Houzz Tour: A 17th-Century Home Moves Up in the World
Intelligent design solutions and a respect for the building’s heritage create a welcoming home with character in London
Good design is about finding intelligent solutions, not necessarily expensive ones. That was exactly the approach architect Guy Morgan-Harris took when he set about renovating and extending this 17th-century coach house in the Twickenham area of London. “The clients weren’t seeking a modern, pared-back design, but wanted their property to be more [homey] in character to suit the original property. That was the real genesis of the project,” he says. “We were working with a contained budget, so had to look for intelligent solutions. We actually redesigned it three times internally during construction, improving it each time.”
The project involved adding two stories to the house, reconfiguring and renovating the interior, and adding a linked garden room at the back.
“The existing structure was something that had evolved over the years,” Morgan-Harris says. “It had been altered really badly in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s and had a lot of bad extensions.”
“The existing structure was something that had evolved over the years,” Morgan-Harris says. “It had been altered really badly in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s and had a lot of bad extensions.”
“You can now open up the whole house or close areas off for privacy,” Morgan-Harris says. “The projected long view through the length of the house and garden makes you feel comfortable, because you can see from front to back.”
As much consideration went into how you pass through the spaces as the spaces themselves. “The ability to have contemplation and transition through space is just as important, so we spent a lot of time thinking about how you pass through the property,” Morgan-Harris says.
Here, a powder room and laundry room are on the right, and the staircase and a boot room are opposite, unseen. The living room transitions through one set of double doors into an entrance hallway and utility space, and through another set of double doors into the kitchen.
Pendant light: Artifact Lighting; radiator: Feature Radiators
As much consideration went into how you pass through the spaces as the spaces themselves. “The ability to have contemplation and transition through space is just as important, so we spent a lot of time thinking about how you pass through the property,” Morgan-Harris says.
Here, a powder room and laundry room are on the right, and the staircase and a boot room are opposite, unseen. The living room transitions through one set of double doors into an entrance hallway and utility space, and through another set of double doors into the kitchen.
Pendant light: Artifact Lighting; radiator: Feature Radiators
Morgan-Harris was careful to be sensitive to the context of the building. “The existing kitchen was modern, and contrasted with the fabric of the building in a way that didn’t quite feel right,” he says. “We wanted to create something closer to the original house.”
The architect had to work with an existing side addition, denoted by the sloping roof. “We were careful to work with what we had. It’s arrogant to ignore context, so even the bits that weren’t perfect we accepted and reworked,” he says.
The architect had to work with an existing side addition, denoted by the sloping roof. “We were careful to work with what we had. It’s arrogant to ignore context, so even the bits that weren’t perfect we accepted and reworked,” he says.
The clients wanted the kitchen to be quite soft and to have open shelving to display their pieces and keep everything handy. An oak countertop is paired with soft gray cabinets for a more traditional feel. The shelves are a mix of old painted floorboards and bits picked up from various hardware shops.
Tiles span the entire wall behind the cabinets for practicality. “Grease tends to rise, so having the wall tiled partway up would probably have led to problems with the plasterboard a few years down the line,” Morgan-Harris says. The clients opted for bench seating at the table because of its communality. “It was all about family, and there’s something about being in close proximity that helps you to enjoy each other’s company,” he says.
Refrigerator and range: Fisher & Paykel; sink: Villeroy & Boch; faucet: Franke; tiles: Walls and Floors; lighting: Artifact; cabinets: British Standard; radiator: Feature Radiators
Tiles span the entire wall behind the cabinets for practicality. “Grease tends to rise, so having the wall tiled partway up would probably have led to problems with the plasterboard a few years down the line,” Morgan-Harris says. The clients opted for bench seating at the table because of its communality. “It was all about family, and there’s something about being in close proximity that helps you to enjoy each other’s company,” he says.
Refrigerator and range: Fisher & Paykel; sink: Villeroy & Boch; faucet: Franke; tiles: Walls and Floors; lighting: Artifact; cabinets: British Standard; radiator: Feature Radiators
Communication between the spaces was key, and rather than separate the garden room, Morgan-Harris wanted to ensure that it felt like part of the house. “Garden rooms can tend to feel a little abandoned, but we wanted it to be a continuation of the home,” he says.
