Edwardes Square concepts

We were recently commissioned to put-together a concept design for the renovation and remodelling of a Grade Two listed Georgian townhouse with extensive Edwardian additions.

The house had suffered from particularly unsympathetic alterations in the late '60s which resulted in several soulless spaces in place of many of the Georgian domestic proportions.

At ground floor level, the original front reception rooms will be reinstated, connected by a wide opening thereby retaining an open-plan feel and maximising daylight. The fireplaces will be restored and panelling/bookcases introduced.

One will now enter the house via the original rear reception room which will be used, on occasion, as a formal dining room.

The enlarged opening on the right leads to the staircase hall and aligns with the kitchen doorway beyond, thus framing a view of the rear garden.

The smaller opening on the left, with a new French window and small skylight, overlooks a small lightwell. Two new aligning windows beyond permit a secondary 'enfilade' to the rear garden.

Details such as these, à la Soane Museum, open-up interesting perspectives and increase the illusion of space and daylight. Painted panelling and the restored fireplace emphasise the domestic Georgian proportions.

The rather ponderous Edwardian staircase will be replaced with a more elegant version with tapered treads and a lightweight balustrade, quite typical of the Georgian period.

The kitchen is located at the rear of the house, within the Edwardian addition. Since the current space is slightly too narrow, a side extension with a 'lean-to' glazed roof has been proposed.

This view of the kitchen, looking towards the front of the house, shows the enlarged opening to the stair hall on the left. This incorporates a Crittall screen and doors, matching the windows opposite.

A slightly more contemporary palette is proposed for the Edwardian areas at the rear, whilst Georgian detailing is to be reintroduced to the original, front part of the house.

The proposed ground floor plan.

The proposed first floor plan.

The main changes to this floor involve the updating of finishes in the Drawing Room and the remodelling of the guest bedroom suite.

The second floor will be devoted to the Master Suite. The Georgian proportions will recreated, and the bedroom located at the front.

This space will be anchored by the restored fireplace and two tall doorways to either side of the bed, one accessing the dressing lobby and the other the bathroom.

We also propose to recreate the proportions of the original second floor rear room. This will house a generous Master Bathroom.

On one side, a 'rolltop' bath sits beneath the window and a glazed screen within an archway accesses the shower and lavatory cubicles.

A generously-sized vanity unit is located opposite, and a sliding mirrored door to the dressing lobby at the far end.

The proposed second floor plan.

The Master Dressing Room will be located at the rear, with occasional usage as a guest bedroom suite or study.

The elegant new staircase culminates in an open and airy top landing with a large, square top lantern.

Aligning sliding, glazed doors lead to a balcony on one side and a study on the other. A discreet door accesses a staircase to the roof terrace, planning-permitting.

This view from inside the study shows the two sets of sliding doors, the airy top landing, and the balcony beyond.

A third floor level was added atop the rear, Edwardian addition in the late '60's.

Here one can see the proposed recessed balcony and sliding glazed doors, adjacent to the top landing, overlooking the 'butterfly' roof of the original, Georgian part of the house.

Planning-permitting, it would be wonderful to create a roof terrace with panoramic views of central London on top of the Edwardian addition.

The terrace would be accessed via an electrically-operable sliding hatch atop a discreet staircase from the third floor landing.

Since the parapet is already a couple of feet high, one would simply need to add a section of structural glazing to meet building regulations and afford protection from the wind.

An outdoor fireplace, connected to the existing chimney would anchor the sitting area.

The proposed third floor plan.

The proposed roof plan.

Finally, here is an alternative proposal for the ground floor plan involving the 'squaring-off' of the bay and a larger, single Crittall window opening to the rear garden.