Two Separate Houses In St John’s Wood In London Are Converted Into A Single Family Home, Part 3

Real Estate

On the lower-ground floor, the large kitchen and informal dining area with customized natural oak dining table illuminated by a Louis Poulsen pendant light straddle both the existing house space and the new extension, while the square limestone tile flooring continues through to the outside terrace, with indoor/outdoor boundaries further blurred when the glass wall is fully open. The kitchen features specialist joinery veneered fronts in walnut for the lower units and white upper units, Angolan black granite worktops and a series of three Damasco amber spun glass pendant lights above the central island unit. Designed for evening entertaining, the formal dining room showcases a bespoke sculpture-displaying walnut credenza with slate top, dark brown leather-upholstered door panels, dark bronze plinth and ironmongery made by Christopher Clarke, the homeowners’ own cupboards purchased in Asia, a vintage fireplace in salvaged black marble and a Fort Street Studio Chess rug with red checkered squares, with the red echoed by the artwork in the room and the checkered pattern mirrored in the gold checked curtains. The highlight is a full-length feature wall specially-designed by the homeowners and detailed by London-based architectural and interior design practice SHH, which is made of hundreds of staggered grain-end timber squares in dark-stained solid hardwood, with occasional inset niches lined in honed Brazilian black slate and antique bronzed mirror from Chelsea Artisans that can incorporate tea lights for a cozy atmosphere. A secret door in the wall provides access to the vast chilled wine cellar.

Formal dining room on the lower ground floorCourtesy of SHH

The study on the first floor has a SHH-designed hand-woven felt carpet produced by Parisian weaver Perrine Rosseau, a concrete finish to the walls by Calf Crimmings, an oak desk with inset Moore & Giles dark leather top, dark timber veneer fittings and Bocci suspended clear glass pendant orb lights, while the three bedrooms for the couple’s young daughters feature custom-made joinery, reclaimed fireplaces and personalized wall coverings incorporating delicately embroidered floral motifs combining silks and leathers commissioned from British textile designer Clare Coles. Rupert Martineau, Associate and Project Head of Residential Interiors of SHH, explains, “We find inspiration from collaborating with highly skilled craftsmen and artisans in order to create bespoke pieces for projects. Not only does this allow us to experiment with using new materials and construction techniques, it is always very enjoyable to work with different disciplines to produce a unique product.” The master bedroom suite on the second floor includes a dressing room with a leather floor, a specialist painted ceiling, fitted joinery, a Geoflame fireplace with bespoke horsehair panels used for the inbuilt storage, a glass panel for the shower unit featuring pressed seed pods and a private glass-bordered terrace overlooking the extension and the garden.

Kitchen island unit with high bar chairsCourtesy of SHH

Now facing the house at the bottom of the garden, the former neighboring cottage was extensively reconstructed, the façade along the passageway brought back in line with historic photos and scroll moldings replicated. Considerable work was required to make the cottage habitable after it had been stripped down to a steel shell frame, and today the two-story building is a one-bedroom studio with its own office, kitchenette and bathroom on the ground floor, and gym and guest bedroom on the upper level. Interiors are light and airy displaying a Scandinavian feel with a pale wood floor and three roof lights, and the cottage’s existing oak beam trusses have been exposed. The eye is drawn to a specially-designed timber spiral staircase in layers of plywood manufactured by Tintab set against a renovated exposed brickwork wall and a Portuguese limestone fireplace at its base. The homeowners conclude, “We are very happy with the final result. The house has a warm, elegant and nice feel each time we come through the front door.”

Hidden door to the wine vault and cloakroom in the dining roomCourtesy of SHH

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