Contemporising a Victorian Terraced Townhouse!

By way of reconfiguration, clever use of colour, lighting, and bespoke design elements, LLI Design redesigns and refurbishes a five-storey, period terraced townhouse in North London…

Perched at the top of Highgate Hill, commanding enviable views across London, this 1860s house sits within the Highgate Conservation area. The tall and narrow house stands totally redesigned with careful consideration for its period architectural features, and the dynamics of spaces. The result is eclectic with elements of mid-century, contemporary, industrial, and traditional styling all coming together.

Starting by reconfiguring the layout, the lower ground floor is designed for family living, largely open plan, zoning into a boot room, kitchen, dining area, casual study, family living area and rear garden. Removing the corridor on the upper ground floor frees up valuable space width-wise and heralds a small entrance foyer opening into an expansive formal living-dining area. The old conservatory stands replaced by a new one.

Whilst original features like window shutters, skirtings, dado rails, coving and fireplaces are maintained, restored, and in some cases replicated, the footprint of the upper ground floor is increased by extending out over the lower ground floor where the building returns. The traditional sash window stands replaced with a full-height, full-width, fixed window allowing for long views of the garden. The impact of extending this small area allows for better flow in the dining room, making the space feel more comfortable and cohesive. A grand reception room heralds the first floor with its high ceilings and full-height windows overlooking the front of the property, whilst a large master suite sets the tone of the private quarters as they occupy the two storeys above.

A contemporary design vocabulary strikes a sensitive balance between old and new. Robust leather, bespoke pale grey lacquer joinery, deep-buttoned bespoke upholstery, marble, glass, mirror, and metal vie for attention as exposed original brickwork, full-height black metal-and-glass double-doors and sliding aluminium doors, flooring that ranges from rugged concrete tile terrace flooring, black and white marble carpet to warm-toned, pale grey, wide plank timber, and clever use of lighting anoints the spaces furnishing them with a pleasing mix of styles.

Skylights in the living room ceiling and a new glass floor in the conservatory help filter in natural light and enhance roominess. A new traditional-style staircase visually matches the existing core staircase throughout the house. A mix of vintage and modern furniture pieces washed-out vintage rugs in pale corals, pinks, and oranges, a contemporary walnut table with mid-century inspired bottle green velvet chairs and the like… orchestrate a balance via colour and texture to create a cohesive whole controlled via the Intelligent Lighting and Home Automation systems.

The design stays true to the Victorian bones and features of the original, but at the same time can offer open-plan, multi-functional spaces – elements so desired in 21st-century living.

Fact File:
Typology: Residential Architecture and Interior Design
Architecture/ Interior Design/ Lighting & Landscape Design: LLI Design 
Internal Area: c. 2800 sq. ft. / 260 sq. m.
Location: London, UK
Photography credits: Richard Gooding 
Text courtesy of V2com newswire