Houzz Tour: A One-bed Flat is Transformed into a Two-bed Home
An architect couple bring fresh life to a historic Victorian flat
“This beautiful building was on a bus route that my husband and I used to take on our commute across London,” Emma Perkin says of the historic Victorian housing complex that was to become their home. “We used to look down this mysterious cobbled street and wonder what it would be like to live there,” she recalls.
“Then, when we started house-hunting, someone mentioned this place to us, and we ended up buying a flat in the very building we used to go past every day.”
“Then, when we started house-hunting, someone mentioned this place to us, and we ended up buying a flat in the very building we used to go past every day.”
The flat is located in Gibson Gardens, a historic housing complex in Stoke Newington. Built in 1880 by the Metropolitan Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrious Classes, the buildings were some of the first quality dwellings for working and lower-middle-class families constructed in London.
“When we started house-hunting, we viewed three flats in the complex and made offers on a couple,” Emma says, “but they’d recently been renovated and were out of our budget. Then we found this one and, because it needed some work, it was more affordable and our offer was accepted.”
“When we started house-hunting, we viewed three flats in the complex and made offers on a couple,” Emma says, “but they’d recently been renovated and were out of our budget. Then we found this one and, because it needed some work, it was more affordable and our offer was accepted.”
The property originally had two bedrooms, but the previous owner had reconfigured it into a one-bed flat.
“The existing layout didn’t work for us,” Emma says. “The flat is really tiny and we knew we needed to make the space work better. By the time we bought the place, I was also pregnant, so we knew we needed to convert it back into a two-bedroom flat.”
“The existing layout didn’t work for us,” Emma says. “The flat is really tiny and we knew we needed to make the space work better. By the time we bought the place, I was also pregnant, so we knew we needed to convert it back into a two-bedroom flat.”
The couple created a second bedroom by combining the kitchen and living areas and stealing space from the bathroom to accommodate a laundry cupboard and bedroom wardrobes.
Once Emma and Ross had the keys, the builders moved in for six weeks to do the structural work, after which the couple moved in and lived in the space while tackling the rest of the renovation themselves.
“We were on a tight budget, so we did a lot of the work ourselves,” says Emma. “The builders took care of moving the walls and replastering, but we did the rest, including designing and building the kitchen using Ikea carcasses and doors.”
Sofa, Ikea (re-covered).
“We were on a tight budget, so we did a lot of the work ourselves,” says Emma. “The builders took care of moving the walls and replastering, but we did the rest, including designing and building the kitchen using Ikea carcasses and doors.”
Sofa, Ikea (re-covered).
“To save money, the entire kitchen was actually designed around the Ikea system,” Emma says. “We worked out, for example, that we could fit two wall cabinet carcasses one above the other to maximise wall storage space, and then used a large fridge door over the top of both for a clean finish.”
By saving on the units, the couple were able to invest in a solid worksurface. “We went for a Corian worktop and splashback,” says Emma. “The worktop cost more than the kitchen, but it created that seamless, fuss-free finish we knew we needed in such a compact space.”
Veddinge kitchen unit doors, Ikea.
By saving on the units, the couple were able to invest in a solid worksurface. “We went for a Corian worktop and splashback,” says Emma. “The worktop cost more than the kitchen, but it created that seamless, fuss-free finish we knew we needed in such a compact space.”
Veddinge kitchen unit doors, Ikea.
The open shelving is solid ash and was designed by the couple. “We bought the pieces already cut to size, then put them together ourselves – trickier than we imagined, as the walls, floor and ceiling aren’t at all straight,” Emma says.
“In such a small flat, storage was a massive priority and it all became a bit of a jigsaw puzzle, with things backing onto each other from different rooms,” she adds.
Find kitchen canisters and jars in the Houzz Shop
“In such a small flat, storage was a massive priority and it all became a bit of a jigsaw puzzle, with things backing onto each other from different rooms,” she adds.
Find kitchen canisters and jars in the Houzz Shop
The couple also built the bespoke shelving unit in the living room themselves, using timber they’d had cut to size and delivered to the flat.
“We had some practical skills already, so were confident we could take on the joinery ourselves,” Emma says, “although I was nine months pregnant at the time.”
Need extra storage in your home? Shop bookcases on Houzz
“We had some practical skills already, so were confident we could take on the joinery ourselves,” Emma says, “although I was nine months pregnant at the time.”
Need extra storage in your home? Shop bookcases on Houzz
Apart from these two bespoke pieces of shelving, the rest of the flat has deliberately been left minimal in style.
