Houzz Tour: A Tiny London Home Has an Astonishing Makeover
How brave vision and thoughtful design magicked a bright, effortlessly cool three-storey home out of a mini workshop in east London
For those who struggle with small space living, this remarkable makeover of a dilapidated workshop with a tiny footprint in east London offers both hope and inspiration. ‘Everyone laughed,’ says architect Fiona Kirkwood of the moment she revealed her plans to make the tiny ruin in east London into a home. ‘But I had conviction and got stubborn about it,’ she adds, and the building has now been transformed into a remarkable three storey home.
From the lengthy planning process to difficulties getting access for builders and extremely tight space constraints, the project was certainly not without its challenges, but the results are astonishing.
Houzz at a Glance
Location Bethnal Green, east London
Size 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Who lives here Fiona Kirkwood and Benjamin Morgan
Architect Fiona Kirkwood of Kirkwood McCarthy
That’s interesting The site is incredibly narrow, 3.7m at its widest
Photos ©Tim Crocker
From the lengthy planning process to difficulties getting access for builders and extremely tight space constraints, the project was certainly not without its challenges, but the results are astonishing.
Houzz at a Glance
Location Bethnal Green, east London
Size 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Who lives here Fiona Kirkwood and Benjamin Morgan
Architect Fiona Kirkwood of Kirkwood McCarthy
That’s interesting The site is incredibly narrow, 3.7m at its widest
Photos ©Tim Crocker
With such a small site, the biggest issue was overcoming the tiny footprint, Fiona explains. Then there was the lengthy planning process. ‘Bethnal Green was heavily bombed during the war and this site is on one of the few conservation areas of its type, so it was important the facade remained red brick,’ she says.
Factors such as right to light and being close to a canal all heavily influenced the form the building could take. ‘We knew it had to be vertical, and the footprint was such that you could only get one room on each level. But I knew I wanted two bedrooms and two bathrooms,’ she explains.
It made the basic structure very simple to determine in terms of the flow from public to private, with the two bedrooms and bathrooms on the ground and first-floor levels, and the main living space in the basement. ‘Once we understood that conceptual structure, it was about manipulating the architectural structure to falsify the sense of space,’ says Fiona.
It made the basic structure very simple to determine in terms of the flow from public to private, with the two bedrooms and bathrooms on the ground and first-floor levels, and the main living space in the basement. ‘Once we understood that conceptual structure, it was about manipulating the architectural structure to falsify the sense of space,’ says Fiona.
One of the home’s most defining features is the surprising feeling of space and light given its small footprint. This was thanks to thoughtful design that took into account the details and functions of everything. ‘With such a small space, everything has to have a dual function to maximise performance, be that storage, light or acoustics,’ Fiona explains.
Even though the house is an example of contemporary architecture, Fiona was conscious it was to be a home first and foremost. ‘We wanted it to be comfortable and relaxed,’ she says, so she juxtaposed the contemporary architectural features with things like a thick persian carpet and a squishy sofa.
Bluebell sofa, Sofa.com. Walls painted in Brilliant White, Dulux. Reflect sideboard, Muuto. Tavolo table by Magis at The Conran Shop. NY11 dining chairs, Norr11. Drum side table by Softline at A White Room.
Even though the house is an example of contemporary architecture, Fiona was conscious it was to be a home first and foremost. ‘We wanted it to be comfortable and relaxed,’ she says, so she juxtaposed the contemporary architectural features with things like a thick persian carpet and a squishy sofa.
Bluebell sofa, Sofa.com. Walls painted in Brilliant White, Dulux. Reflect sideboard, Muuto. Tavolo table by Magis at The Conran Shop. NY11 dining chairs, Norr11. Drum side table by Softline at A White Room.
Fiona was careful to ensure the basement didn’t feel like a basement, so she had it lifted as high as possible in order to gain as much of a view of the outdoors as possible.
‘The whole house is about pushing what can be achieved on a really small site,’ says Fiona. The steps in the courtyard, for instance, are all carefully designed to be at seating height. ‘The courtyard is furniture – it’s like an amphitheatre. We’ve had 20 people sitting out there. It becomes a great social hub for the house and is a big part of the integrated indoor-outdoor sense we wanted to create,’ she explains.
She planted the living wall herself with the help of a landscape gardener friend using Woolly Pocket Living Wall Planters and flowers, herbs and evergreens from New Covent Garden flower market. The wall gets direct sunlight and stands where an old toilet used to be. The greenery both acknowledges that an old structure was there, and provides a tranquil and peaceful ambience for the small courtyard, as well as the herbs for the kitchen.