The walkway offers a point of pause between the kitchen and garden room. Doors at either end mean it can become its own little nook as well as being a transitional space.
The walkway offers a point of pause between the kitchen and garden room. Doors at either end mean it can become its own little nook as well as being a transitional space.
A wood-burning stove makes the garden room instantly homey. “A great way to make a new building feel like an old one is to burn some wood in it,” Morgan-Harris says. “It tricks you into feeling it’s a much older house, and makes it a lovely place to go and relax.” A vintage leather chesterfield sofa adds to the mood.
Wood-burning stove: Vesta; lighting: Artifact
Wood-burning stove: Vesta; lighting: Artifact
The garden room is psychologically a real retreat. “You enter the house, then pass through the hallway to the kitchen, through the walkway and into the [den], so by the time you’re there, you feel completely enclosed and protected,” Morgan-Harris says.
Bifold doors were chosen to match the ones on the existing addition. “Perhaps bifolds aren’t the obvious fashion choice, but we’re not driven by fashion alone,” Morgan-Harris says, “and we wanted to acknowledge the existing context and mirror the bifold doors across the courtyard with what was already there. After all, fashions come and go; good design is permanent.”
Another major addition to the home was the two-story dormer. In the garden, slate tile was laid for easy maintenance, and olive trees line the walls. Eventually, wisteria will grow up over the trellises. “We didn’t design this with an end photograph in mind, but rather as something that will grow and develop over time,” Morgan-Harris says.
Three floors each contain their own bedroom suite, so the young family of four will have plenty of space as the children grow.
At the top of the house is the master bedroom, up in the eaves and away from the hustle and bustle below. Two Velux windows keep the space bright and airy, and built-in storage makes the most of the pitched roof.
Bed: Heal’s; bedside lamps: Artifact
At the top of the house is the master bedroom, up in the eaves and away from the hustle and bustle below. Two Velux windows keep the space bright and airy, and built-in storage makes the most of the pitched roof.
Bed: Heal’s; bedside lamps: Artifact
Steel-framed windows and doors separating the en suite bath from the master bedroom make the entire room feel a lot bigger. “There was no need for the visual privacy you might require in a family bathroom,” Morgan-Harris says. “We tucked the toilet away and the doors are external-grade, so the bedroom is quiet even when someone’s showering.”
Glazing: Yes Glazing; radiator: Feature Radiators
Glazing: Yes Glazing; radiator: Feature Radiators
The en suite is crisp and minimalist. “This is a final home, and the brief was to design something that would be lived in for a long, long time, so we went for something calmer and more subtle that can be dressed up or down as the clients wish,” Morgan-Harris says.
Flooring: Dalsouple; Vero sink and D-Code toilet: Duravit; faucets: Crosswater
Flooring: Dalsouple; Vero sink and D-Code toilet: Duravit; faucets: Crosswater
In the children’s rooms, the idea was to keep the walls and floors more neutral to allow the personality of the occupant to define each space. “I don’t really think of it as neutral,” Morgan-Harris says. “It’s electrifying to see all of the colors bouncing around.”
This kids’ bathroom is likewise a simple design using a relatively calm palette. “We wanted to make it functional and elegant, so the children won’t grow weary of it as they grow up,” Morgan-Harris says. “If you go bright, you’ll probably have to change it in a few years, and that wasn’t the time scale we were working to.”
Bath, toilet and sink metalware: Victoria Plum; subway tiles: Walls and Floors
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Bath, toilet and sink metalware: Victoria Plum; subway tiles: Walls and Floors
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: A family of four
Location: Twickenham, southwest London
Size: Three bedrooms, three bathrooms
Architect: Guy Morgan-Harris of Morgan Harris Architects
The psychology of how a space is lived in played a large part in the design of this property. “Having clients who really cared about the home was an important part of the process,” architect Guy Morgan-Harris says. “We were able to work very closely with people who were willing to engage in a process that took on board everything from them as people to the site as a whole.”