Mulroy Architects’ whole house refurbishment of Mountview Road in Crouch End has delivered a uniquely layered and light-filled house, with a twist.
Homeowners, Caroline and Alan found themselves with an unusual dilemma. Should they relocate to Australia to enjoy its radiant sun and alfresco living, or stay in London? The family wanted to remain in the UK but had concerns over their north facing garden which looked at the gable end of another house, and the rear façade, which spent most of its time in shadow.
Having driven down Crouch End’s most desirable road for many years, it was unexpected that in 2021 this house came up for sale. The couple had been seriously considering moving back to Caroline’s home country, but went all in on London and describe this determining moment as a wish fulfilled.
The client’s brief was to capture the Australian summer feel with bright and airy spaces and dramatic interior design, and to embrace the best of London. Caroline, for instance, recalled the experience of looking out over London from the Sushisamba restaurant in the City of London: their new hilltop home also offered the potential for expansive views across the city. Mulroy believed that Australia and London could be combined to create a beautiful home that embodied the spirit of both places, and could support an improved quality of life. The ambitious design set to maximise views and flood the house with an abundance of natural light, while introducing expansive, open living areas for entertaining friends and family.
Mulroy Architects conceived a radical approach to modifying the existing building through a series of interventions: the first involved moving the original staircase from the centre of the home to the side – enabling an extended long hallway from the front door which immediately opens up a stunning view of the rear garden. Doing this unlocked the floor plan and increased the size of the house by 30%, maximising living areas within the guidelines of planning policies.
This included adding an entirely new basement, together with placing the new ground floor extension at 45° to face the light, rather than the neighbouring building – introducing long views out of the house and across the vibrant, landscaped garden. Typically, extensions within this location are restricted to three meters, yet Mulroy were able to overcome this with a diagonal shape that created an expansive new extension that is 9.3 meters deep and 4 meters high.
Other key design interventions include tall roof extensions which appear to be windowless when seen from outside, but in fact, include large openable rooflights that capture the south facing light and draw in air. The fourth and final design solution that was vital to hitting the brief was a series of internal window features to allow a harmonious connection to the green on the street and in the rear garden.
Working in close collaboration with London-based interior design studio, Simpson & Voyle; a coordinated effort brought life to Mulroy’s striking architectural form which is a world away from the former dishevelled and disordered house. Renowned designers Simpson & Voyle exhausted room layouts with the clients to explore every possible configuration, while meaningful pieces were selected from their old home and reimagined by reupholstering or placing the object in a new context to give it a whole new feel and identity.
Injecting colour, patterns and materials was paramount to Simpson & Voyle pushing Caroline and Alan out of the comfort of warm neutrals and pale tones. It was important to accentuate the vast ceilings, ornate cornicing, and sculptural lines throughout. The new staircase runs like a spine from top to bottom and acts as the beating heart of the house.
Despite the project’s size, complexity, and location opposite a water reservoir within the Stroud Green conservation area, Mulroy successfully achieved planning permission with no amendments needed and no conditions to discharge.
Timber frames were used to structure the interior layout of walls, floors and roofing as it offered greater design flexibility, heat retention, and reduced carbon emissions than steel and concrete blocks.
An additional element of sustainability embedded into the design are the rooflights in the north facing rooms – generating a good source of natural light and reducing the need for artificial lighting. The rooflights are also openable to provide natural ventilation during the summer months, further decreasing energy usage.
A similar project like this would cost an estimated £4,600 per sqm, excluding fitout, fees, landscape, and VAT.
Andrew Mulroy, Director at Mulroy Architects, said:
“Bringing Australia to London was a particular challenge with the north-facing aspect. Most of the rear garden was in shadow. We overcame this by creating extensions with rooflights that ‘reach up’ to catch the sun – resulting in a dining room that feels immense, light filled and has great views of the sky.”
