A small house packed with big ideas

Space-saving designs transform a Victorian end-of-terrace

Our brief was ambitious: make a dark, narrow house feel bright, big and lofty.

With limited scope for extending the property, we turned our attention to smart space planning.

We knocked down walls, reconfigured rooms and removed the ceilings upstairs to expose a large, vaulted roof – perfect for creating light, space and spectacle.

Out of the blue

The patio, measuring just 1.5m by 3m, has been transformed into a Moroccan-inspired courtyard. Cobalt blues, yolky yellows, perky pinks, geometrically patterned tiles and architectural foliage form an unexpected oasis at the end of the kitchen.

Aim high

The vaulted ceilings add drama and light to a once dark and poky upstairs. We balanced this newfound airy brightness with a swarthy-brown leather tile floor, which is made from recycled belts, jackets and bags.

Best of both

The mix of warm inchyra blue on one side and fresh pebble white on the other helps to delicately define the living and kitchen areas.

Heavy metal

The steel staircase appears to cascade down like a Jacob’s ladder. We designed it to be both sculptural and space-saving, an impactful feature to greet you when you open the front door.