring the entire ground floor plan & windows; bringing natural light into the centre of the floor plan through the creation of a triple height void and introducing large 1.5m wide sliding pocket doors into all the living spaces around the void, totally transforming how these spaces connect to each other.

A refined material palette for the refurbishment brought richness and quality to the previously tired and drab interior, celebrating the post modern influence but enriching the experience with natural light, handcrafted elements and texture.

The project celebrates the 80’s sparkle by adding details like a bespoke, handcrafted metal balustrade to the existing staircase and new void space, new porthole window where the garage door was, lining the bathroom window with a hand crafted brass collar and fitting dark pigmented concrete sinks, deep blue kitchen units, terrazzo floor tiles and an entire wall of Zellige tiles.

Even with this broad palette of materials & colours, the spaces feel calm and relaxing; there is a clear connection to the outside and to each other, and the natural light is encouraged to seep deep into the plan.

The project focuses on sound architectural principles, demonstrating that they can be applied, and are applicable, to all architectural styles. The house has been completely refurbished and transformed from being dark and boxy into a light home with free flowing and interconnected spaces; demonstrating that you don't always need to extend to improve.