In the Colville Conservation Area of London’s Notting Hill, Knox Bhavan Architects has completed the extensive renovation of a deteriorating end-of-terrace house into a light-filled oasis of calm. The London-based studio’s thorough transformation has resulted in a finely crafted and sustainable home.

Heartwood

The 186-square-metre, four bedroom property has been rebuilt from within. Designed for Notting Hill’s upscale rental market, Knox Bhavan has paired architectural character and meticulous detailing with robust, low-maintenance finishes. The home is named Heartwood, a reflection of Knox Bhavan’s inside-out transformation — heartwood is the dense inner part of a tree, yielding the strongest timber.

The home’s original facade has been largely preserved. A lacklustre pre-existing shopfront has been transformed with warm oak joinery, creating a more inviting and homely atmosphere. A rhythmic composition of three sash windows is flanked by two slender fixed panes.

A series of gently ascending cast-concrete steps float towards the entrance, accompanied by a pared-back galvanised steel handrail and a discreet overhanging canopy that shelters the joinery from the elements.

Rebuilt from within

The newly crafted contemporary entrance is an indication of what lies behind the building’s Victorian-era facade. Essentially, the interior structure has been rebuilt. The house had a collapsing rear wall, irregular floor levels, and a failing roof. Knox Bhavan excavated and waterproofed the basement, rebuilt the floors, and added new roofing and membrane. The back wall was reconstructed and new windows were added to maximise natural light.

Despite its compact and vertical footprint, Heartwood’s redesign is open, light, and airy. Replacing an unconnected warren of rooms, the new layout creates a dynamic sequence of spaces with a cohesive flow between floors. A white, lightweight steel staircase with oak treads serves as the home’s central spine. Meticulously engineered, its open risers and sculptural form allow daylight to penetrate the building’s core.

Warm materiality and light

The living room’s oak-framed bay window and built-in, linen-detailed seat, creates a welcoming retreat. This intimate space embodies the home’s character, unfolding in a series of tactile and spatially rich environments. Warm materiality and light guide the design narrative. Sightlines through glazed shelving reveal a secluded study snug behind the staircase, complete with oak-lined walls, a built-in desk, and softly lit Douglas-fir joists, creating a serene, library-like retreat.

Rooflight and basement

A bespoke glass balustrade separates the study from a double-height void that overlooks the basement kitchen below. Above, a large 4.5 x 1.5 metre walk-on rooflight is integrated into the new roof terrace. This floods the interior with natural light and visually connects the living spaces.

Knox Bhavan also designed custom steel lights with perforated shades that project from the mezzanine, preserving the clean, vertical expanse of the rear wall.

In the event of an emergency, a discreet fire curtain and fire-rated shelving compartmentalise the snug and kitchen. This approach exemplifies the careful integration of regulatory compliance without compromising on spatial openness.

The excavation of the basement increased the lower ground floor’s ceiling height. A reorganisation of this floor has provided the addition of an efficient utility space beneath the stairs, maximising the liveable sitting, dining, and kitchen spaces. A compact and functional kitchen features built-in oak bench seating, stainless steel countertops, and streamlined wall units. A high-level mirror and floating oak shelves amplify the sense of space and light, creating an inviting atmosphere for everyday living and entertaining.

Upper floors and roof terrace

The upper floors have been reconstructed to create uniform and comfortable living spaces. There are fours bedrooms, each one reinvigorated with built-in oak veneered storage, sliding doors, and new sash windows. Heartwood’s language of crafted simplicity is further emphasised through discreetly integrated lighting, flush fittings, and bespoke oak bedside units.

Bathrooms feature Corian countertops, oak joinery, and LED lighting. Frameless glass shower enclosures and micro-concrete finishes create a clean, low-maintenance aesthetic. In the main suite, a freestanding bath sits beneath a flush Corian wall detail. Knox Bhavan’s expertise for smart and space-saving solutions is evident, from the cleverly mounted floating basin in front of a frosted window to the cylindrical shower beneath a roof oculus.

The roof terrace is a contemporary outdoor space, with black composite decking and pebble edges. Structurally supported by the new timber joists in the study below, the terrace provides a private retreat that is accessed from the first floor.

“Heartwood demonstrates what can be achieved by sustainably reusing existing building fabric and working within the constraints of a tight London plot,” says Knox Bhavan. “Through rigorous detailing and imaginative spatial planning, the project breathes new life into the home, transforming it into a contemporary residence that is rooted in its heritage.”