Houzz Tour: A London Town House That Swapped ’70s for Scandi
A dramatic redesign turned a dark and dated interior into an all-white idyll that’s both practical and personal
Even before its remarkable makeover, this fortysomething terrace had plenty to offer. Located in well-heeled Highgate, just a short stroll away from the splendours of Hampstead Heath, its location was hard to beat and its square footage was substantial. Its interior, however, hardly touched since 1970, left a lot to be desired. So its new owner wasted no time in enlisting professional help to transform the space.
Architect Thomas Griem had worked for the Norwegian owner before and happily took on the challenge. ‘It was really 1970s inside,’ he says. ‘Nothing was open plan and the whole place was very dark.’ It was a far cry from the owner’s idea of home, which owes a lot to her Scandi roots. ‘She pretty much only likes white and really pushed for a minimalist look,’ says Thomas. Structurally, interior walls were removed to allow light to flow from the back to the front of the terrace. The chunky imposing staircase, which joined the six half-floors, was replaced with floating treads and a glass balustrade, and angled to create a better connection between each floor.
In many ways, this is a classic minimalist interior, but the combination of matt white walls, reflective white stone and white-oiled wooden floorboards, along with the owner’s collection of artworks, adds texture to the space and gives it personality. Six months in the planning and a further six months in the execution, it’s a project that boosted the mood of both the property and its owner. ‘The owner was confident it would look good,’ says Thomas, ‘but she was absolutely delighted with the finished result.’
Houzz at a Glance
Location Highgate, North London
Year built 1970
Architect Thomas Griem of TG-Studio
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Architect Thomas Griem had worked for the Norwegian owner before and happily took on the challenge. ‘It was really 1970s inside,’ he says. ‘Nothing was open plan and the whole place was very dark.’ It was a far cry from the owner’s idea of home, which owes a lot to her Scandi roots. ‘She pretty much only likes white and really pushed for a minimalist look,’ says Thomas. Structurally, interior walls were removed to allow light to flow from the back to the front of the terrace. The chunky imposing staircase, which joined the six half-floors, was replaced with floating treads and a glass balustrade, and angled to create a better connection between each floor.
In many ways, this is a classic minimalist interior, but the combination of matt white walls, reflective white stone and white-oiled wooden floorboards, along with the owner’s collection of artworks, adds texture to the space and gives it personality. Six months in the planning and a further six months in the execution, it’s a project that boosted the mood of both the property and its owner. ‘The owner was confident it would look good,’ says Thomas, ‘but she was absolutely delighted with the finished result.’
Houzz at a Glance
Location Highgate, North London
Year built 1970
Architect Thomas Griem of TG-Studio
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
The house is one of a group designed by celebrated architect Ted Levy in 1970. The unassuming exterior gives little away about the thoroughly modern, all-white interior.
Arranged across six half-floors, the building has double-height stairwells and an uninterrupted view right through the house. ‘We removed as many dividing walls as possible to allow it to be lit from the front and back,’ explains Thomas.
Stairs lead down from the entrance to the back of the house. ‘This is the more formal living room, which is also used for practising yoga,’ says Thomas. Quirky lighting, in the form of a giant Anglepoise and Skyline’s Globe lights, enlivens the pale scheme.
Globe Lights, Skyline.
See more examples of playing with scale
Globe Lights, Skyline.
See more examples of playing with scale
The brief was to create a calm, relaxing and neutral space in contrast to the busy life of London. Each level seems to float above the one below, creating the effect of a mezzanine. The open stairs, glass balustrade and white, floaty curtains, add to the remarkably light look.
The dining area and kitchen were originally separate rooms, but they are now open to each other. The dining chairs are Hudson by Philippe Starck for Emeco. The table is from Ikea. A white backdrop makes the perfect place to display the owner’s modern art, including this giant pencil by Alan Becker.
Dining Chairs, Hudson by Philippe Starck for Emeco. Table, Ikea. Giant Pencil, Alan Becker.
Dining Chairs, Hudson by Philippe Starck for Emeco. Table, Ikea. Giant Pencil, Alan Becker.
The minimalist kitchen units are white lacquer with a man-made stone worktop and splashback. Although the interior is all white, it’s far from uniform. ‘Because of the different finishes of wood and stone and the different paints we used on the ceilings, or in the kitchen and bathroom, every white surface is different,’ explains Thomas.
Flush, stainless-steel appliances are the only things that break up the sleek white units. This was the location of the old kitchen, but the dividing walls have been removed. ‘It has become part of the rest of the house and feels much more spacious now,’ says Thomas.
The TV room is a popular spot when the owner’s grandchildren come to visit. Their bedrooms are also on this level. ‘The higher up you go, the more private the space gets,’ says Thomas.
‘I opened the house up as much as possible, removing corridors wherever I could,’ says the architect. The stairs were replaced and, while they stayed in the original location, their direction was reversed to make the most of the space.
The flooring throughout the house is 400mm-wide pine from Dinesen, stained with white oil. ‘Before, the stairs were a really heavy timber and there was carpet everywhere,’ says Thomas.
Flooring, 400mm-wide pine from Dinesen.
Flooring, 400mm-wide pine from Dinesen.
This guest bedroom is designed for regular visits from the owner’s grandchildren. Stackable Verner Panton chairs are a practical and eye-catching choice and make this space both adult- and child-friendly.
Chairs, Verner Panton.
Chairs, Verner Panton.
The two top floors were turned into a light-filled master suite, featuring a bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. All the windows throughout the house were refurbished or replaced during the project. The furniture includes a reupholstered Louis XIV armchair, an Eames EA208 chair, and a bespoke desk made by TG-Studio to fit the space. ‘A few pieces were bought specifically for the house, but the owner already had some very nice furniture,’ says Thomas.
Armchair, Louis XIV. Desk Chair, Eames EA208. Desk, Bespoke by TG-Studio.
Armchair, Louis XIV. Desk Chair, Eames EA208. Desk, Bespoke by TG-Studio.
The bathroom is Thassos white marble – the whitest available – with embedded crystals that give it beautiful depth. Back-lit shelves work as both storage and display, while a Venetian mirror has been used to created the cabinet door.
Marble, Thassos White.
Marble, Thassos White.
A large skylight was installed on the top floor, which is now home to the master dressing room. Built-in storage makes efficient use of the space below the sloping roof and a huge mirror reflects the sky.
Be inspired by more oversized mirrors
Be inspired by more oversized mirrors
Thomas called on his friend, garden designer Stephen Woodhams, to help make the most of the small outside space. Stephen added a mirror at the back of the garden, creating an optical illusion and adding to the playful Alice In Wonderland effect created by the huge Anglepoise-style light.
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