The joyful transformation of an 80s house in east London
'We weren’t looking for a move, but this house offered us a unique opportunity to scale up and stay in an area we love,’ says architect George Bradley of his three-bedroom ex-local authority house in east London. Having discovered the estate while working with clients nearby, he booked a viewing of the property as soon as it came onto the market.
Built in 1980, the house had been tenanted for more than 40 years, and it was dated and uninspiring. However, George, who co-owns the architect practice, Bradley Van Der Straeten, saw potential in its solid construction and the amount of natural light it had. And his wife Helen agreed. ‘She loved it! She got it straightaway,’ laughs George. ‘We looked forward to transforming it together.’
Due to cost limitations, George and Helen split the renovation into two phases, the first of which they completed before moving in. This focused mainly on the upper storey, where the bedrooms needed attention. George started by laying a new white oak floor in a chevron pattern, later replicated downstairs, which helps to tie the levels together. But perhaps the thing that made the biggest impact was George’s decision to replace all the doors with taller ones that extend up to the ceiling. ‘It really opened up the first floor and improved the flow,’ he explains.
Knocking the windowless WC and bathroom into one space was also a priority, and the couple added interest with graphic tiles from Barber Osgerby and plywood finishes. ‘It’s such a versatile and cost-effective material,’ says George. ‘It brings a warm feel to the room.’
In fact, plywood features throughout the house, as George felt it was the ‘right solution’ in this modern home, where he has used it for the storage he designed below the stairs and in the widened hall, as well as around the new slim aluminium window frames that have replaced the original plastic ones. ‘I simply couldn’t believe the change it made,’ he says. ‘We get so much more light coming in and more views looking out.’
Four years later, the family – which by now included their daughter Illy and son Rex – moved out to stay with George’s parents while phase two of the renovation began. ‘Our brief to ourselves was to make the house feel joyful and happy,’ George recalls. ‘We were influenced by having young children and also by the building itself and wanted to make the interiors “pop.” And pop they certainly do, with colourful dining chairs inspiring the punchy palette for the rest of the interiors, and Farrow & Ball’s neutral range a calming backdrop on the walls, joinery and ceilings.
All the downstairs walls were demolished to create one open-plan floor. ‘Our aim was to make the whole space feel as airy and spacious as possible, so opening it up has been our best idea,’ admits George.
A triumph of careful design in a very tight area, the galley kitchen has the advantage that there are no awkward corner cupboards – and features a vibrant green on the units: ‘Opting for that shade was one of the easiest choices we had to make.’ Teamed with the speckled terrazzo splashback and plywood, it has transformed this functional area into a lively focal point.
The dining space connects the kitchen to the sitting area, with storage units doubling as a dining bench and a play surface for Illy and Rex. ‘The house is just 80 square metres, so every millimetre counts,’ says George, who, when designing a space for their cookbooks above the kitchen units, ensured the shelf was pinpoint-perfect to provide sufficient space between the ceiling and the standard-sized cabinetry.
Now, with the renovation finally completed, thanks to George’s inspiration and creative design solutions, this young family has the space to grow. ‘I love the south-facing living room, the open-plan spaces and the garden,’ concludes George, ‘as well as the small things – the textures and the details. But what I especially love is the warm light that fills the whole house.’
For more information on George’s architecture studio, go to b-vds.co.uk
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KITCHEN
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