Studio McW has completed the comprehensive renovation and extension of a terraced house in South West London, resulting in a refined home primed for hosting. The Victorian property, owned by founders of bespoke luxury catering business Opus 11 – Charlie and Joshua Karlsen – offers a composed and serene setting for effortless hospitality.
The clients asked Studio McW to expand the ground floor to form a contemporary kitchen and dining space, and add a new level to the home by converting the loft into a guest bedroom with an ensuite.
Working closely with their clients, Studio McW has delivered an open-plan forever home that reflects Charlie and Joshua’s love for entertaining and can be adapted as their family grows. The couple host monthly Friday night dinners for clients, collaborators and colleagues, an opportunity for their guests to ‘revel in what they do’. The renewed layout is flexible, allowing for a natural flow between spaces and soft ambience for social gatherings, no matter the occasion.
To realise the true potential of the home Studio McW stripped the split-level property, which had previously been divided into three bedsit flats, back to its shell. The building structure was in varying states of condition, resulting in Studio McW rebuilding the precarious brick outrigger and re-using the masonry to create more thermally comfortable and efficient spaces with new insulation and replacement sash windows. The entire front exterior walls were insulated internally, to maintain the street facing external Victorian detailing.
Trusting in the architects' design vision, Charlie and Joshua welcomed the opportunity to take an experimental and playful approach to the renovation. Studio McW’s design thoughtfully incorporates a series of deliberate thresholds, creating distinct zones within the open plan home. Soft, linear curves and elegant arches weave through the interior, adding visual interest and a moment of surprise on every floor.
Studio McW added a side extension to allow the clients and their guests to enjoy the full width of the property; it is importantly proportioned to accommodate a twelve-seater dining table and banquette seating, maximising hosting potential. A modest 1 metre rear extension completes the ground floor plan, bringing swathes of natural light into the kitchen through striking 2.4 metre tall glazed doors and
a romantic curved skylight, leading on to the newly hardscaped rear garden.
The side extension is bookended by an internal courtyard garden in the centre of the home, and a vast picture window overlooking new hardscaped planting to the rear, allowing natural light into the centre of the plan and cross-ventilation. This intimate dining area is lit by overhead glazing set with oak joists to softly diffuse light through the space and maintain privacy from neighbouring windows.
A sweeping brick curve connects the side and rear extensions, appearing from the garden as if gently scooped away to make space for the newly added planting. This satisfying and technically complex detail minimises the visual impact of the extension for neighbouring homes, and protects privacy.
In keeping with the muted, tactile palette inside, the extensions are built from pale buff-toned Weinberger bricks laid in two coursing patterns. Vertical bricks break up the visual weight and further support the curving gesture.
The true star of the ground floor is a bespoke smoked oak and marble kitchen. A monolithic Violetta marble kitchen island offers informal gathering space, set against a backdrop of cabinetry punctuated by a vast curved alcove, where the marble backsplash extends to fill the entire area. Handmade arched oak joinery, designed by Studio McW and crafted by long-term collaborator, Idle Furniture, softens the marble, adding warmth and balance. The sleek smoked-oak kitchen is gracefully integrated, tucking away appliances within cabinetry to create a polished and inviting space for hosting.
The open-concept ground floor also consists of a generously proportioned reception area, perfect for welcoming guests. The architects subverted the typical use of this central space in the Victorian terrace, opting instead to move the dining area to the rear extension and create an arrival space for informal drinks. A cosy lounge space is located at the very front of the house, connected to the reception area by an enlarged opening.
The rest of the home makes as much of a visual and functional impact as the ground floor. A double-height void in the stairwell soars upwards towards a rooflight, drawing in plentiful natural light. The hallways are soft and textural, with rounded edges and natural plaster, punctuated by Charlie and Joshua’s collection of lighting and artwork.
In contrast to the openness of the ground floor, the upper levels retain more of the property’s original plan and are occupied by bedrooms, a snug and bathrooms. The primary suite occupies an entire level of its own, with the bedroom accessed via an impressive 12 square metre walk-in wardrobe clad in oak joinery, which hides access to a stepped shower room.
The main bedroom is an airy space softened by textured lime wash walls, an expansive, custom bouclé headboard, and rippling floor-to-ceiling curtains that frame a turret bay window. Borrowing space from above, the turret has been opened up to create a generous ceiling height and angled focal point; this architectural intervention adds more visual value than the small amount of storage it could have offered in the loft conversion. An arched wall niche opposite the bed adds another softness to the space, nodding to the curves incorporated throughout.
The top levels feature a sumptuous pink guest bedroom and family bathroom, and the loft has been converted into a third bedroom with an ensuite shower room.
The materiality of the home is a carefully curated balance of texture and warmth. Timber flooring grounds the interiors, while striking monochromatic marble provides a bold sense of weight. Smoked oak joinery adds a natural, tactile quality to the space, offset by cool polished concrete. Lime wash on the walls creates a soft, textured finish throughout.
Studio McW has thoughtfully designed the home for both comfort and entertainment. Every detail was carefully considered to create a space that’s not only inviting but also practical for entertaining. Carefully integrated technology, including a whole-house audio system, ensures the home is as functional as it is beautiful. The result, the perfect backdrop for vibrant and memorable gatherings.
Sobremesa House is a celebration of both function and form, a spirited yet easy-going atmosphere that invites relaxation and inspires conversation, the perfect home for Charlie and Joshua to host loved ones and grow their family.
Team:
Local Authority: London Borough of Lambeth
Architect: Studio McW
Client: Charlie and Joshua Karlsen
Form of contract/procurement: Traditional
Interiors: Studio McW
Hard Landscape Design: Studio McW
Soft Landscape Design: Greenico
Structural engineer: Quorum Consulting Engineers
Main contractor: Wandsworth Builders Ltd
Photographer: Lorenzo Zandri
Styling: Studio Calvagno
Materials Used:
Paint: Bauwerk
Joinery & Kitchen: Idle Furniture
Lighting: Various
Windows + Doors: Ecovia (oak), Wood and Home (traditional painted sash)
Marble: Craftsman and Marble City
