Introducing a London townhouse renovation

Introducing a London Townhouse Renovation

For the next part of the course, we will be using a recent project of mine as a case study so you can see my design process in action.

The Property and the Brief

This project was the perfect example of buying the worst house on the best street. The 1930s three-bedroom detached home had been untouched since the late 1970s and was incredibly dated. It needed a complete redesign and renovation from top to bottom.

My client had a very clear vision for the space from the outset; both in terms of aesthetics but also the mood and how she wanted to feel in her home. As a result, my design was led by the lifestyle my client wanted to live.

Her inspiration came from both light-filled, contemporary LA-style homes, as well as more traditional looks. It was my job to blend these two styles into something that my client loved and suited the 1930s property.

The Narrative of the House

I worked closely with the client in order to fully understand her needs and exactly what she wanted to achieve.

• The home needed to function for her as an individual but also for family and friends to relax and enjoy.
• She would often have family to stay for weeks at a time, so she wanted the guest bedrooms to offer a luxurious hotel experience.
• It was important to the client that her cultural heritage was celebrated within the interior design, and this influenced choices of artwork, furniture and colour palette.
• The client loves to cook and entertain, and an open-plan living, kitchen diner was a top priority. She also wanted a snug area that could be closed off or opened up depending on the hosting scenario; a design choice we call 'broken plan'.

The Floor Plan

With all of my client's requirements in mind, we changed the layout of her property to better suit her lifestyle.

• We extended 4 metres beyond the original boundary at the rear of the home, full width, to create a spacious kitchen diner.
• A snug offers 'broken plan' living, as it can be opened up when entertaining or closed off to create a cosier space.
• While a fourth bedroom may make more financial sense, my client was willing to sacrifice this in place of a walk-in wardrobe.
• We completed a loft conversion to create the third bedroom with its own ensuite, providing the perfect place for guests to come and stay.

Working with the Architect

When we were brought onto the project, my client had already been working with an architect who had developed the first stage of plans. As an interior designer, you can suggest changes to these to better suit your clients' needs and how they will be using the space.

It's always best to establish a positive and strong working relationship with architects from the beginning so you can both bring your expertise and knowledge to the project.

A Note on Timeframes

While this project was initially scheduled to be a 12-month build, it has run over to 18 months – an inevitability on large-scale renovation projects. Managing clients' expectations around timeframes is a key part of the interior designer's role.