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Homes&
Property
Wednesday 30 March 2011
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The bigger
picture
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Our home: page 22
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Wednesday 30 March 2011 evening standard
Homes & Property Our home
evening standard Wednesday 30 March 2011
23
Our home Homes & Property
homesandproperty.co.uk
Clockwise from
top left: the brass
island in the
ktichen was
inspired by the
countertops in
French bistros —
and a desire to
avoid the current
obsession with
stainless steel.
The poured-resin
floor adds a sleek
look. By contrast
the living room
sticks to tradition
with polished
floorboards and a
wall of
bookshelves. The
plain “brick
shaped” Metro
tiles in the
bathroom are
offset by black
grouting and a
magnificent freestanding tub. One
of the toughest
hurdles in the
project was
getting planning
permission for a
rooftop
extension. The
bright, skylit
bedroom
eventually won
the support of a
planning appeals
officer
Clockwise from
above left: the
family can enjoy a
great view of
garden from the
dining area and
the galleried
living area above.
The house was
previously a
group of cramped
bedsits above
commercial
premises. At night
in summer,
Dominic and
Saskia throw
open the rear
extension’s
double-height
doors and sit by
the Ceanothus
tree lit from
below
Graphic picture
of perfection
A double-height extension, with a stunning pair of giant patio doors,
was one of the many inspiring ideas that helped this creative couple
transform their listed Islington wreck into a fabulous home
A
run-down house in desperate need of attention — both
inside and out — would not
come top of everyone’s wish
list, particularly a Grade IIlisted building subject to the strictest
planning restrictions. However, for
architect Dominic McKenzie and his wife
Saskia, an advertising creative, the 1830s
“wreck” they discovered tucked away
in a quiet corner of Islington ticked all
the right boxes.
“It was perfect,” recalls Dominic, who
was born and raised in north London,
“by which I mean completely decrepit
but with potential for extending to the
rear and at roof level.” The house’s leafy
location also added to its appeal.
“Saskia grew up in Surrey but moved
to London when she studied theatre
design at Central St Martins,” Dominic
continues. “She wanted to live somewhere that felt like the countryside —
even though it is very central — and I
didn’t want to wander too far from north
London.
“This is a nice area — Tony Blair used
to live just down the road before he
became prime minister.”
Upstairs, the house had been crudely
divided into tiny bedsits, while downstairs was a ramshackle office space. “We
kept receiving letters addressed to the
Sugababes,” recalls Dominic.
Undaunted, the couple forged ahead
with plans for a modern facelift that
preserved the original features of the
building. But wasn’t all plain sailing.
“There are constant problems dealing
with these old houses, especially ones
that are listed,” admits Dominic. “You
need to balance the need for retaining
‘You need
to balance
the need for
retaining
the historic
fabric with
making
things
appropriate
for modern
living’
and preserving the historic fabric with
making things structurally sound and
appropriate for modern living.”
The listed-building officer was keen to
keep as much as possible. Original
“wonky” floorboards and joists were
retained at his request, but strengthened
with a layer of plywood and hidden
under carpet. Panelling in the living
room and master bathroom was also
preserved but updated with a fresh lick
of paint.
Hidden or forgotten features were
expertly restored to their former glory.
“The name of the house is Bower House.
I think someone called Thomas Bower
used to run a business from here,”
explains Dominic. “When we bought the
house you could still read the name on
the façade but it had been clumsily
painted over, so we decided to reinstate
Get the
look
Page 24 ➤
the name fully but in a more interesting,
graphic way.”
Top of the McKenzies’ “to do” list was
a double-height extension at the back of
the house fitted with large glass patio
doors. This created a generous central
living space incorporating an informal
kitchen and connecting dining area,
while giving the couple first-class views
of their garden.
“The dining room is fantastic for holding dinner parties,” says Dominic, “especially when the doors to the garden are
flung open in summer and the Ceanothus tree is lit up from below. I installed
a mirror on the ceiling above the dining
table to catch the candlelight when we
are entertaining.”
Once the back of the house had been
overhauled, the couple addressed their
plans for a roof extension to make space
Grand design:
architect
Dominic
McKenzie opens
the doors of his
home’s rear
extension.
Behind him an
abstract forest
scene gives a hint
of the courtyard
garden beyond
Words:
Sophia Romero
arcaidimages.com
Photographs:
Will Pryce
arcaidimages.com
for a modern bedroom complete with
tongue-and-groove timber walls painted
a cool shade of grey and a stunning walkin shower.
“I wanted to keep this shower as
simple as possible, without steps,”
Dominic reveals. “Now the floor of the
shower actually sits flush with the bedroom carpet. The shower is divided
from the bedroom with a simple fullheight shower screen of frosted glass.
There is hardwood decking on the floor
of the shower and this allows the water
through to a waterproof membrane and
drain underneath.” But getting planning permission for
both extensions proved problematic.
“Initially, Islington’s planning office said
it was ‘overdevelopment’, even though
there are precedents for both extensions
on neighbouring houses,” says Dominic.
“We had to go to appeal, which took six
months, but fortunately the appeal
officer agreed with us.”