“Keeping the design and décor simple was a big consideration with this project,” says Emma. “We had to have things as pared-back as possible, as we didn’t want the small space to feel cluttered.”
“Keeping the design and décor simple was a big consideration with this project,” says Emma. “We had to have things as pared-back as possible, as we didn’t want the small space to feel cluttered.”
“Maximising light was also key for us,” she continues. “The flat is on the third floor, so it was already quite bright, and we really wanted to keep that feeling. We also wanted the history of the building to show through.”
TV cabinet, Habitat. Artwork, Ben Crawford.
TV cabinet, Habitat. Artwork, Ben Crawford.
The main bedroom and bathroom lead off from the hallway. When the couple moved in, the bedroom had no storage, while the bathroom next door was an impractically long, thin space.
“The first thing we did was establish which walls weren’t structural. That meant we could take down the bathroom walls and redesign it as a squarer room,” Emma says.
By borrowing space from the bathroom, the couple were able to carve out a wardrobe in the adjoining bedroom.
“The first thing we did was establish which walls weren’t structural. That meant we could take down the bathroom walls and redesign it as a squarer room,” Emma says.
By borrowing space from the bathroom, the couple were able to carve out a wardrobe in the adjoining bedroom.
“It was like a puzzle figuring out how the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen could fit together,” Emma says. “We even made the bedroom niche a very specific size, so an Ikea wardrobe would fit into it perfectly.
“As with everything in this project, we had time and knowledge but not the money, so we had to find little ways like this to make the space work for us.”
Wall painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball.
“As with everything in this project, we had time and knowledge but not the money, so we had to find little ways like this to make the space work for us.”
Wall painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball.
This panoramic photo shows the bedroom before the wall was extended into the bathroom.
The bathroom is now a smaller space, but it’s been simply decorated in crisp white, with a wall-mounted basin and shower-bath to make it feel as streamlined as possible.
“We tried to delineate rooms without making everything feel too separated,” Emma explains. “The flooring in the bathroom is the same as in the hallway, for example, to keep the spaces feeling connected.”
Design Two Hex floor tiles, Grestec. Sanitaryware, EC1 Bathrooms. Vola HV1-06 Light Green basin mixer tap, available at House Proud.
“We tried to delineate rooms without making everything feel too separated,” Emma explains. “The flooring in the bathroom is the same as in the hallway, for example, to keep the spaces feeling connected.”
Design Two Hex floor tiles, Grestec. Sanitaryware, EC1 Bathrooms. Vola HV1-06 Light Green basin mixer tap, available at House Proud.
The original bathroom.
The second bedroom is very small, so Emma and Ross had to be creative, and again called on their design skills to come up with a smart solution for furnishing the room.
“We realised we weren’t going to be able to buy anything that fitted, so we designed the unit across the back ourselves,” Emma explains. A bookshelf provides much-needed storage, while a small chair serves as both a nursing chair and a “bedtime-story-reading chair” for their daughter.
Emma and Ross also carefully considered the future life of the unit, and designed it so the chair is the exact width of a single bed. As such, when their daughter is older, they’ll be able to remove the cushions and transform the chair into a single bed.
“We realised we weren’t going to be able to buy anything that fitted, so we designed the unit across the back ourselves,” Emma explains. A bookshelf provides much-needed storage, while a small chair serves as both a nursing chair and a “bedtime-story-reading chair” for their daughter.
Emma and Ross also carefully considered the future life of the unit, and designed it so the chair is the exact width of a single bed. As such, when their daughter is older, they’ll be able to remove the cushions and transform the chair into a single bed.
As a home for three, the flat worked wonderfully, but when Emma found out she was expecting their second child, the couple realised they’d have to move on to a bigger home to make space for their growing family, so after two-and-a-half years of enjoying the space, the couple reluctantly put their home back on the market.
“It’s a really amazing street and the building has such a nice community spirit,” Emma says. “Everyone’s in the same boat – they’ve chosen to live in these characterful but tiny flats, so they’re always sharing tips on the best ways to make them work. We were sad to leave – it’s a very special place.”
Inspired by this renovation project? Search here to find a design professional in your area
Tell us…
What do you think of this small flat transformation? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Inspired by this renovation project? Search here to find a design professional in your area
Tell us…
What do you think of this small flat transformation? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? Emma and Ross Perkin and their young daughter
Location Stoke Newington, London
Property A third-floor flat in a Victorian housing complex
Size Two bedrooms and one bathroom; 50 sq m in total
Architects Emma and Ross Perkin of Emil Eve Architects
Budget Bought for £390k; spent approx £40k; sold for £500k
Photos by Mariell Lind Hansen