A modern London extension full of monochrome magic

(Image credit: Siobhan Doran )

published 20 October 2020

THE PROPERTY

A Victorian villa in west London. The ground floor has an open-plan kitchen and living area with hidden utility room (opens in new tab), a dining room, study, cloakroom (opens in new tab) and playroom. On the first floor is the master bedroom and en suite, the boys’ room,
a bathroom and a guest bedroom and bathroom. The second floor houses the two further bedrooms and bathrooms for a thoroughly modern home (opens in new tab).

Designed by architects The Vawdrey House (opens in new tab), swathes of concrete, patterned parquet, aged bare brick and high-shine lacquer mean that it’s the building itself that’s the most decorative element of the space,

See Also: Explore A Penthouse Apartment In A Converted Brewery (opens in new tab)

LIVING ROOM

Concrete pendant lights, Renate Vos (opens in new tab). Frame chair in Blush, Made (opens in new tab). Coffee table, Hudson Living (opens in new tab)

The living space (opens in new tab) flows beautifully from the house into the garden.’ This is a practical home, designed to suit the needs of the two young children that live in it, as well as their parents. All you have to do is move one chair in the living room and suddenly there’s a massive space for the children to play in.

The dusky pink that pervaded the strictly monochrome palette the family previously lived with came as a surprise and was welcomed by the designers, who advised on finishing touches.

KITCHEN

This room is a symphony of brushed oak, stainless steel, veined Bianco Eclipse granite and brass accents.

Kitchen by Blakes London (opens in new tab). Bar stools, Stellar Works. Sofa, Lema at Go Modern (opens in new tab). Cushions, Made (opens in new tab) and H&M Home (opens in new tab). Rug, French Connection (opens in new tab)

See Also: Modern kitchen ideas

DINING ROOM

Entertaining is a huge part of the owner's lives, and they wanted both inside and out to work for big groups. Thus, the house can transform to accommodate large numbers, with this glass door sliding back to make the dining area feel at one with the rest of the home if need be.

STAIRCASE

The new stairwell (opens in new tab) cleverly conceals the entrance to the utility area, cloakroom and laundry chute. ‘The panels are almost sculptural, they don’t need anything else,’ says the owner. ‘And it’s a really light space despite the fact that we painted it black.’

Walls in Black Blue, Farrow & Ball (opens in new tab)

MASTER BEDROOM

‘It’s so cosy,’ says the owner of this space, which is tucked away in a quiet corner of the house. ‘I wanted some colour that would work with the rest of the house and the room’s gold elements.’

Walls in Dove Tale, Farrow & Ball (opens in new tab). Coco bed, Loaf. Table, West Elm (opens in new tab). Bedside light, Beautiful Halo (opens in new tab)

BOYS' ROOM

‘A swing was the one thing the boys wanted,’ says the owner. ‘We had to have a reinforced beam put in. I’m bracing myself for when they start trying to climb on it.’

Hanging chair, Tectake (opens in new tab). Asoral beds, Bobo Kids (opens in new tab). Rattan pendant lights, Cox & Cox (opens in new tab)

EXTERIOR

The extension (opens in new tab) has a stepped façade of engineering bricks. ‘The charcoal bricks are beautiful,’ says the owner. ‘It shows the old versus new but still really fits in.’ Outside, parties remain the focus with a generously sized outdoor kitchen (opens in new tab) and pergola.

See more projects from The Vawdrey House (opens in new tab).

See Also: Modern Living Room Ideas

Shining a spotlight on the now and the next in home design and decor, Livingetc is the UK's best selling high end and contemporary home design magazine. As a brand, Livingetc showcases the world's very best homes, breaks and makes the trends, and has access to leading international designers for insight and ideas. It was first published in 1998, and is currently edited by Pip Rich.