Nature is a recurring theme throughout
the McKenzie household. Emphasis is
placed on natural materials and a natureinspired palette of brown, grey and
green, juxtaposed with a crisp white
backdrop. An abstract forest scene
also draws attention to what has become
a statement living room wall.
“We originally had a ‘tasteful’ beigecoffee colour on this wall but it was just
too boring,” Dominic says. Meanwhile,
a large canvas, inspired by the climbing
plants that grow on the trellis in the garden, hangs above a pale-grey table in the
dining room. This is paired with
reclaimed church chairs painted different colours for a dash of variety.
“I love colour and graphics,” explains
Dominic. “In this respect I think I am a
bit different from a lot of architects who
limit themselves to black, white and grey.
Purism always looks too cold to me; I
keep wanting to add things that are surprising or theatrical that maybe you
haven’t seen before.”
Unexpected highlights of the McKenzie home include a bulky brass island
unit that injects wow factor into the
otherwise minimalist kitchen, with its
sleek handle-less cabinetry. “Everyone uses stainless steel in the
kitchen; we wanted something a bit different,” says Dominic. “We were
inspired by the countertops you see in
French bistros, but we thought it would
be great to make the entire kitchen
island out of brass. It gives a nice golden
glow to the space.”
For the floor in this part of the house
the couple selected poured resin, lending a seamless, glossy finish to the flowing space.
Elsewhere in the house, a bespoke
floor-to-ceiling bookshelf in the living
room speaks volumes about the McKenzies’ love of reading; the use of Metro
ceramic tiles in the master bathroom
gives a somewhat utilitarian feel that is
rescued by the introduction of a fabulous
freestanding tub — a great opportunity
for some luxurious down time.
“I suppose that the tiles can be a bit
reminiscent of subways or steam
rooms,” says Dominic, who confesses to
be a great fan of their simplicity. “I think
they look particularly good when used
with black grout.”
As one would expect, the McKenzies’
choice of furniture reflects the same
understated, timeless style seen through-
out their home: an Eames rocking chair
has pride of place in the living room;
Konstantin Grcic’s Calder side table and
Christian Ghion’s Shadow chaise-longue
for Cappellini are highlights of the attic
bedroom; and Massimo Vignelli’s iconic
Stendig calendar is the perfect finishing
flourish in the kitchen.
For Dominic and Saskia, however, their
favourite piece is the L-shaped sofa from
SCP in the living room. “It’s called
Landsdowne by British furniture
designer Terence Woodgate and it’s a
modern reinterpretation of the classic
Chesterfield sofa. We spend a lot of time
there, and our cat, Cassius, particularly
likes Pierre Paulin’s Orange Slice lounge
chair and footstool. In fact, he thinks it
is his chair.”
■ Cost: about £180,000
24
WEDNESDAY 30 MARCH 2011 EVENING STANDARD
Homes & Property Our home
homesandproperty.co.uk
3
1
1 Bathroom beauty
A handsome freestanding bath from
Victoria Plumb (victoriaplumb.com),
now on sale at £479, lends an indulgent
look to the McKenzies’ bathroom, as
does the wall-mounted mixer tap from
Ideal Standard’s David Chipperfield
collection (currently on sale at £258.94
from qssupplies.co.uk).
The classic white Metro tiles (40p
each from toppstiles.co.uk) add a
utilitarian vibe. A splash of colour on a
wall brings the bathroom to life when
teamed with a Habitat rug from a
Sixties design (from £40, habitat.
co.uk).
2 Back to nature
Dominic and Saskia replaced a “dull”
beige wall with an abstract forest scene
painted by Dominic using premixed
emulsion paint.
The couple love classic furniture and
were delighted when they received an
Eames rocking chair by Vitra as a
wedding present (£399 at utilitydesign.
co.uk). The white cuckoo clock is by
Pascal Tarabay (£220 from heals.co.
uk).
2
4
5
6
3 Forever young
The McKenzies invested in classic
pieces of furniture that won’t date to
create a timeless look to their home. A
particular favourite is Pierre Paulin’s
Orange Slice chair for Artifort (£722.40
from nest.co.uk).
4 Go glamorous
This stunning brass island unit makes a
strong centrepiece in an otherwise
minimalist kitchen. It was made by a
local metal supplier who wrapped
brass around a standard kitchen
carcass. A rectangular sink makes
better use of available space than a
round one (Cheshire ceramic sink, £368
from sinks.co.uk) and teams with a
mixer tap from Vola (£548.16 in the
vola.com sale).
5 Sleep on it
The cool grey tongue-and-groove
timber walls of the McKenzies’ attic
bedroom complement the understated
beauty of Christian Ghion’s Shadow
chaise longue (bonluxat.com). Dominic
painted the picture seen here, inspired
by a warehouse he designed.
6 Outdoor-indoor living
These fabulous double-height glass
patio doors by Charles Collinge
Architectural Ironmongery (020 7787
0007) divide the garden from the
dining area. When they are open the
two spaces become one. The McKenzies
wanted nature to be a recurring theme
in their house. Once again, Dominic
painted the canvas, inspired by the
climbing plants on trellis in their
garden.
■ Dominic McKenzie Architects
(dominicmckenzie@gmail.com)