St. John's Wood 163

Although the majestic ceiling heights gave us early clues to its unique qualities; this house gave up its secrets as the build started and interior partitions were cleared away to reveal the original spectacular first floor drawing room spanning from front to back with floor-to-ceiling sash windows. The staircase had been altered over the years and so was replaced with a new contemporary helical design using steel plate for the central balustrade from which 90% of the material was cut away to leave a delicate steel tracery that defies gravity.

Every detail of the interior furniture and kitchen were custom-designed and built, using a simple palette of fumed oak contrasted with deep glossy white lacquer. A new glass extension at the rear was design to be as sleek and minimal as possible and the wafer-thin roof appears to float out over the garden. Glass panels in the floor let light down into a spectacular new basement gymnasium.

The garden, designed by Matthew Wilson, forms an outdoor room on sunny days and borrowing longer views, draws in elusive qualities of calm and peace from the leafy setting of St John’s Wood.