How do you transform a standard house into your dream home? Extend it every which way, then add wow architectural features and huge windows to bring the outside in.
THE PROPERTY
A late-Georgian semi in East London. The lower ground floor has a kitchen / dining / living area and WC. Upstairs there’s a library, home office and guest bedroom, plus a bathroom and laundry. On the top floor is the master bedroom suite.
DINING AREA
The owner brought on Martyn Clarke, who has built a reputation for thoughtfully designed contemporary residential projects. The existing floor plan didn’t work, the bathrooms to the rear of the upper and lower ground floors blocked off the garden and the place was cramped, with boxy rooms and narrow staircases. The house was also the only one left in the street without a side extension – giving it a ‘missing tooth’ frontage. This lack proved to be an advantage, making the planning application a breeze.
Get the look: The oak-topped dining table and chrome-legged chairs are both by Eero Saarinen for Knoll from Material Life. The pendant light is a vintage Sixties design from the 2&4 Gallery. The corner chair is a collector’s piece. The sculpture in the garden is by Edoardo Villa.
It took the team a year to complete the project. The two-storey side extension created a new kitchen and WC on the lower ground floor with an extended bedroom (now the home office) and bathroom plus study area on the floor above and boosted the house from 1,400 to 2,100 square feet. Then the lower ground floor was opened up to create open-plan living, dining and kitchen areas.
Get the look: The oak-topped dining table and chrome-legged chairs are both by Eero Saarinen for Knoll from Material Life. The pendant light is a vintage Sixties design from the 2&4 Gallery. The corner chair is a collector’s piece. The sculpture in the garden is by Edoardo Villa.
A bold decision was taken to excavate the floor down eight inches to give the dining area a more imposing height. This was a big drain on the budget, not least because it led to the discovery of water-logged foundations. It was the low point in the project but it was bette to get it sorted sooner rather than later. In the end, the added hassle was worth it to get the extra height. The garden, now made up of contrasting blocks of formal box hedging and free-form meadow bordered by bleached limes and copper beeches is now the focal point of the house.
Get the look: The corner chair is a collector’s piece. The table lamp is by Louis Poulsen.
A raised area wraps around the room, serving as display area and extra seating for parties. The floor was excavated by a further eight inches to get more height in this room.
Get the look: The oak-topped dining table and chrome-legged chairs are both by Eero Saarinen for Knoll from Material Life. The table lamp is by Louis Poulsen.
KITCHEN
Designer Martyn Clarke had the confidence to go for a contemporary look with a very simple palette of materials including grey flamed granite across floors and worktops and white oak woodwork throughout.
Get the look: Bespoke fronts were made for the lkea carcasses, which were spray to a matte finish using ‘Wiltshire White’ from Dulux. In lieu of tiles, the black painted tempered glass panel is from Preedy Glass. The bespoke flamed granite worktops are from Luxury Granite Worktops.
Here, as elsewhere, a simple palette of materials set the tone, using mostly black, white and grey, granite and oak.
Get the look: Bespoke fronts were made for the lkea carcasses, which were spray to a matte finish using ‘Wiltshire White’ from Dulux. In lieu of tiles, the black-painted tempered glass panel is from Preedy Glass. The bespoke flamed granite worktops are from Luxury Granite Worktops.
LIVING ROOM
Steps divide the living room from the dining area, zoning the open plan space and making each area feel bigger.
Get the look: The ‘cosy pebble’ Suita sofa and Petit Repos lounge chair are both by Antonio Citterio for Vitra from Material Life. The rocker chair is by Ernest Race, also from Material Life. The Prismatic Side Table by Isamu Noguchi for Vitra from Material Life.
LIBRARY
This room, which had retained its original features, was planned to be a contrast with the rest of the house with dark grey walls and rich tones in the furniture.
Get the look: The rug was made bespoke. The pair of Florence Knoll armchairs are teamed with an LCW Low Lounge chair and “C’ Stool both by Charles and Ray Eames for Vitra – all furniture from Material Life. The Gueridon Bas coffee table in ‘natural oak’ is by Jean Prouve for Vitra. The circular picture is a night scene of small towns in South Africa by South African artist Henk Serfontin. The walls are painted in Dulux.
The circular picture is a night scene of small towns in South Africa by South African artist Henk Serfontin.
Get the look: Stool by Charles and Ray Eames for Vitra – all furniture from Material Life. The circular picture is a night scene of small towns in South Africa by South African artist Henk Serfontin. The walls are painted in Dulux.
STAIRCASE
Another of Martyn Clarke’s masterstrokes was to replace the narrow and rickety old staircase with slatted oak that lets light pour right into the centre of the house.
STUDY AREA
This study area in the entrance hall on the upper ground floor is the perfect nook for concentrating.
Get the look: The Compas Direction desk and Standard chair are both by Jean Prouvé for Vitra from Material Life. For a similar Jielde lamp try Holloways of Ludlow. Artwork by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, known as ‘the Gaudi of Austria’
OFFICE
This room was designed to maximise views over the garden and the sedum roof so you can appreciate them while working.
Get the look: The Luna Circular table by Verco is teamed with DSR side chairs in ‘ocean’ by Charles and Ray Eames for Vitra, both from Material Life.
GUEST BEDROOM
The existing features in this room were preserved. The African figures were picked up in Cape Town.
Get the look: The Folding Screen is by Charles Eames for Vitra.
MASTER BEDROOM
This space feels completely neutral with the palette of grey, black, white that’s used throughout the house. Calming textiles add interest.
Get the look: The Nyx bed, by Emaf Progetti for Zanotta is flanked by a pair of Plate tables by Jasper Morrison for Vitra from Material Life. Bedside lamps are the Tizio by Richard Sapper for Artemide.
BATHROOM
The main bathroom is in the upper ground floor extension, lit from above via a large rectangular skylight that provides drama and privacy. The bathroom is also where the laundry is done, in hidden built-in cabinets.
Get the look: The Axa suite and Hans Grohe taps was sourced via the project’s architect Martyn Clarke from Aqualite Trading Hans Grohe taps. 9 part artworks: some prints of etchings by an architect called Andrew Holmes.
See the full range of Material Life furniture at material-life.co.uk, view Martyn Clarke’s portfolio at martynclarkearchiture.com.
Photography – Rachael Smith
