Townhouse, Hampstead

The client had a very specific brief. They wanted the property to have a ‘wow factor’ that would differentiate it from any other townhouuse refurbishment and make it feel special. However, it still needed to fulfill the requirements of a typical family house, including a new kitchen dining room in the lower ground which was to open to the rear garden.

The design proposal set out to base the whole character of the property around a series of variations to the main stair. Each floor was to feel entirely different to the other floors and still be instantly recognisable as a part of the cohesive design.

The stair risers and goings were adjusted so that it felt more generous in its pitch, easing the landings in a different manner on each level.

A straight flight from the upper ground floor reception down to the kitchen and family space was clad in the same stone floor as the reception spaces to maintain robustness, with the stone flooring then continuing externally to increase the feeling of space. The lower ground floor was also lowered to increase the ceiling height and light levels.

The curve of the transom light over the door was extended through the entrance ceiling to form a lobby but without sacrificing floorspace, with a large sliding pocket firedoor separating the ground floor reception space from the main stair.

A change in materiality was introduced for the stair to the bedrooms, changing from stone to timber. Each of the bedroom floors then had a different interpretation of the eased stairwell, with the existing windows shrouded behind a series of translucent vertical slots, which allowed the light to enter the stair but which also maintained privacy.

Corridors and landings were redesigned to minimise transitional spaces and optimise bedroom spaces, and the floor timber was carefully tapered in plan to introduce a detail and intimacy to the private domestic stair.

A key design concept which repeats throughout the building is the way in which the profile of the treads is repeated on the soffit of the stairs, forming an inverted staircase.

The handrail was then carefully considered, and the decision was taken to introduce a rustic feel as a foil to the refined walls and floors. This was achieved by using a solid iron handrail which had to be formed on site through a process of heating and bending it to fit. The end result looks fantastic and forms a beautifully tactile handrail.

The client had a very specific brief. They wanted the property to have a ‘wow factor’ that would differentiate it from any other townhouuse refurbishment and make it feel special. However, it still needed to fulfill the requirements of a typical family house, including a new kitchen dining room in the lower ground which was to open to the rear garden.

The design proposal set out to base the whole character of the property around a series of variations to the main stair. Each floor was to feel entirely different to the other floors and still be instantly recognisable as a part of the cohesive design.

The stair risers and goings were adjusted so that it felt more generous in its pitch, easing the landings in a different manner on each level.

A straight flight from the upper ground floor reception down to the kitchen and family space was clad in the same stone floor as the reception spaces to maintain robustness, with the stone flooring then continuing externally to increase the feeling of space. The lower ground floor was also lowered to increase the ceiling height and light levels.

The curve of the transom light over the door was extended through the entrance ceiling to form a lobby but without sacrificing floorspace, with a large sliding pocket firedoor separating the ground floor reception space from the main stair.

A change in materiality was introduced for the stair to the bedrooms, changing from stone to timber. Each of the bedroom floors then had a different interpretation of the eased stairwell, with the existing windows shrouded behind a series of translucent vertical slots, which allowed the light to enter the stair but which also maintained privacy.

Corridors and landings were redesigned to minimise transitional spaces and optimise bedroom spaces, and the floor timber was carefully tapered in plan to introduce a detail and intimacy to the private domestic stair.

A key design concept which repeats throughout the building is the way in which the profile of the treads is repeated on the soffit of the stairs, forming an inverted staircase.

The handrail was then carefully considered, and the decision was taken to introduce a rustic feel as a foil to the refined walls and floors. This was achieved by using a solid iron handrail which had to be formed on site through a process of heating and bending it to fit. The end result looks fantastic and forms a beautifully tactile handrail.