Living Wall Planters, Woolly Pocket.
‘The whole house is about pushing what can be achieved on a really small site,’ says Fiona. The steps in the courtyard, for instance, are all carefully designed to be at seating height. ‘The courtyard is furniture – it’s like an amphitheatre. We’ve had 20 people sitting out there. It becomes a great social hub for the house and is a big part of the integrated indoor-outdoor sense we wanted to create,’ she explains.
She planted the living wall herself with the help of a landscape gardener friend using Woolly Pocket Living Wall Planters and flowers, herbs and evergreens from New Covent Garden flower market. The wall gets direct sunlight and stands where an old toilet used to be. The greenery both acknowledges that an old structure was there, and provides a tranquil and peaceful ambience for the small courtyard, as well as the herbs for the kitchen.
Living Wall Planters, Woolly Pocket.
To further enhance the link between inside and out, Fiona decided to continue the brick from the patio on to the basement floor. ‘The traditionally external material gives a sense of the casual courtyard inside,’ she says. As an Australian living in London, the blending of outside and in was very important in the design.
Step lights, Hunza Lighting at Moonlight Design.
Step lights, Hunza Lighting at Moonlight Design.
Fiona and Benjamin’s home extends only to the end of their courtyard. Beyond is a mews garden shared by their neighbours, who include furniture designers and artists, so the space has become a sort of workshop area.
While the front elevation of the property had to be red brick to conform to Building Regulations, Fiona wanted to express some of its old identity – it had long been black-painted brick – in the tall elevation at the back.
While the front elevation of the property had to be red brick to conform to Building Regulations, Fiona wanted to express some of its old identity – it had long been black-painted brick – in the tall elevation at the back.
The basement is open plan, and on the other side of the room is the kitchen area. Fiona kept all of the walls and cabinets throughout the house white, with black accents on the railings, windows, handles and other details. ‘Black and white was there from the outset,’ she explains. ‘It was such an easy palette that offset all of the tonal variations in the brickwork. It became a rule we stuck to quite strictly,’ she adds.
White lacquered push release doors and a white Silestone worktop keep the kitchen clean and simple, while under-stairs storage ensures not an inch of space is wasted. ‘That’s sort of the premise of the house,’ says Fiona, ‘everything is really functional, but discreet and well executed.’
The walnut stairs leading to the ground floor become perforated steel ones at the top to allow natural light from the landing window into the basement.
White lacquered push release doors and a white Silestone worktop keep the kitchen clean and simple, while under-stairs storage ensures not an inch of space is wasted. ‘That’s sort of the premise of the house,’ says Fiona, ‘everything is really functional, but discreet and well executed.’
The walnut stairs leading to the ground floor become perforated steel ones at the top to allow natural light from the landing window into the basement.
On the raised ground floor is a guest room that doubles as a study, plus a wet room. ‘We decided to put in just a curtain instead of a wall because we wanted it to interact with the courtyard and basement below,’ says Fiona.
Building regulations specified that the balustrade needed to be at least 900cm high, but Fiona worked out that if she made it 1100cm high, the top section could be cut out and lined with black aluminium to form shelves and enhance the light and interaction with the rest of the space.
The main key to the home’s success is the consideration that went into every detail. Rather than opt for more floor space by creating three full floors, Fiona chose to add in this mezzanine level, resulting in an integrated and much more spacious whole. ‘It was important to know when not to add floor space to make it feel bigger,’ she explains.
Sofa; Luca Soft Carver chair; dressing table, all Ligne Roset. American black walnut flooring, Woodfloors4U.
Browse more marvellous mezzanines
Building regulations specified that the balustrade needed to be at least 900cm high, but Fiona worked out that if she made it 1100cm high, the top section could be cut out and lined with black aluminium to form shelves and enhance the light and interaction with the rest of the space.
The main key to the home’s success is the consideration that went into every detail. Rather than opt for more floor space by creating three full floors, Fiona chose to add in this mezzanine level, resulting in an integrated and much more spacious whole. ‘It was important to know when not to add floor space to make it feel bigger,’ she explains.
Sofa; Luca Soft Carver chair; dressing table, all Ligne Roset. American black walnut flooring, Woodfloors4U.
Browse more marvellous mezzanines
The balustrade doubles as a bookcase on the other side – another example of the creative use of space in this house. ‘Any surface or space that can possibly store something does,’ says Fiona. ‘You have to overthink everything when you work at this scale – it can get really chaotic otherwise.’
