Neiheiser Argyros has renovated a small Victorian mansion in London with a new wing. The house, located in the western part of the city, had some significant shortcomings, including low ceilings on the ground floor and a lack of natural light.
“It was a proud, but somewhat tired monument to the Victorian era,” explains the co-founder of the architecture studio, Xristina Argyros. “While the top floor retained high ceilings and some period details, the rooms downstairs received very little light. The main goal of the project was to connect the house with the garden and visually expand the interior space.”
The architects updated the building's layout and added a new one-story wing. The addition, finished in stained wood, replaces the former glass greenhouse. It is located below ground level, which allows you to compensate for the height of the ceilings. A garden with a terrace also appeared on the roof of the new part of the building.
As for the zoning of the interior spaces, the bureau team completely changed the layout of the rooms, getting rid of some walls and planning new arches and doorways. Light colors in the decoration help the space breathe and make it visually more open.
In the living and dining rooms, the architects kept the palette neutral and added colorful accents to the furniture. An additional seating area is located in a niche near the large window. Glass doors framed in contrasting frames connect the living room and kitchen, where an island with a marble countertop and furniture in light shades of wood appeared. The studio sought to find a balance throughout between modern infill and preserved period details, including original fireplaces and brickwork from which the original plaster has been removed.
“We worked with landscape designer Joan Bernstein to spruce up the garden,” adds Christina Argyros. Pink and green shades were chosen to create harmonious combinations with the landscape outside the windows and strengthen the connection between the interior and exterior. “Because the overall palette is quite neutral, bright elements become more expressive, and the overall approach emphasizes the simplicity and tactility of the chosen materials,” says the architect.
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