Reworking a family home for life’s
next chapter.
Some projects begin with a big move. Others begin with a quiet shift, a change in rhythm, a new stage of life, and the desire to make home feel ready for what’s next. At Palatine Avenue, our client had lived in the house for many years. It was full of memories, warmth, and the accumulated layers of family life. But with her children heading off to university, the time felt right for a fresh start, not in a new house, but in a reimagined one.
The property, a tall Victorian terrace in North London, had begun to feel fragmented. The rooms were disjointed, light was limited, and the house didn’t quite support how it was now being lived in. Our brief was to bring a new sense of clarity and calm, without losing the character that made it feel like home.
We worked floor by floor, gently unpicking what no longer served the client and replacing it with something more open, more fluid. The kitchen-diner was opened up to become the heart of the home. We added a new staircase to the loft, reconfigured bathrooms, and reshaped bedrooms to feel more spacious and restful.
Palatine Avenue was a project shaped by transition. With her children heading off to university, the client wanted to reimagine the family home for a new chapter, retaining its warmth and familiarity, but introducing clarity, calm and a sense of independence.
The house, a tall Victorian terrace in North London, had become compartmentalised and tired. We reconfigured each floor to improve flow and bring in more natural light, opening up the kitchen-diner at ground level, adding a new staircase to the loft, and reshaping bathrooms and bedrooms to reflect how the home would now be used.
Materially, the scheme paired soft textures with crisp detailing: walnut floors, layered lighting, lime plaster, and muted, mineral colours. In the garden, we designed a small studio clad in reflective zinc, a tranquil workspace with its own identity, yet visually connected to the house.
Throughout, the detailing was careful and grounded , creating an atmosphere of calm without erasing character.
This was a home in the midst of change and a client ready to embrace it. We loved the generosity of spirit in this brief: a quiet transformation, designed not for show, but for living well.
Great vision, reassuring, and with demonstrable expertise — working with George and James to make my perfect home was everything I hoped for.”
Jane, Homeowner