Fiona and Benjamin had a collection of big and colourful West African art from Jack Bell Gallery in Mayfair. ‘We knew we’d have to keep the spaces as calm as possible to let the soft furnishings and art add the colour and interest,’ Fiona explains.
Wall light by Light Years, Skandium.
Fiona and Benjamin had a collection of big and colourful West African art from Jack Bell Gallery in Mayfair. ‘We knew we’d have to keep the spaces as calm as possible to let the soft furnishings and art add the colour and interest,’ Fiona explains.
Wall light by Light Years, Skandium.
Fiona describes deciding on the layout for the staircase as ‘an extensive exercise’. It was important to minimise their impact on the floor space, and in the end she decided that the most effective way to do it was to bundle them all into the south corner. From there it was all about figuring out how they could add character and a quality of performance.
‘It was important to have a continuity of materials,’ Fiona explains. She knew the floors of the home would be a mixture of brick in the basement and walnut for the upper two floors, and the colour scheme would be black and white. ‘I wanted to be able to read the walnut and brick together, and the walnut with the black, and the black with the brick,’ she says. So the staircase up from the basement is walnut with black steel banisters, and the other flights are made from steel.
In this image, the front door is to the right of the window, the study/guest room and wet room are directly behind, and the archway marks the staircase up to the master bedroom.
The lighter bricks are the neighbour’s, and the horizontal line is where the old building’s ceiling was. ‘We left it open because you don’t need as high an acoustic performance up here – plus it’s another nod to the history of the home,’ says Fiona.
‘It was important to have a continuity of materials,’ Fiona explains. She knew the floors of the home would be a mixture of brick in the basement and walnut for the upper two floors, and the colour scheme would be black and white. ‘I wanted to be able to read the walnut and brick together, and the walnut with the black, and the black with the brick,’ she says. So the staircase up from the basement is walnut with black steel banisters, and the other flights are made from steel.
In this image, the front door is to the right of the window, the study/guest room and wet room are directly behind, and the archway marks the staircase up to the master bedroom.
The lighter bricks are the neighbour’s, and the horizontal line is where the old building’s ceiling was. ‘We left it open because you don’t need as high an acoustic performance up here – plus it’s another nod to the history of the home,’ says Fiona.
The door to the master suite is at the bottom of the stairs, keeping the top floor open and free-flowing. Although there’s a wet room on the floor below, Fiona was keen to have a bath up here. ‘I’m obsessed with having baths, and this was the only place we could fit one,’ she says. ‘After the bath, it sort of snowballed into a whole bathroom, because it’s convenient to have a loo here, too,’ she adds. ‘It’s actually turned out really nicely. It’s like living in a hotel-style space, and you have a closed off bathroom downstairs for when you want to be private.’
The drawers were specially designed so as to not be too high to exaggerate the low ceiling. Black aluminium handles connect with the floors below for a harmonious whole.
Tiles, Domus Tiles. Vero Handrinse 500mm basin, Duravit.
The drawers were specially designed so as to not be too high to exaggerate the low ceiling. Black aluminium handles connect with the floors below for a harmonious whole.
Tiles, Domus Tiles. Vero Handrinse 500mm basin, Duravit.
Planning regulations meant the shape of this room would necessarily be awkward. So Fiona made a feature of the sloping ceiling by installing LED spotlights.
‘We tried not to have too many overhead lights in the space,’ she says. ‘Everything was very specific – more about carefully considered zones of lighting to make sure it didn’t become glitzy,’ she adds.
Bifold doors onto a small patio create another link with the outside. ‘The other day it was snowing in the morning, and we opened it all up to watch from the warmth of the bed.’
Fabric was cut to the specific angle of the glazed wall to create a curtain that sits beautifully on top of the walnut floorboards when closed.
Divina Melange 2 curtain fabric, Kvadrat. Silo pendant light, Zero Lighting at Inform. Shetland bed, The Natural Bed Company.
Read expert advice on bifold doors
‘We tried not to have too many overhead lights in the space,’ she says. ‘Everything was very specific – more about carefully considered zones of lighting to make sure it didn’t become glitzy,’ she adds.
Bifold doors onto a small patio create another link with the outside. ‘The other day it was snowing in the morning, and we opened it all up to watch from the warmth of the bed.’
Fabric was cut to the specific angle of the glazed wall to create a curtain that sits beautifully on top of the walnut floorboards when closed.
Divina Melange 2 curtain fabric, Kvadrat. Silo pendant light, Zero Lighting at Inform. Shetland bed, The Natural Bed Company.
Read expert advice on bifold doors
Basement
Ground floor
First floor
TELL US…
What do you think of this small house in east London? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
What do you think of this small house in east London? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.