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It’s hard to believe that this Georgian townhouse in South London stood unloved and abandoned for many years. In a poor state internally, it was ripe for a new look. Today, thanks to a sensitive makeover and a stunning, 14m-long rear extension incorporating two internal courtyards, it’s filled with light and life once again.
Kitchen at a Glance
- Who lives here? A professional couple with their young family
- Location: Clapham, South London
- Property: A three-storey Georgian townhouse
- Room dimensions: 13.9m x 1.7m at hallway and 5m at kitchen and living areas
- Designer: Malcolm Weir of West & Reid
- Photos by: Adam Scott
The shell of the extension was already in place when the owners decided to bring cabinet-makers West & Reid onboard. “The linear space was full of light and arranged over several different levels,” designer Malcolm Weir says. “The window frames were made from iroko, a warm, honey-coloured hardwood, so we chose to replicate this for the cabinets.”
Two internal courtyards, designed by architect Paul Turner, connect different areas of the space and bring the outside right into the centre of the home. “The inspiration behind bringing the courtyards into the living space stems from the clients’ love of Dutch courtyard paintings, alongside monastic cloisters and East Asian courtyard gardens,” Malcolm explains.
In the kitchen, iroko units have been paired with white painted walls and a polished concrete splashback and worktops. “We worked closely with the concrete fabricator to provide templates for the hob and sink,” Malcolm says. “Installing the wall cabinets around the concrete upstand needed some careful planning, as it was crucial to maintain a flush, seamless finish.”
The solution was to design the units with a slight rebate at the back to allow the slabs to be slotted neatly in place.
Working with iroko required a large degree of care and patience. Starting as a golden yellow colour, the timber can quickly change to a dark brown when exposed to sunlight.
In such a light-filled space and with a long run of timber units, it was essential to maintain a uniform colour across all the cabinets, so Malcolm and his team had to be particularly mindful of where they stored the timber and when it was installed.
The cabinets’ beautiful clean lines bring subtle detail to the pared-back décor and help to guide the focus towards the view through the glazed bifold doors.
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Integrated appliances, including a fridge-freezer, dishwasher and extractor, are discreetly hidden within the meticulously crafted cabinets. Open shelves add interest and variety and enable the family to display some of their favourite items.
At the end of the run of kitchen cabinets is a low bench seat, which extends across the entire length of the living area.
At the other end of the bench is a hallway with a run of cabinets along one wall. Precise measuring was needed to accommodate the short flight of steps up to the hallway.
A drinks cabinet sits neatly inside one of the full-height units. It contains wine racks, a wine fridge and a tiled preparation surface.
The floor plan shows how the courtyards fit into the space.
The windows along the hallway look out onto the second, sunken courtyard, which lets natural light into a bedroom and playroom on the lower ground floor. The window frames and cabinets are again all finished in iroko, which gives the space a cohesive look.
