Originally built as a modest cottage, the house had evolved through several extensions before taking on its current two-storey form. Set on a prominent corner plot in The Grange, with pronounced level differences between the garden, neighbouring properties and street, the building felt fragmented and disconnected from its setting. The site’s complexity (its gradients, sightlines and exposure) presented both challenges and opportunities for reinterpretation.

The project involved the careful restoration and modernisation of the main house, bringing its many past extensions into a more cohesive whole while retaining its character. The layout was reworked to feel calmer and more connected, with light, proportion and flow guiding every decision.

The sense of arrival and orientation was completely rethought. New openings now frame views through the ground floor and towards the garden, letting natural light reach deep into the house. Because of the site’s steep levels, linking the house and garden was key. A series of gentle level changes creates long views and a natural movement between spaces that previously felt disjointed.

From the street, the new upper floor reads as a quiet black volume: a soft contrast to the masonry below. Its restrained form helps reduce the apparent scale of the house, while vertical slats give rhythm, privacy and shade. The pale buff brick base grounds the building in its setting, with large openings that bring in light and give glimpses of activity within.

At the centre of the house, a new staircase and rooflight act as a vertical spine, drawing daylight down through each level. This moment of openness brings a sense of calm and orientation, turning a simple transition space into the heart of the home.