Highgate House Restoration, North London Edwardian Property, Building, Architecture Photos
Highgate House Restoration in London
4 May 2021
Highgate House Restoration
Design: Cairn
Location: Highgate, North London, England, UK
Full refurbishment of Edwardian house within Highgate Conservation Area.
The Highgate House Restoration project brought a dilapidated Edwardian property back to life, re-organising the arrangement to suit the lives of a young family and converting the roof space. A huge amount of work was required to restore the home and modernise the layout and environmental performance, all behind a veil of Edwardian atmosphere and craft.
The sensitive transformation required the full strip-out of the building that had fallen badly into disrepair, with much of the painstaking work invisible. The roof, all services, plasterwork and finishes were replaced, and the ground floor opened up by removing structural walls.
Careful specification of materials ensured that the rooms have soft, understated characters. Particular attention was paid to the way light would enter and reflect within the rooms throughout the day to create calm, peaceful spaces.
The renovation is quiet and appropriate. With the client we curated a new chapter in the building’s story and provided a restrained antidote to the rush and noise of the city beyond the door.
What was the brief?
• Loved the location of the house, in beautiful Conservation Area, backing onto a park. Bought house probate – it hadn’t been touched for 50 years, was very dilapidated and still had external WC and no central heating.
• House condition required complete renovation, including new roof, all new services, new plasterwork, new floor structures (reusing original floorboards) and refurbishment of all windows.
• Roof conversion for guest bedrooms and shower room
• Opened up rooms on ground floor, installed new kitchen
• New bathroom, home office and nursery on first floor
• Wanted atmosphere of Victorian house, but with performance of new construction. A lot of work was done, but remains largely invisible.
What were the key challenges?
Ensuring specification and performance met modern standards, while maintaining Victorian atmosphere. Act of sensitive stewardship for a house of historic value.
Carrying out the work within the client’s budget while completing in time for birth of child.
What were the solutions?
Careful specification of materials, chosen to make rooms that have soft, understated characters. Particular attention paid to the way light would enter the rooms throughout the day and how it would be reflected and absorbed by the materials. Tiles on the restored fireplace catch the light from the glazed rear wall. Full height glazing fills the kitchen with natural light and frames the garden.
Allocation of budget where it would have the most impact, in rooms where the family would spend time and areas that are most visible. Subtle and elegant reuse of what was there, adding just what was required for the client’s brief, guided by sensitivity to the original house. The rebuilt staircase has double-curved plasterwork that required particular craftsmanship. The bathroom is a calming retreat with cast iron bath and fireplace. The staggering of statutory approvals and sequencing of the construction work was key to keep the project on time.
Who are the clients and what’s interesting about them?
professional couple expecting their first baby, had to be completed for birth date
How is the project unique?
Huge amount of work to bring house back to life and modernise the layout and performance, all behind a veil of Victorian atmosphere and craft. The work was quiet and appropriate, not done for spectacle or display. Sensitively curating a new chapter in the building’s story.
Soft, calming atmosphere and rich textures. Choices that subtly tune the experience of each room. The sound of footsteps on the original floorboards, the weight of hardwood doors and the feel of hand-crafted door handles and balustrades in the hand.
Highgate House Restoration in London, UK – Building Information
Architects: Cairn
Project size: 180 m2
Completion date: 2017
Building levels: 3
Photography: Peter Landers
Highgate House Restoration, London images / information received 040521
Location: Highgate, North London, south east England, UK
Highgate House Designs
Highgate Residential Properties
Victorian Townhouse Property
Design: LLI Design
photo courtesy of architects
Victorian Townhouse Property in Highgate
New Highgate Townhouse Property
Design: LLI Design
photo : Rick Mccullagh
Highgate Townhouse Property
Kingsley Place Property
Design: Zuber Architecture
photograph : Mel Yates
Kingsley Place House, Highgate Property
Highpoint
Design: Berthold Lubetkin Architect / Tecton
photo © Adrian Welch
Highpoint London, Highgate Flats
House in Highgate Cemetery
Design: Eldridge Smerin, Architects
photograph : Lyndon Douglas
House in Highgate Cemetery
Sheldon Avenue house
Design: Belsize architects
image courtesy of architects
Sheldon Avenue House, Highgate Home
Highgate Architecture
Highgate Junior School Building
Channing School Extension in Highgate
London House Designs
London Residential Architecture
Oak Hill House, Hampstead, North London
Design: Claridge Architects
photograph : Simon Kennedy
New Hampstead House
Elm Court House, North London
Design: AR Design Studio
photo : Martin Gardner
Elm Court House
North London Residential Extension
Design: Alison Brook Architects
North London Residential Extension
Hampstead Housing : Lawn Road Flats
Willow Road house : 2 Willow Road
Architecture in London
London Architecture Links – chronological list
Comments / photos for the Highgate House Restoration, London page welcome
Website: Highgate North London
