A modern London extension full of monochrome magic

(Image credit: Siobhan Doran )

published 20 October 20

THE PROPERTY

A Victorian villa in west London. The ground floor has an open-plan kitchen and living area with hidden utility room, a dining room, study, cloakroom 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.

Designed by architects The Vawdrey House, 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,

LIVING ROOM

Concrete pendant lights, Renate Vos. Frame chair in Blush, Made. Coffee table, Hudson Living

The living space 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. Bar stools, Stellar Works. Sofa, Lema at Go Modern. Cushions, Made and H&M Home. Rug, French Connection

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 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

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. Coco bed, Loaf. Table, West Elm. Bedside light, Beautiful Halo

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. Asoral beds, Bobo Kids. Rattan pendant lights, Cox & Cox

EXTERIOR

The extension 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 and pergola.

See more projects from The Vawdrey House.

See Also: Modern Living Room Ideas

Livingetc

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.