FitzGeorge Avenue

The challenge of this project was to extensively reconfigure the apartment layout to make better use of the zoning that is characteristic of these purpose-built apartments. The layout changes and relocation of the guest WC required a waste pipe to be run through a basement vault below. During the design process the residents of the block bought the freehold meaning that the vault now belonged to an individual resident. The result was that we had to reapply for the same License to Alter but to a different owner who was less inclined to allow this work to happen. The building work had already started and the cost of reverting the layout and undoing work at this stage meant that a fair degree of diplomacy was required in order to obtain consent for this work and effect the critical path on site.

Other project challenges involved the client living in California for the entire duration of the project (both during the design and construction stages). They visited the UK but design discussions were predominantly conducted via Skype. The relationship we had built with our clients meant that what could have been a difficult and cumbersome process in fact ran very smoothly.

The building construction was solid masonry with concrete slabs and filler joists. This meant that the ceiling soffit was a painted concrete slab. The filler joists had led to cracking over the years and all light fittings etc needed to be ceiling mounted with cabling chased into carefully positioned conduits in the ceiling.

We rethought the entire configuration of rooms and spaces and altered the nature of the flow between spaces to create connectivity in previously isolated spaces. A bedroom became a kitchen, another became the bathroom, and the kitchen became a bedroom. We rearranged the master suite, in order to address modern requirements for sleeping and dressing. We proposed to the client that making a secondary doorway from the main room into the kitchen would make more sense of the relationship between the two rooms. Doorways were made taller and wider and the entrance from hallway to dining room was enhanced with a double door. 


Our focus was on making dignified enhancements to internal features without losing their distinctive proportions. We were keen to ensure that any changes succeeded in bringing a contemporary feel which augmented the original character of the apartment without overriding it. 

Much consideration was given to the interior detailing and decoration and we pursued a careful selection process to choose finishes for each space which resulted in a complementary material palette across the whole interior that was subtle and expressive.

We commissioned new doors and windows to be made as well as designing bespoke shutters and joinery for the space. The solid oak framed doors with bronze beading were handleless and push operated from both sides with concealed closers. The shutters were designed with vertical fins of a diamond profile to accentuate the height of the rooms and the proportions of the slender windows. The walls, cornicing, skirting and ceilings were all painted white to allow for shadows to define the mouldings and also to allow for the clients’ art collection to take centre stage.

An Eero Saarinen breakfast table and Eames dining chairs and table purposefully fit the bay window and dining space and bring subtle curves and elegance which we feel the space deserves. The light fittings are ceiling mounted and tubular but adjustable to be able to highlight artworks. The joinery is white washed birch plywood, often curved and topped with Carrara marble, and the kitchen surfaces and kitchen shelves are a mid-grey polished concrete. We have defined the circulation spaces with classic chequer board floor tiles while the living spaces and bedrooms have light oak floorboards. The utility room is concealed behind a hidden bookshelf door.

The needs of 21st century living can be satisfied in period properties when careful consideration is given to a design response. Early conversations with the client served as a catalyst and helped to inform and enrich our design solution for this particular project.

We believe in expertise and teamwork. This particular project involved a number of specialist sub-contractors working outside of their normal processes and it relied on inventive and, on occasion, experimental solutions (the shutters, vanity units and doors were examples of this). This project represented a culmination of design, craftsmanship and willpower, with many bespoke elements recontextualising a late Victorian idiom in a modern scheme that is forward-looking and long-lasting.

Client comment:
“We loved working with Rory Pennant-Rea. He has flair, a touch of brilliance. The doors he designed are beautiful. Because the ceiling was high, he designed plantation shutters that are vertical rather than the standard horizontal kind to emphasize the height of the room. Again, they look just right and work well. He helped us choose flooring, tiles and light fixtures. As a designer he has excellent instincts. I would advise following them rather than taking cheaper alternatives. As a person, he is polite, firm, accommodating, and charming. A delight to work with.”