This Grade II-listed 1850s residence in The Boltons Conservation Area is one of three key central houses that are taller than their neighbours, marking the centre of the street. The area was formerly a three-acre market garden known as Rose Hawe and had been under the ownership of the Day family since 1736. In 1845 the site was let to two speculators and they laid out Drayton Gardens comprising 57 new houses. The three central properties had larger panes of glazing which was considered a great luxury at the time.

The house had undergone unsympathetic alterations in the past with ill-considered details that were inappropriate for the period. It is always our goal to respect the ‘bones’ of the house and we worked with the heritage planners to respect the original room layouts, but open them out as much as possible to create modern living spaces and create better connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces. The house is tall and narrow, so the formal living areas are on the first floor with the kitchen/dining areas on the ground floor. The lower ground floor was very dark and we were able to gain permission for strategic openings that brought more natural light to this area. A parterre was designed to extend the space visually and physically link it to the garden above. The bedrooms are on the second and third floors and the loft space was converted to a children’s playroom.

We restored the historical details wherever possible, but kept the rest of the palette simple and modern. The interiors were painted either white or soft grey and a new light oak herringbone floor installed throughout. The kitchen and joinery were constructed in a dark oak to contrast with the lighter tones. The art and the furniture were all carefully chosen to reflect the clients’ Japanese-Indian heritage.