Aynhoe House

The refurbishment of this late Victorian town house in the Brook Green Conservation area restores the former grandeur of the main house, whilst connecting spaces in a very modern way.
The brief challenged us to create spaces that connected and were free flowing yet, retained their own sense of division. The purpose was to enable the family to carryout individual activities simultaneously, such as cooking, homework and play without distraction, but with the feeling of closeness.
The design achieves this by sensitively linking the main living spaces together. Openings in partition walls, borrowed lights and the continuity of finish are useful devices for maintaining the flow of space whilst also acting as points of division between rooms.
The upper and lower ground floors are connected by a double height void encased in a large three sided glass box that allows daylight to flood both levels. A curved stair finished in brass and stained oak sweeps down to the lower ground floor in a sumptuous manner.
The lower ground floor has been opened up and extended to create a sequence of living, kitchen and dining spaces from which utility and garden can be easily accessed. The rear extension has been clad with natural stone, which ties in with the sunken patio. A green roof brings the garden up close to the little reading nook over looking the garden on the upper ground floor.
Whilst the loft had already been converted, the ceiling heights and views out were limited. We therefore took the decision to open up the rear elevation to improve views and natural light levels. The roof was reconfigured to add volume and improve the thermal properties of the construction. The citing of the bedroom door on the second floor landing allowed us to create a wider room with the added benefit of allowing an abundance of daylight to filter down onto the second floor landing. An additional storey was added to the rear closet wing, creating a private terrace to the top floor suit with a laundry room on the floor below.
Period features have been reinstated alongside modern elements with a core palette of dark timber, marble and brass. The overall feel is fresh, as is familiar.