On a quiet street just minutes from Hampstead Heath in north London, a distinctive 1970s home has undergone a significant interior transformation that complements its unusual exterior. The compact three-storey house, originally built on a wedge-shaped plot with a footprint of just 322 square feet, features prominent angular brick protrusions designed to expand living space above ground level. Architect Nick Hayhurst, whose firm Hayhurst & Co carried out the renovation, humorously likens these upper-level extensions to “backpacks” and compares the overall appearance to a modernist take on Scottish fortresses.
When the property changed ownership in 2020, Hayhurst and his team found the interior did not match the visual intrigue of the façade. Described by Hayhurst as “incredibly bland” and “so dark,” the original layout comprised a series of small, poorly lit rooms. The architectural challenge was to inject similar drama and spatial interest into the interior, a goal that led to gutting the inside while preserving the building’s external form.
One of the most notable changes was the removal of much of the ground-floor slab, effectively doubling the size of the stairwell. This renovation revealed a dramatic 25-foot lightwell extending from the first floor down to the basement, flooding the space with natural light. The kitchen now occupies the site of the former garage and opens onto a striking 15-foot-high dining area featuring a coffered ceiling formed by curved vaults lined with slatted cherry wood. The design integrates angled mirrored panels to enhance daylight and visually alleviate the room’s narrowing shape towards the rear.
To address acoustics in the compact space, the designers incorporated a curtained wall, a technique also used successfully in their earlier eco-friendly Green House project, which received a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) House of the Year award in 2023. Hayhurst emphasizes the holistic approach, noting that every interior plane and elevation was carefully designed to form a cohesive and functional environment rather than serving merely as a backdrop for furnishings.
The interior journey includes various textures and materials, from cherry-lined staircases illuminated by skylights to five different types of stairs crafted from materials like stone, hardwood, and oak. Features such as reeded glass panels and hairpin steel banisters evoke mid-century design elements, while the kitchen and master bathroom showcase almond-toned travertine surfaces, including a sarcophagus-shaped bath.
The owners, including a client named Daniel, expressed satisfaction with the transformation. Daniel highlighted the formal yet inviting dining space, where paneling doubles as a fire door, and the juxtaposition of a cozy living room with an airy, elongated layout that belies the house’s narrow footprint. Custom joinery by London-based cabinet makers Vialle & Co adds bespoke touches throughout the home.
Sustainability formed a key aspect of the redesign. Original features like parquet flooring were restored, and materials from the former pink marble bathroom were repurposed. The renovation addressed energy inefficiencies caused by external concrete slabs that created cold bridges, leading to comprehensive insulation of walls, floors, and cantilevered protrusions. Modern upgrades include an air-source heat pump and thermally efficient oak-framed windows designed to replicate the original leaky ones.
Despite the complexity of accommodating modern services and insulation while adhering to local preservation requirements, the completed home now uses significantly less energy than typical properties of its size and age. Hayhurst described the digital modeling effort as more demanding than entire school projects his firm had managed. The client affirmed that the renovated space maximizes usability and spatial logic, particularly given its challenging footprint and existing structure.
The project reflects both a respect for mid-century architectural character and a commitment to sustainable, low-energy living, demonstrating how innovative design can revitalize a modest but architecturally distinctive London home.